Women in Waiting

Since the publication of this important book about prejudice at the heart of the Church, the General Synod of the Church of England has finally voted in favour of women bishops, which was not the case at the time of writing where the motion had been rejected in 2012. Reading the vivid accounts of the 12 remarkable women included in this book is a revelation for most readers unfamiliar with the field. Women were first ordained priests in 1994, and half of ordinands are now women. Even now, however, they are still operating in what is largely a male ethos, as many incidents in this book show. Feelings on either side of the debate run deep and are passionately held. Julia's experience as a trustee of Tearfund gave her an insight into the plight of women worldwide, of which this book is a particular illustration. Its simple contention of the equal worth of women is far-reaching and crucial.

The women in the book occupy or occupied significant positions within the church hierarchy, including two American bishops, the chaplain to the Speaker of the House of Commons, the Dean of York, Archdeacon of Canterbury, Professor of Divinity at Cambridge and Moderator of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland. As such, they are highly capable and articulate, which comes across strongly in these interviews. The message of love and compassion is more important than theology and more relevant to most people. The two women serving in cathedrals find the rhythm of prayer extremely important as a counterbalance to daily activity and pressure. I think it also enables them to develop reserves of courage to cope with the difficult situations that many describe and which make them so inspirational. Each woman chooses a favourite biblical verse and character – here Martha is chosen on more than one occasion. The last interviewee is Baroness Kennedy, not herself a church leader, but a powerful advocate of women in society and a person of immense commitment and resource who was involved in the campaign for women bishops. She sees the basic issue as one of power and rightly regards it as critical that the female perspective is fully represented in all social institutions. Paradoxically, powerful women can be pejoratively sidelined as pushy when a similar man might be approvingly described as ambitious. This book is essential reading for a real understanding of what has been going on the Church from the perspective of senior women who have been real cultural pioneers.