Women priests: from exclusion to accommodation

Area of Science:

• Sociology of religion
• Organizational theory

Background:

• Theological and social debates surrounding women's ordination in the Church of England.
• Application of grid/group theory to analyze institutional change and conflict.

Purpose of the Study:

• To analyze the debate on women's ordination in the Church of England using grid/group theory.
• To examine the conflict between accommodationist and exclusivist models of the Church.

Main Methods:

• Analysis of the Church of England's internal debate on women's ordination.
• Application of grid/group theory framework to sociological analysis.

Main Results:

• The study identifies two competing models: the accommodationist and the exclusivist.
• The accommodationist model's ascendancy is linked to broader societal shifts.
• Changes reflect a decline in status professionalism and the rise of rationalized modern professions.

Conclusions:

• The shift towards an accommodationist Church signifies a broader trend in professionalization.
• Rationalization of occupational closure criteria is a key feature of modern professions.
• Grid/group theory provides a valuable lens for understanding religious institutional dynamics.