Essay- By Laura Pelliton, A.K.A Zeida September 29, 2018

Given women’s natural and historical tender feeling for Jesus, why do they wait until the 21st century to focusing interest on the Theology study to becoming “Evangelists?

 Evangelism as a profession did not attract women’s interest before the 21st century because of the continuing practice of “gender” classification into the society preventing female leadership; and the continuing legacy of female hostility into churches – created by theocratic leaders a few centuries after Jesus ascended to heaven through the 20^th century.

    During the shaping of the middle age, Christianity was the most infected religious system than other religions, because of the persistent human changes into it. The true Christian’s philosophy, which is and has always been the expansion of the Ten Commandments, were hampered by cultural/traditional views, and the worship of false gods. One of the most infected traditional inputs into Christianity was the diminishing of female value. Non-Christian men said that women should not be educated for professional leadership because they were made for domestic tasks and to satisfy male sexual desire. They also said that women must not be granted authority over men because they are sinful human being and apt to spread all types of sexual temptations. So, they were neither allowed to go to school, nor preach in congregations. Surprisingly, these personal views were supported by Monastic Clerics in establishing decimated rules to formalize the practice of gender favoritism.

    One of the most decimated churches’ rules was the “Benedictine Rule”. Established a few centuries after Jesus, that rule allowed women to take part in the priesthood system, but only as nuns and educators for female. They were banned from holding any forms of authority. Ironically, many protestant leaders had also welcomed those pagan biases. Since they were supported by the churches, those philosophical biases were accepted globally, like they were ordered by God, and continued to affect the lives of Christians women until the mid of 20^th century. However, Jesus had never ordered sexism into His system of thought. Throughout His ministry, and even before He came down, any one (woman, man) aimed to knowing and serving God was welcome to do so. Female leadership can be traced back at least as far as Deborah, a Biblical wife and prophetess before Christ era. God Himself had chosen and assigned her, not only as Judge in Israel, but also to lead the strategic preparations for the war between the Canaanites and His chosen nation (Judges: 4-5). At that time, there was a lack of true male leadership (like today); so God called a woman to lead the nation with the purpose of showing that He can use any body to do His work.

     Moreover, the greatest and powerful Biblical message of faith that is continuing to shape Christianity and bringing millions of people into the kingdom of God was trusted with women; that powerful message of “ the Resurrection” in the book of Matt. 28:7&10 was given to Mary Magdalene, Joanna, and Mary the mother of James; not to men. The angels told the women: “Go quickly, and tell the disciples that Jesus has risen from the dead”… While they were departed to bring the good news, the new resurrected Jesus that no male disciples had yet seen, appeared to them women and said: “Be not afraid, go tell my brethren, that they go into Galilee; and there shall they see me.”From that moment, Jesus, the perfect ideologue and creator of Christianity had given women the power to become Evangelists or to use any given talents to serve Him – but this power was taken away by haters.

    It was only at the end of the 20^th century through the beginning of this 21st, when the female liberalism movement was broad-minded to include women and men equally in all areas of social life, and formalize the quest for freedom from male oppression and the right to gain access to higher education that many Christian women could come to be aware of their condition; some of them had decided to attend schools, and been able to read the Bible; they have discovered that in the past, there were many female leaders working for God and Jesus-Christ, such as Deborah, Mary Magdalene, Joanna, Mary, Priscilla (Prisca), and many more. At this point of time, several women have already achieved a major in Theology Study; we see female Evangelists everywhere, they are invading the media to preach the gospel of Jesus-Christ, some of them even built their own churches; or working in other areas where God had called them.

     Finally, before 21st century, Christian’s women’s ways of life were dictated not only by men who used to forcing them into domestic works rather than attending schools, but also by the society which was against female authority. Protestant churches and Monastic leaders whom were supposed to be showing warm–hearted nature like great shepherds did nothing to condemn Female mistreatment among Christians. Therefore, theology or any other studies were not a goal of interest. But at this point of the modern age, Christian women are moving to progress; cultural/tradition, male oppression, and racial disparity are no-longer obstacles; they are disappearing and soon will be history. Women are raising their freedom to take part of the great end-time movement, which is the fulfillment of Jesus’ prophecy, saying that His gospel must be preached globally before He returns.

Laura Pelliton

© 2018