Women Clergy

Research

Clergy Women

Feminists need to travel through the vortex of traditional paradigms on their scholarly journey toward a new order . The key is to not let one 's creativity become lost in the vortex (Lummis and Nesbitt , 2000

When dealing with such controversial a topic which involves sociological approaches a number of narrow places ' - the places where one is likely to confront the rigid contstrains of the methodology choosen is likely to be surprising . Here I would like to propose leave the grounds somewhat traditional feminist methodology and poise

a question about the limitations of the approach chosen to the research process

In the course of doing reseach the sociologist is to likely to associate oneself either with godly ' or wordly ' side of the fold (Sleep 2000 ) A sociological methods may not be steeped with , for example religious enthusiasm , for sooner or later the research is at risk to be reduced to a mere account of the likely pietous and exalted opinions but the obvious necessity to approach from within ' reasonably demands a certain degree of saturation with the godly . In the opposite case the both ordained women and their congregations will practically withhold what they about to say to a godly ' researcher when one is likely to miss the whole religious concept . The secluded communities which are of particular intertest on the account of being off the mainstream and ,thus , representing a pecular woman- minister and denomination relation are virtually unavailable for those who pursuit "too clinical " and perhaps "too sociological " design (Albee , 2000 ) The ever-changing countenance of the women clergy sociologist now seems to have occasioned two faces- one person researcher the first face is being interrogated and the second one does conduct this detached interrogation ( Sleep ,2000 ) This may bring closer the desired sociological field research experience , seemingly bringing to terms the notorious subject-object antagonism . In general , being on the wordly side of the fold by itself engenders a certain preconception of the woman clergy as a mileu of feminist and innovative spirit which is craving to brake through the institionalized denomination structure why , even through the godly side of the fence , intruding into its opposite worldy side and merging the two into a wholesome women liberating and self apprehending circle (Lummis and Nesbitt , 2000

The feminist methodology being in itself omnipotent by virtue of appropriating methods of every science to the needs of feminist research may facilitate to deepen this preconception . I contend that the all-encompassing potential of feminist methodology , the energetic charge and zeal which emanates from the worldly side of the fence are in position to embrace the whole sociology of women clergy leaving behind the important though less appealing to social reform process issues such as for example the meaning of the religious or sacred experience (Sleep ,2000 ) as viewed through women eyes (Lummis and Nesbitt , 2000

In my role as social scientist I am more inclined to see particular situations in terms of opportunity , constraint , and social structure Stephanie backgrounds...