The Fall issue 57:4 of the Journal of Ecumenical Studies is now available. For each issue, the Diablogue features one author and makes available a full-text version of their article for 30 days. In this issue, we are featuring Gabrielle Rachel Thomas's "The Gift of Power in Methodism: Learning from Women’s Experiences of Working in Diverse Churches in England through Receptive Ecumenism."
Gabrielle Thomas is an Assistant Professor of Early Christianity and Anglican Studies, at the Candler School of Theology, Emory University, in Atlanta, Georgia, U.S., and is a member of the Archbishop of Canterbury’s Theological Reflection Group in the U.K. She earned her Ph.D. in Historical Theology from the University of Nottingham in Nottingham, U.K. in 2017.
In two sentences, what is the argument of your J.E.S. article?
My article identifies possible ecclesial learning by using receptive ecumenism to explore women’s experiences of working in diverse churches in England. I examine a Methodist approach to power and use it to critique current practices across diverse Christian traditions in England, providing the potential for churches to transform the way that power is distributed, especially with respect to women flourishing in leadership roles.
How does your article help us better understand Receptive Ecumenism?
Simply put, receptive ecumenism asks, “What do we need to learn from another Christian tradition to help us address some of the wounds and weaknesses in our own?” My contribution puts Receptive Ecumenism to the test with a practical example of women who follow the way of receptive ecumenism to explore their experiences of working in churches in England, with a view to identifying areas for potential ecclesial learning.
How did you get interested in the topic?
I have long been committed to Christian unity. Receptive Ecumenism is a fresh way into the conversation. With respect to the project I developed on exploring women’s experiences– I am ordained in the Church of England and am interested in ministry from the perspective of a researcher but also as a practitioner.
What is your next project?
My next project explores a theology of the Devil bringing into conversation the perspective and experience of diverse traditions such as Pentecostal, Anglican, Catholic, and Orthodox.
Article Abstract:
Global attention to receptive ecumenism has grown in recent years, prompting ecumenical theologians to ask, “What do we need to learn from another Christian tradition to help us address some of the wounds and weaknesses in our own?” Hitherto, much of the published work on receptive ecumenism has focused on its place in the formal ecumenical movement with little attention directed toward the grassroots. This contribution is a case study that identifies possible ecclesial learning by using receptive ecumenism to explore women’s experiences of working in diverse churches in England. It focuses on a particular example emerging from the broader research, during which Baptist women identified how the distribution of power in their churches can inhibit women’s flourishing, particularly in ministerial roles. Following the way of receptive ecumenism, after outlining the research context, I examine gifts shared by Methodist participants who spoke of positive structures of power. These, I argue, critique current practices, not only in the Baptist tradition but across diverse Christian traditions in England, providing the potential for churches to transform the way that power is distributed, especially with respect to women’s flourishing in leadership roles.
The full text article can be accessed via Project Muse HERE.
