On March 12th, 1994, Bristol Cathedral witnessed the ordination of thirty-two priests.  It was no ordinary event.  The ordination of these women to priestly ministry in the Church of England was a watershed moment.

But the celebrations of 1994 were tinged with dissatisfaction.
The decision reached by the General Synod in November '92 (following five-and-a half hours of debate) had already caused several outspoken Anglicans -including Ann Widdicombe MP- to convert to Roman Catholicism. Provisions made for conscientious objectors could not nullify the break with tradition.

At the other end of the spectrum, campaigners for women's equality were unhappy with women's continued exclusion from the episcopacy. The theological implications of the 1993 Act of Synod permitting parishes to exempt themselves from the protection of 'contaminated' bishops - i.e. those who actively supported women's priesthood - were also found to be 'less than desirable'.

So it is scarcely surprising that, ten years into the reality, Women and Priesthood remains a controversial topic; a new report examines the consequences.

Ian Jones had the intimidating task of assessing the innumerable effects of Synod's decisions and the varying impact of women priests in England's dioceses. His careful report will be of interest to all parties.

Perhaps most fascinating, is the topic of Chapter 8: Coexistence and the Future. In it, Jones explores the diversity of thinking among grass roots clergy and the laity, concerning just how the Church will progress beyond the 'provisional' settlements of 1992-4. Were the decisions made a decade ago exclusive, accommodating, an opportunity or irrelevant?

Published in 2002, to mark the tenth anniversary of the Synod's groundbreaking decision, this is a moving compilation of testimonies from women priests and their male colleagues. 

The book is introduced and compiled by Christina Rees, the Chair of WATCH - Women and the Church - who invites each of us to hear and learn from the experiences of this first generation. The epilogue from Rowan Williams - written during his time as Primate of the Church in Wales - closes with a simple expression of hope "that the next phase of our church life will show some intense reflection". Jones' report is perhaps the tip of the iceberg. 

"The Church in the twenty-first century is experiencing a cataclysmic time of change."

These words from the foreword aptly frame Yvonne Warren's research. Her wide remit - covering the breadth of anglican clergy and their perspectives on priesthood and its implications for their daily life, produced an effective counterpart to Rees' more anecodotal publication.

Warren describes the impact of women's priesthood as "a 'sex change'" with "Richter scake effects". The overall metaphor of the 'Cracked Pot' - borrowed from Paul's second letter to the Corinthians - encapsulates Warren's perception of the pressure and potential throughout contemporary clerical life. Her conclusion reflects the hope that through the cracks and damage caused in ministry the light of Christ may shine more brightly.

Passing beyond the bounds of Anglican politics, an ecumenical overview reveals many obstacles still in place. McEwan and Poole collaborate in an attempt to re-contextualise the Roman Catholic debate on women's ordination.

The argument that underpins this book is not one of systematic theology but emphasises instead the need for continued evolution within the Church's social teaching:

"the non-ordination of women is not a part of revelation but a part of the inherited general, historical understanding of women as inferior beings to men."

The book's tripartite approach moves from past - How did we get here? -through present -Steps Toward Change- to their particular vision of the future and the perceived need for the Church to embrace women in all their fullness, thus "making all things new".

From another sector of the ecumenical arena comes this seasoned reflection on the Orthodox diaconate. Despite a demonstrable historical precedent, there is stringent resistance to the revival of women's diaconal ordination within Orthodox Christianity.

This excerpt from the preface gives the context of FitzGerald's study in a nutshell:

"[T]he reluctance of theologians to aggressively examine the unique tradition of ordained women deacons may have diminished the quality of our witness and participation in ecumenical dialogue, and also effected our own creative response to a number of vital contemporary pastoral concerns."

Orthodox Christianity is steeped in tradition, and has ever placed a high value on the practice of the early Church. Thus the existence of women deacons from Phoebe (cf. Romans 16:1) up until the eleventh century is one of the strongest arguments in favour of women's ordination in the present day. The known roles of historical deaconesses included teaching, pastoral duties, and the administration of communion to the housebound.

Introduced by Monica Furlong, author of Act of Synod, Act of Folly? - a critical appraisal of the Provincial Episcopal Visitors (aka Flying Bishops) measure and its theological import, this book collects together services and prayers from the "inclusive" community of St. Hilda's.

The community was founded in 1987, partially as a reaction to the Synod's decision forbidding Anglican women ordained outside of the UK from administering Holy Communion in English churches. Alongside the remarkable liturgies evolved by the community, the book details the reactions of its members to the developing space for -and the remaining restrictions upon- women's ministry within the Church of England.