The Influence That Women Have Had In The Church And In The World

It is important to recognize the influence that women have had in the church and in the world. Their convictions have created institutions to question the more conservative policies they have had in their historical context. And while, until the most recent decades of our global history, women had very little authority, they still let their voices be heard in ways that resonate today. This is not to say that society doesn’t have a long way in recognizing the power and importance that of women, but I believe that it is important to remember those women who came before us in order to motivate future generations of women to do what they do best, which is to make great changes for the better of all.

They do this not because of a simple moralistic integrity but rather conviction of who they are as followers of Christ. Sometimes the path the Holy Spirit invites us to follow isn’t what we anticipate or even the one we wish to proceed, but God’s use of those in our past and the influence they share reminds us that we are a part of a larger narrative. Today, I would like to share three distinct stories of women who have made great impacts not only historically, but whose lives still challenge us today. I will first sketch the lives of two women who have made historical significance and then share one contemporary figure who has made a great impact on our current Episcopal tradition.

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Our first illustration takes place but a few hundred years after Christ. Perpetua was a young women born from a wealthy family in Rome at the end of the second century. What makes her life so unique is that she was a catechumen formally instructed in a faith of the early church that followed the teachings of Christ. Her ancient found narrative begins with her already in prison for not denouncing her faith at a time when it was understood that being a follower of any God incongruent with Rome was punishable by death. Perpetua is also known for her visions. One being reminiscent of Jacobs Ladder (Gen. 28:10-19) where she envisioned herself climbing a ladder and ascending into a garden. While this vision prophecies with death it can also reveal hope. Though her aristocratic family (Passion of Perpetua) begs her to denounce her faith claims, she refuses and is sentenced to death at the celebration of the Roman Emperors birthday. Perpetua died alongside slaves because her Christian identity superseded her inherited social position (Perpetual of Carthage) and because she refused to conform to the social norms due to her faith (Passion of Perpetua), almost two thousand years later, we recognize and remember her convictions.

The next person I wish to sketch out takes place in the 19th century. Harriet Beecher Stowe was a daughter of a Calvinist preacher who grew up in New England. When she was in her 20’s, her father took a position as president of a local seminary in Cincinnati. During her tenure in Cincinnati, she witnessed tensions between the workforce of the Irish and Black community which led to many riots. During this time, she developed relationships with many in the black community, learning of their struggles even in an area where they were considered free. Years later in Maine, as she was participating in Communion, she claimed to have had a vision of a dying slave (History of the First Parish Church in Brunswick,). This vision continued to resonate with her and became the foundation of what would eventually become her famous novel Uncle Toms Cabin. Her literary contribution created empathy for those suffering through slavery in a way that President Lincoln called Stowe 'the little woman who wrote the book that started this great war.”(Memory and Myth). Stowe’s experiences led her to believe that slavery was not compatible with the theology of her Calvinist upbringing (Great Cloud of Witnesses).

These two examples of women who challenged the social expectations within their historical context remind us of the struggles that progress has had and, and we can learn a great deal from the convictions of faith these two very important historical figures had. These two women witnessed visions that led one to death and the other contributing to the tension that led to a civil war, but they followed through with their beliefs not to change history but to follow God. I would like to continue by sketching out one more important women who has made an impact in more recent history.

Barbara Harris was a civil rights activist who participated in many marches including the one in Selma with Dr. Martin Luther King (Episcopal Archives). As a dedicated Episcopalian and activist, she was privileged to be an acolyte at the service for the Philadelphia 11 (Episcopal Archives) where the unauthorized but first ordination of women in the Episcopal church to place. A few years later, Harris was ordained to the priesthood where she continued to be a voice for peace and justice. In 1989, Harris was the first women to be ordained as an Episcopal Bishop where she was encouraged to wear a bullet proof vest at her own ordination but refused (A Bishop Who Happens to be a Woman).

I share the story of Barbara Harris because while the two former figures I have sketched have been historically important, there are those who are influential today. While Rev. Harris did not suffer death due to her calling like Perpetua, she was willing to do so, and while she did not contribute to a war in a way that Stowe might have, she still challenged the status quo of social expectations during the civil rights movement. Women have been an important force in the Episcopal church and the wider church community since the time of Christ and as we observe and celebrate the lives of these women, let their stories challenge to us to be the change they were because of their faith. These three powerful female figures reveal that following God, whether it’s through visions or a calling, is not simple and can sometimes lead us to paths that we would not venture on our own, but if there is anything we can learn from these women is that any one who is willing to be open the the voice of God has the capability to change history.

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