Man and Church
Men Carry the Chalice, Women, the Faith
How the essential roles which men and women play in the Church's life reflect the restoration of the paradisaic order.
Orthodoxy recognizes distinct roles for men and women. The sacramental priesthood is entrusted to men, while women have played a vital part in receiving, nurturing, preserving, and handing on the Orthodox faith. Yet distinct does not mean unequal in spiritual worth.
The history of the Church is the story of priests, bishops, and theologians, and equally the story of women who preserved its traditions in their homes, taught children their prayers, and kept the faith alive through persecution, displacement, and cultural upheaval. Had either part of this balance been missing, the Church as we know it would not exist, for families do not keep a faith that is not nourished and taught with love.
Scripture recognized the power of this influence. Ancient Israel was warned against marrying into the surrounding pagan nations, lest a spouse turn the heart of the household away from God (Deuteronomy 7:3–4), and Solomon’s foreign wives did exactly that (1 Kings 11:1–4). The influence of a wife and mother on the faith of the home is critical.
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