ABSTRACT
The number of ordained women clergy, representing religious groups primarily from Christian and Jewish traditions, has increased sharply over recent decades. Women religious leaders historically have ranged from Hebrew prophets to founders of new religious groups. Although some evidence exists of women's ordination in Christian communities up to the eleventh century (Børresen 1993), women's ordination in contemporary denominations—with the same religious tasks and responsibilities as men—began only in the mid nineteenth century. Until the 1970s, women were a small fraction of all clergy. By the mid 1980s, most larger denominations, having removed gender restrictions to ordination, experienced a large female influx into seminaries and ordained positions. Women clergy continue to face challenges as accepted religious leaders in the United States and worldwide, from obtaining appointments to head congregations to denominational executive positions, and in equal opportunities for career advancement.
