First Advisor

Dr. Gary Frank

Reader

Dr. Frank McGill

College

Regis College

Degree Name

BS

Document Type

Thesis - Open Access

Number of Pages

66 pages

Abstract

The ordination and pastorship of women in Protestant America is as ambiguous as it is rare. Due to the constitutional separation of church and state in the U.S, churches do not follow anti-discrimination laws, and can hire or reject women for employment at their own discretion. This thesis argues that this discretion has created a disconnect between the acceptance of female pastors that many Protestant denominations of Christianity advertise, compared to what actually comes to fruition for women who are ordained within these denominations. This thesis will ultimately present the adverse reality of being an ordained Protestant woman in America by synthesizing different theological perspectives, remarking on America’s sexually objectifying culture, dissecting three statistical analyses about female pastors in the U.S, and reporting on interviews the author conducted with female pastors. The author concludes this thesis by explaining why this reality impacts all Americans and proposes possible solutions to ameliorate the hardships ordained Protestant women face daily.

Date of Award

Fall 2019

Location (Creation)

Colorado (state); Denver (county); Denver (inhabited place)

Rights Statement

All content in this Collection is owned by and subject to the exclusive control of Regis University and the authors of the materials. It is available only for research purposes and may not be used in violation of copyright laws or for unlawful purposes. The materials may not be downloaded in whole or in part without permission of the copyright holder or as otherwise authorized in the “fair use” standards of the U.S. copyright laws and regulations.

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