Abstract
William G. Witt’s book, Icons of Christ, argues for the full ordination of women to the office of presbyter across the Christian Church. Witt is a systematic theologian at Trinity School for Ministry which is an evangelical seminary in Ambridge, Pasadena, within the Anglican tradition. He is a layperson within the Episcopal Church and so brings an important perspective to bear on the issue of women's ordination to the priesthood. In the Introduction, Witt acknowledges the diversity of views on women's ordination, even within the same tradition, outlining the different arguments used to support each case. His goal is to confront the arguments against female ordination and to present an ecumenical case in favor of it. The book is centered around two sections, the first dealing with “Protestant” arguments and the second with “Catholic” arguments.
Protestant arguments against women's ordination to the presbyterate focus around a pyramid of relations between men and women which is to be exercised in both the home and the church. These are focused primarily on so-called biblical teaching. Complementarianism tries but fails to argue for the full equality of woman and men, but emphasizes their subordinate roles within marriage and the life of the church. Yet Genesis 1–3 presents women's subordination as a consequence of the fall and the original intention one of equal partnership between them. In the New Testament, the Gospels present a picture of Jesus as subversive of the values of his day, evidenced in his relationships with women and in their given role as witnesses. The epistles of Paul likewise contain “an egalitarian or redemptive trajectory” in which women possess the same freedom as men (120), a perspective confirmed by a careful reading of 1 Corinthians 11:1–16. Witt also tackles other passages in the Pauline corpus used by complementarians, arguing that when read aright they do not present exegetical or theological obstacles to women's ordination.
The section dealing with Catholic arguments begins with the Old Testament and the exclusion of women from the temple priesthood which Witt argues is of no relevance to the discussion. From there he moves to the role of the priest as representative of Christ in the Eucharist, arguing that Patristic studies do not support the notion that only males can represent Christ. Women, like men, are able to represent Christ since “it is not his or her sex that is significant … but the person of Jesus Christ” (241). Symbolism becomes a critical issue in conservative Catholic arguments against women's ordination, based on their absence from the Twelve who play a representative role in the formation of the Church. Both Peter and the Virgin Mary play representative roles, the one as an apostle, the other as demonstrating “the perfect response to grace” (290); these are not connected to gender but are enjoined on all Christians. At stake in these issues, Witt argues, is the interpersonal nature of the Triune God which is not tied to gender.
A final section examines the actual roles women play in the New Testament in relation to ministry. Here Witt examines the ministries exercised by women such as Phoebe (a deacon), Prisca (a teacher and co-worker with Paul) and Junia (an apostle), substantiating the claim that there is no New Testament objection to women's full participation in ministry. The same principle can also be said of the Pastoral Epistles: there, too, no theological objection to women's ministry can be found. Witt concludes his study by arguing that in exegetical, hermeneutical, and doctrinal terms there is no obstacle to women and men both exercising the ministry of ordination within the Church, across the ecumenical spectrum. At stake is the full humanity of women and the need, now more than ever, for a gender-neutral understanding of ordination in the Church.
This book presents a fine and helpful study of the biblical and theological arguments in favor of women's ordination. It is particularly helpful in addressing an audience across the ecumenical spectrum. What is missing is perhaps more focus on the diverse patterns of the Church in the post-New Testament era and the evidence for women's actual ordination, arising both from written texts and artefacts. However, this point does not detract from the overall usefulness of this study in debating women's ordination.