The ordination of women to ministerial or priestly office is an increasingly common practice among some contemporary major religious groups . It remains a controversial issue in certain religious groups in which ordination was traditionally reserved for men.
103-680: Sacerdos Liberi or sacerdos Liberi publica was the title of the Priestess of the god Liber and the goddess Libera in Ancient Rome . The priestesses of Liber officiated over the Liberalia in Ancient Rome on 17 March. Marcus Terentius Varro described them as old women, who sold cookies during the Liberalia festival. Liber's festivals are timed to the springtime awakening and renewal of fertility in
206-522: A sacerdos Cereris or Cerealis , "priestess of Ceres ", an office never held by men. Female sacerdotes played a leading role in the sanctuaries of Ceres and Proserpina in Rome and throughout Italy that observed so-called "Greek rite" ( ritus graecus ). This form of worship had spread from Sicily under Greek influence, and the Aventine cult of Ceres in Rome was headed by male priests. Only women celebrated
309-624: A 10 precept nun; when she received full ordination in 2000, her dwelling became America's first Theravada Buddhist bhikkhuni vihara. In 1998 Sherry Chayat, born in Brooklyn, became the first American woman to receive transmission in the Rinzai school of Buddhism. In 2006 Merle Kodo Boyd , born in Texas, became the first African-American woman ever to receive Dharma transmission in Zen Buddhism. Also in 2006, for
412-451: A belief in prophecy. The church claims this gift is manifested by one person (the prophesier) laying their hands on another person, who receives an individual message said by the prophesier. Prophesiers are believed to be used by the Holy Ghost as instruments through whom their God expresses his promises, advice and commandments. The church claims people receive messages about their future, in
515-663: A language they can understand. But there is also the term rasūl ( Arabic : رسول "messenger, apostle") to classify those who bring a divine revelation ( Arabic : رسالة risālah "message") via an angel . Knowledge of the Islamic prophets is one of the six articles of the Islamic faith , and specifically mentioned in the Quran. Along with Muhammad , many of the prophets in Judaism (such as Noah , Abraham , Moses , Aaron , Elijah , etc.) and prophets of Christianity ( Adam , Zechariah
618-502: A married couple, the rex and regina sacrorum , and the flamen and flaminica Dialis . The regina sacrorum ("queen of the sacred rites") and the flaminica Dialis (high priestess of Jupiter ) each had her own distinct duties and presided over public sacrifices, the regina on the first day of every month , and the flaminica every nundinal cycle (the Roman equivalent of a week). The highly public nature of these sacrifices, like
721-468: A past event (an act termed " postdiction "). Bill Whitcomb in The Magician's Companion observes, One point to remember is that the probability of an event changes as soon as a prophecy (or divination) exists. . . . The accuracy or outcome of any prophecy is altered by the desires and attachments of the seer and those who hear the prophecy. Many prophets make a large number of prophecies. This makes
824-529: A variety of contrasting interpretations. Roger Gryson asserts that it is "difficult to form an idea of the situation which Pope Gelasius opposed" and observes that "it is regrettable that more details" about the situation are not available. The Protestant Reformation introduced the dogma that the authority of the Bible exceeds that of Roman Catholic popes and other church figures. Once the Roman Catholic hierarchy
927-463: A woman might be a mantic (mantis) who became the mouthpiece of a deity through possession, but the "prophecy of interpretation" required specialized knowledge and was considered a rational process suited only to a male '"prophet" ( prophētēs ). The Latin word sacerdos , "priest", is the same for both the grammatical genders . In Roman state religion , the Vestal Virgins were responsible for
1030-597: Is a denomination that traces its history to the Millerite Movement and the Great Disappointment . Seventh-day Adventists "accept the biblical teaching of spiritual gifts and believe that the gift of prophecy is one of the identifying marks of the remnant church." The church also believes Ellen G. White to be a prophet and that her writings are divinely inspired. Since 1972, the neo-Pentecostal Church of God Ministry of Jesus Christ International has expressed
1133-564: Is acknowledged to have been the last authentic prophet if one accepts the opinion that Nechemyah died in Babylon before 9th Tevet 3448 (313 BCE). The Torah contains laws concerning the false prophet (Deuteronomy 13:2-6, 18:20-22). Prophets in Islam, like Lot , for example, are false prophets according to Jewish standards. In the Torah, prophecy often consisted of a conditioned warning by their God of
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#17328453397021236-479: Is distinguished from the process of consecration to religious orders , namely nuns and monks , which are typically open to women and men. Some Protestant denominations understand ordination more generally as the acceptance of a person for pastoral work. Historians Gary Macy, Kevin Madigan and Carolyn Osiek report having identified documented instances of ordained women in the early Church . In 2021, excavations at
1339-674: Is no vocation that is more "sacred" than any other. Because Christ is Lord over all areas of life, and because His word applies to all areas of life, nowhere does His Word even remotely suggest that the ministry is "sacred" while all other vocations are "secular". Scripture knows no sacred-secular distinction. All of life belongs to God. All of life is sacred. All believers are priests. Most Protestant denominations require pastors, ministers, deacons, and elders to be formally ordained. The early Protestant reformer Martin Bucer , for instance, cited Ephesians 4 and other Pauline letters in support of this. While
1442-458: Is not of the woman, but the woman is of the man [1 Corinthians 11:8]." Indeed, after man fell, that command was; but before man fell there was no such command; for they were both meet-helps [Genesis 2:18,20], and they were both to have dominion over all that God made [Genesis 1:26,28]. And as the apostle saith, "for as the woman is of the man", his next words are, "so is the man also by the woman; but all things are of God [1 Corinthians 11:12]". And so
1545-699: Is regarded as the oldest form of occult inquiry and was often expressed in verse. In contemporary Western cultures, theological revelation and poetry are typically seen as distinct and often even as opposed to each other. Yet the two still are often understood together as symbiotic in their origins, aims, and purposes. Middle English poems of a political nature are linked with Latin and vernacular prophecies. Prophecies in this sense are predictions concerning kingdoms or peoples; and these predictions are often eschatological or apocalyptic . The prophetic tradition in English derives in from Geoffrey of Monmouth 's History of
1648-456: Is the Tui bei tu (推背圖). Esoteric prophecy has been claimed for, but not by, Michel de Nostredame (1503–1566), popularly referred to as Nostradamus , who claimed to be a converted Christian . It is known that he suffered several tragedies in his life, and was persecuted to some degree for his cryptic esoteric writings about the future, reportedly derived through a use of a crystal ball . Nostradamus
1751-513: Is the largest Latter Day Saint body. The current Prophet/President of the LDS Church is Russell M. Nelson . The church has, since Joseph Smith's death on June 27, 1844, held a belief that the president of their church is also a literal prophet of God. The church also maintains that further revelations claimed to have been given through Joseph Smith are published in the Doctrine and Covenants , one of
1854-481: Is to nurture, nourish and evoke a consciousness and perception alternative to the consciousness and perception of the dominant culture. A recognized form of Christian prophecy is the "prophetic drama" which Frederick Dillistone describes as a "metaphorical conjunction between present situations and future events". In his Dialogue with Trypho , Justin Martyr argued that prophets were no longer among Israel but were in
1957-690: The Azusa Street Revival occurred in Los Angeles, California and is sometimes considered the birthplace of Pentecostalism . This revival is well known for the " speaking in tongues " that occurred there. Some participants of the Azusa Street Revival are claimed to have prophesied. Pentecostals believe prophecy and certain other gifts are once again being given to Christians. The Charismatic Movement also accepts spiritual gifts like speaking in tongues and prophecy. The Seventh-day Adventist Church
2060-996: The Catholic Mariavite Church and are based in the town of Felicjanów in the Płock region of Poland, are headed by a bishop who is a woman, although their numbers are dwarfed by the adherents of the more conventionally patriarchal Mariavites of Płock. The Eastern Orthodox Church follows a line of reasoning similar to that of the Roman Catholic Church with respect to the ordination of bishops and priests, and does not allow women's ordination to those orders. Thomas Hopko and Evangelos Theodorou have contended that female deacons were fully ordained in antiquity. K. K. Fitzgerald has followed and amplified Theodorou's research. Metropolitan Kallistos Ware wrote: The order of deaconesses seems definitely to have been considered an "ordained" ministry during early centuries in at any rate
2163-556: The Church of England . Where laws prohibit sex discrimination in employment , exceptions are often made for clergy (for example, in the United States ) on grounds of separation of church and state . In Ancient Egyptian religion , God's Wife of Amun was the highest ranking priestess ; this title was held by a daughter of the High Priest of Amun , during the reign of Hatshepsut , while
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#17328453397022266-598: The Mariavite movement originally began as a response to the perceived corruption of the Roman Catholic Church in the Russian Partition of 19th century Poland. The Mariavites, so named for their devotion to the Virgin Mary, attracted numerous parishes across Mazovia and the region around Łódź and at their height numbered some 300,000 people. Fearing a schism , the established church authorities asked for intervention from
2369-589: The New Testament which would promote a division between roles of men and women in the Christian Church. Evangelical Christians who place emphasis on the infallibility of the Bible base their opposition to women's ordination as deacons and pastors partly upon the writings of the Apostle Paul , such as Ephesians 5:23, 1 Timothy 2:11–15, and 1 Timothy 3:1–7, which they interpret as demanding male leadership in
2472-789: The Standard Works . Additional revelations and prophecies outside the Standard Works, such as Joseph Smith's " White Horse Prophecy ", concerning a great and final war in the United States before the Second Coming of Jesus Christ, can be found in other church published works. The Arabic term for prophecy nubū'ah ( Arabic : نُبُوْءَة ) stems from the term for prophets, nabī ( Arabic : نَبِي ; pl. anbiyāʼ from nabā "tidings, announcement") who are lawbringers that Muslims believe were sent by God to every person, bringing God's message in
2575-658: The Vatican . The Mariavites were eventually excommunicated by Papal Bull in 1905 and 1906. Their clergy, cut loose from the Catholic Church, found sanctuary with the Old Catholic Church and in 1909 the first Mariavite bishop, Michael Kowalski , was consecrated in Utrecht. Twenty years later, the now constituted Mariavite Church was riven by policy differences and a leadership struggle. Nevertheless, Archbishop Kowalski ordained
2678-511: The nation of Israel , and later to the population of Judea and elsewhere. Experience of prophecy in the Torah and the rest of Tanakh was not restricted to Jews. Nor was the prophetic experience restricted to the Hebrew language. There exists a problem in verifying most Native American prophecy, in that they remain primarily an oral tradition , and thus there is no way to cite references of where writings have been committed to paper. In their system,
2781-739: The 1976 Vatican Declaration on the Question of the Admission of Women to the Ministerial Priesthood . Supporters of women's ordination interpret the above-mentioned New Testament texts as being specific to certain social and church contexts and locations and addressing problems of church order in the early Church period. They regard Jesus as setting the example of treating women with respect, commending their faith and tasking them to tell others about him and Paul as treating women as his equals and co-workers. They point to notable female figures in
2884-589: The Bible such as Phoebe , Junia (considered an apostle by Paul) and others in Romans 16:1, the female disciples of Jesus , and the women at the crucifixion who were the first witnesses to the Resurrection of Christ , as supporting evidence of the importance of women as pastoral or episcopal leaders in the early Church. The teaching of the Roman Catholic Church , as emphasized by Pope John Paul II in
2987-587: The Christian East. [...] Some Orthodox writers regard deaconesses as having been a "lay" ministry. There are strong reasons for rejecting this view. In the Byzantine rite the liturgical office for the laying-on of hands for the deaconess is exactly parallel to that for the deacon; and so on the principle lex orandi, lex credendi —the Church's worshipping practice is a sure indication of its faith—it follows that
3090-409: The Church. The Shepherd of Hermas , written around the mid-2nd century, describes the way prophecy was being used within the church of that time. Irenaeus confirms the existence of such spiritual gifts in his Against Heresies . Although some modern commentators claim that Montanus was rejected because he claimed to be a prophet, a careful examination of history shows that the gift of prophecy
3193-431: The Church. Some Evangelicals also look to the levitical priesthood and historic rabbinate , being male only. Other evangelical denominations officially authorize the full ordination of women in churches. Catholics may allude to Jesus Christ 's choice of disciples as evidence of his intention for an exclusively male apostolic succession , as laid down by early Christian writers such as Tertullian and reiterated in
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3296-571: The Imperial cult. From the Mid Republic onward, religious diversity became increasingly characteristic of the city of Rome. Many religions that were not part of Rome's earliest state religion offered leadership roles as priests for women, among them the imported cult of Isis and of the Magna Mater ("Great Mother", or Cybele ). An epitaph preserves the title sacerdos maxima for a woman who held
3399-553: The Kings of Britain (1136), otherwise called " Prophecies of Merlin ;" this work is prelude to numerous books devoted to King Arthur . In 18th century England, prophecy as poetry is revived by William Blake who wrote: America: A Prophecy (1783) and Europe: A Prophecy (1794). Contemporary American poetry is also rich in lyrics about prophesy, including poems entitled Prophecy by Dana Gioia and Eileen Myles . In 1962, Robert Frost published "The Prophets Really Prophesy as Mystics
3502-522: The Pan-Amazon region called for "married priests, pope to reopen women deacons commission." Pope Francis later omitted discussion of the issue from the ensuing documents. Various Catholics have written in favor of ordaining women. Dissenting groups advocating women's ordination in opposition to Catholic teaching include Women's Ordination Worldwide, Catholic Women's Ordination, Roman Catholic Womenpriests , and Women's Ordination Conference . Some cite
3605-513: The Roman Catholic Church teaches that this requirement is a matter of divine law; it belongs to the deposit of faith and is unchangeable. In 2007, the Holy See issued a decree stating that attempted ordination of a woman would result in automatic excommunication for the women and bishops attempting to ordain them, and in 2010, that attempted ordination of women is a "grave delict". An official Papal Commission ordered by Pope Francis in 2016
3708-647: The Salvation Army were women. Similarly, the Church of the Nazarene has ordained women since its foundation in 1908, at which time a full 25% of its ordained ministers were women. Prophecy In religion , a prophecy is a message that has been communicated to a person (typically called a prophet ) by a supernatural entity. Prophecies are a feature of many cultures and belief systems and usually contain divine will or law , or preternatural knowledge, for example of future events. They can be revealed to
3811-892: The Theravada bhikkhuni ordination of German nun Samaneri Dhira, occurred on June 21, 2015, at Anenja Vihara. The first Theravada ordination of bhikkhunis in Indonesia after more than a thousand years occurred in 2015 at Wisma Kusalayani in Lembang, Bandung. Those ordained included Vajiradevi Sadhika Bhikkhuni from Indonesia, Medha Bhikkhuni from Sri Lanka, Anula Bhikkhuni from Japan, Santasukha Santamana Bhikkhuni from Vietnam, Sukhi Bhikkhuni and Sumangala Bhikkhuni from Malaysia, and Jenti Bhikkhuni from Australia. The official lineage of Tibetan Buddhist bhikkhunis recommenced on 23 June 2022 in Bhutan when 144 nuns, most of them Butanese, were fully ordained. In
3914-584: The Vestals took a vow of chastity in order to devote themselves to the study and correct observance of state rituals that were off-limits to the male colleges of priests. They retained their religious authority until the Christian emperor Gratian confiscated their revenues and his successor Theodosius I closed the Temple of Vesta permanently. The Romans also had at least two priesthoods that were each held jointly by
4017-1291: The abbot of the Vajra Dakini Nunnery in 2004. The Vajra Dakini Nunnery does not follow The Eight Garudhammas . Also in 2010, in Northern California, four novice nuns were given the full bhikkhuni ordination in the Thai Theravada tradition, which included the double ordination ceremony. Bhante Gunaratana and other monks and nuns were in attendance. It was the first such ordination ever in the Western hemisphere. The following month, more bhikkhuni ordinations were completed in Southern California, led by Walpola Piyananda and other monks and nuns. The bhikkhunis ordained in Southern California were Lakshapathiye Samadhi (born in Sri Lanka), Cariyapanna, Susila, Sammasati (all three born in Vietnam), and Uttamanyana (born in Myanmar). The first bhikkhuni ordination in Germany,
4120-472: The agricultural cycle. In Rome, his annual Liberalia public festival was held on March 17. A portable shrine was carried through Rome's neighbourhoods ( vici ); Liber's aged, ivy-crowned priestesses offered honey cakes for sale, and offered sacrifice on behalf of those who bought them Ordination of women#Ancient Rome In some cases, women have been permitted to be ordained, but not to hold higher positions, such as (until July 2014) that of bishop in
4223-483: The alleged ordination of Ludmila Javorová in Communist Czechoslovakia in 1970 by Bishop Felix Davídek (1921–1988), himself clandestinely consecrated due to the shortage of priests caused by state persecution, as a precedent. The Catholic Church treats attempted ordinations of women as invalid and automatically excommunicates all participants. Inspired by a mystically inclined nun, Feliksa Kozłowska ,
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4326-449: The apostle clears his own words; and so as man and woman are restored again, by Christ up into the image of God [Colossians 3:10], they both have dominion again in the righteousness and holiness [Ephesians 4:24], and are helps-meet, as before they fell. The ordination of women has once again been a controversial issue in more recent years with societal focus on social justice movements. Still, some Christians believe in an interpretation of
4429-553: The apostolic letter Ordinatio sacerdotalis , is "that the Church has no authority whatsoever to confer priestly ordination on women and that this judgement is to be definitively held by all the Church's faithful". This teaching is embodied in the current canon law (1024) and the Catechism of the Catholic Church (1992), by the canonical statement: "Only a baptized man ( Latin : vir ) validly receives sacred ordination." Insofar as priestly and episcopal ordination are concerned,
4532-569: The aunt and foster mother of Buddha, was the first bhikkhuni; she was ordained in the sixth century BCE. Prajñādhara is the twenty-seventh Indian Patriarch of Zen Buddhism and is believed to have been a woman. In the Mahayana tradition during the 13th century, the Japanese Mugai Nyodai became the first female Zen master in Japan. However, the bhikkhuni ordination once existing in
4635-529: The best reference is an Elder, who acts as a repository of the accumulated wisdom of their tradition. In another type of example, it is recorded that there are three Dogrib prophets who had claimed to have been divinely inspired to bring the message of Christianity's God to their people. This prophecy among the Dogrib involves elements such as dances and trance-like states. In ancient Chinese, prophetic texts are known as Chen (谶). The most famous Chinese prophecy
4738-467: The blessing and the curse.' [...] Ecstatic prophecy - nebiism - and temple priests were indigenous to Canaanite culture and represented elements adopted by the Israelites. With the fusion of the functions of the seer-priest with the functions of the temple-sacrificial priests and ecstatic prophets, two main groups developed: the priests occupied with cult and sacrifice [...] and the 'prophets' who 'continued
4841-461: The capital of Egypt was in Thebes during the second millennium BC (circa 2160 BC). Later, Divine Adoratrice of Amun was a title created for the chief priestess of Amun . During the first millennium BC, when the holder of this office exercised her largest measure of influence, her position was an important appointment facilitating the transfer of power from one pharaoh to the next, when his daughter
4944-411: The chances of at least one prophecy being correct much higher by sheer weight of numbers. The phenomenon of prophecy is not well understood in psychology research literature. Psychiatrist and neurologist Arthur Deikman describes the phenomenon as an "intuitive knowing, a type of perception that bypasses the usual sensory channels and rational intellect." "(P)rophecy can be likened to a bridge between
5047-665: The church in Cenchreae. In the late second century AD, the Montanist movement ordained women priests and bishops. In 494 AD, in response to reports that women were serving at the altar in the south of Italy, Pope Gelasius I wrote a letter condemning female participation in the celebration of the Eucharist . However, according to O'Brien, he never specified the scriptural or theological foundation for restricting priesthood to men only. Several textual ambiguities and silences have resulted in
5150-500: The consequences should the society, specific communities, or their leaders not adhere to the Torah's instructions in the time contemporary with the prophet's life. Prophecies sometimes included conditioned promises of blessing for obeying their god, and returning to behaviors and laws as written in the Torah. Conditioned-warning prophecies feature in all Jewish works of the Tanakh . Notably Maimonides (1138–1204), philosophically suggested that there once were many levels of prophecy, from
5253-409: The continuance and security of Rome as embodied by the sacred fire that they were required to tend on pain of extreme punishment. The Vestals were a college of six sacerdotes (plural) devoted to Vesta , goddess of the hearth, both the focus of a private home ( domus ) and the state hearth that was the center of communal religion . Freed of the usual social obligations to marry and rear children,
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#17328453397025356-512: The countries where Theravada is more widespread died out around the 10th century, and novice ordination has also disappeared in those countries. Therefore, women who wish to live as nuns in those countries must do so by taking eight or ten precepts. Neither laywomen nor formally ordained, these women do not receive the recognition, education, financial support or status enjoyed by Buddhist men in their countries. These "precept-holders" live in Burma, Cambodia, Laos, Nepal, and Thailand. In particular,
5459-408: The cult and the divinity in which they served. Priestesses played a major role in the Eleusinian Mysteries , in which they served on many levels, from the High Priestess of Demeter and Dadouchousa Prietess to the Panageis and Hierophantides . The Gerarai were priestesses of Dionysus who presided over festivals and rituals associated with the god. A body of priestesses might also maintain
5562-494: The cult at a particular holy site, such as the Peleiades at the oracle of Dodona . The Arrephoroi were young girls ages seven to twelve who worked as servants of Athena Polias on the Athenian Acropolis and were charged with conducting unique rituals under the surveillance of the High Priestess of Athena Polias . The Priestess of Hera at Argos served at the Heraion of Argos and enjoyed great prestige in all Greece. At several sites women priestesses served as oracles ,
5665-450: The deaconesses receives, as does the deacon, a genuine sacramental ordination: not just a χειροθεσια ( chirothesia ) but a χειροτονια ( chirotonia ). On October 8, 2004, the Holy Synod of the Orthodox Church of Greece voted to permit the appointment of monastic deaconesses—women to minister and assist at the liturgy within their own monasteries. The document however does not use the term χειροτονία , 'ordination', although
5768-518: The divine and humanity and who speaks with the voice of a God. Bahá'u'lláh claimed that, while being imprisoned in the Siyah-Chal in Iran, he underwent a series of mystical experiences including having a vision of the Maid of Heaven who told him of his divine mission, and the promise of divine assistance; In Baháʼí belief, the Maid of Heaven is a representation of the divine. The Haedong Kosung-jon (Biographies of High Monks) records that King Beopheung of Silla desired to promulgate Buddhism as
5871-409: The ecstatic prophet derived from two distinctly different social and institutional backgrounds. The seer belonged to the earliest stratum of Israelite society and was related to the priest who 'was not originally in the first instance a sacrificer, but as with the old Arabs, custodian of the sanctuary, oracle priest, "seer" and holder of the effective future-creating and future-interpreting word of power,
5974-462: The efforts of Sakyadhita , an International Buddhist Women Association, ten Sri Lankan women were ordained as bhikkhunis in Sarnath, India. Also, bhikkhuni ordination of Buddhist nuns began again in Sri Lanka in 1998 after a lapse of 900 years. In 2003 Ayya Sudhamma became the first American-born woman to receive bhikkhuni ordination in Sri Lanka. Furthermore, on February 28, 2003, Dhammananda Bhikkhuni , formerly known as Chatsumarn Kabilsingh, became
6077-516: The field's answer when it does form." Some cite aspects of cognitive psychology such as pattern forming and attention to the formation of prophecy in modern-day society as well as the declining influence of religion in daily life. For the ancient Greeks , prediction, prophesy, and poetry were often intertwined. Prophecies were given in verse, and a word for poet in Latin is “vates” or prophet. Both poets and oracles claimed to be inspired by forces outside themselves. In ancient China, divination
6180-432: The first 12 nuns as priests in 1929. He also introduced priestly marriage. The split in the church took effect, in part, over the place of the feminine in theology and the role of women in the life of the church. By 1935, Kowalski had introduced a "universal priesthood" that extended the priestly office to selected members of the laity. The two Mariavite churches survive to this day. The successors of Kowalski, who are known as
6283-427: The first Thai woman to receive bhikkhuni ordination as a Theravada nun (Theravada is a school of Buddhism). Dhammananda Bhikkhuni was ordained in Sri Lanka. Dhammananda Bhikkhuni's mother Venerable Voramai, also called Ta Tao Fa Tzu, had become the first fully ordained Thai woman in the Mahayana lineage in Taiwan in 1971. A 55-year-old Thai Buddhist 8-precept white-robed maechee nun, Varanggana Vanavichayen, became
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#17328453397026386-399: The first time in American history, a Buddhist ordination was held where an American woman (Sister Khanti-Khema) took the Samaneri (novice) vows with an American monk ( Bhante Vimalaramsi ) presiding. This was done for the Buddhist American Forest Tradition at the Dhamma Sukha Meditation Center in Missouri. In 2010 the first Tibetan Buddhist nunnery in America (Vajra Dakini Nunnery in Vermont)
6489-414: The first time such ordination had occurred in Australia. It was performed in Perth, Australia, on 22 October 2009 at Bodhinyana Monastery. Abbess Vayama together with Venerables Nirodha , Seri, and Hasapanna were ordained as Bhikkhunis by a dual Sangha act of Bhikkhus and Bhikkhunis in full accordance with the Pali Vinaya. In 1997 Dhamma Cetiya Vihara in Boston was founded by Ven. Gotami of Thailand, then
6592-510: The first woman ordained as a monk in Thailand, in 2002. Since then, the Thai Senate has reviewed and revoked the secular law passed in 1928 banning women's full ordination in Buddhism as unconstitutional for being counter to laws protecting freedom of religion. However Thailand's two main Theravada Buddhist orders, the Mahanikaya and Dhammayutika Nikaya, have yet to officially accept fully ordained women into their ranks. In 2009 in Australia four women received bhikkhuni ordination as Theravada nuns,
6695-807: The form of promises given by their God and expected to be fulfilled by divine action. In the Apostolic-Prophetic Movement , a prophesy is simply a word delivered under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit that accurately communicates God's "thoughts and intention". The Apostolic Council of Prophetic Elders was a council of prophetic elders co-convened by C. Peter Wagner and Cindy Jacobs that included: Beth Alves, Jim Gool, Chuck Pierce , Mike and Cindy Jacobs , Bart Pierces, John and Paula Sanford, Dutch Sheets , Tommy Tenny , Heckor Torres, Barbara Wentroble, Mike Bickle , Paul Cain , Emanuele Cannistraci, Bill Hamon, Kingsley Fletcher , Ernest Gentile, Jim Laffoon, James Ryle, and Gwen Shaw. The Latter Day Saint movement maintains that its first prophet, Joseph Smith ,
6798-428: The gift and power of God, and the publication of this translation are known as the Book of Mormon . Following Smith's murder, there was a succession crisis that resulted in a great schism. The majority of Latter-day Saints believing Brigham Young to be the next prophet and following him out to Utah, while a minority returned to Missouri with Emma Smith, believing Joseph Smith Junior's son, Joseph Smith III , to be
6901-434: The governing council of Burmese Buddhism has ruled that there can be no valid ordination of women in modern times, though some Burmese monks disagree. However, in 2003, Saccavadi and Gunasari were ordained as bhikkhunis in Sri Lanka , thus becoming the first female Burmese novices in modern times to receive higher ordination in Sri Lanka. Japan is a special case as, although it has neither the bhikkhuni nor novice ordinations,
7004-583: The highest (such as those experienced by Moses ) to the lowest (where the individuals were able to apprehend the Divine Will, but not respond or even describe this experience to others, citing for example, Shem, Eber and most notably, Noah , who, in the biblical narrative, does not issue prophetic declarations). Maimonides, in his philosophical work The Guide for the Perplexed , outlines twelve modes of prophecy from lesser to greater degree of clarity: The Tanakh contains prophecies from various Hebrew prophets (55 in total) who communicated messages from God to
7107-471: The highest priesthood of the Magna Mater's temple near the current site of St. Peter's Basilica . Inscriptions for the Imperial era record priestesses of Juno Populona and of deified women of the Imperial household . Under some circumstances, when cults such as mystery religions were introduced to Romans, it was preferred that they be maintained by women. Although it was Roman practice to incorporate other religions instead of trying to eradicate them,
7210-440: The individual 'mystical self' and the communal 'mystical body'," writes religious sociologist Margaret Poloma . Prophecy seems to involve "the free association that occurred through the workings of the right brain." Psychologist Julian Jaynes proposed that this is a temporary accessing of the bicameral mind; that is, a temporary separating of functions, such that the authoritarian part of the mind seems to literally be speaking to
7313-459: The liturgical traditions of Christianity , including the Roman Catholic Church , Eastern and Oriental Orthodoxy , Lutheranism and Anglicanism , the term ordination refers more narrowly to the means by which a person is included in one of the orders of bishops , priests or deacons . Among these historic branches of Christianity, the episcopacy and priesthood have been reserved for men, although women have served as deacons and apostles. This
7416-515: The mid-17th century. Women's ministry has been part of Methodist tradition in the UK for over 200 years. In the late 18th century in England, John Wesley allowed for female office-bearers and preachers. The Salvation Army has allowed the ordination of women since its beginning in 1865, although it was a hotly disputed topic between William and Catherine Booth. The fourth, thirteenth, and nineteenth Generals of
7519-428: The more "pneumatic" aspect of the character and work of the old "seers"' and 'were mediums of the divinely inspired "word" which was "whispered to" them, or "came to them"' [...] The prophets retained, in guild fashion, the old seer relationship to the cult [...]. According to Judaism, authentic Nevuah ( נבואה , "Prophecy") got withdrawn from the world after the destruction of the first Jerusalem Temple . Malachi
7622-688: The most famous of which is the Oracle of Delphi . The priestess of the Temple of Apollo at Delphi was the Pythia , credited throughout the Greco-Roman world for her prophecies , which gave her a prominence unusual for a woman in male-dominated ancient Greece . The Phrygian Sibyl presided over an oracle of Apollo in Anatolian Phrygia . The inspired speech of divining women, however, was interpreted by male priests;
7725-690: The next legitimate prophet (forming the Reorganized Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints , now the Community of Christ). Since even before the death of Joseph Smith in 1844, there have been numerous separatist Latter Day Saint sects that have splintered from the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints . To this day, there are an unknown number of organizations within the Latter Day Saint movement, each with their own proposed prophet. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church)
7828-513: The people. "The name prophet, from the Greek meaning "forespeaker" ( πρὸ being used in the original local sense), is an equivalent of the Hebrew Navi , which signifies properly a delegate or mouthpiece of another." Sigmund Mowinckel 's account of prophecy in ancient Israel distinguishes seers and prophets - both in their origins and in their functions: According to Mowinckel, the early seer and
7931-404: The person as if a separate (and external) voice. Jaynes posits that the gods heard as voices in the head were and are organizations of the central nervous system. God speaking through man, according to Jaynes, is a more recent vestige of God speaking to man; the product of a more integrated higher self. When the bicameral mind speaks, there is no introspection. In earlier times, posits Jaynes, there
8034-607: The precept-holding nuns who live there do enjoy a higher status and better training than their precept-holder sisters elsewhere, and can even become Zen priests. In Tibet there is currently no bhikkhuni ordination, but the Dalai Lama has authorized followers of the Tibetan tradition to be ordained as nuns in traditions that have such ordination. The bhikkhuni ordination of Buddhist nuns has always been practiced in East Asia. In 1996, through
8137-569: The priest , John the Baptist , Jesus Christ ) are mentioned by name in the Quran. In the sense of predicting events, the Quran contains verses believed to have predicted many events years before they happened and that such prophecies are proof of the divine origin of the Qur'an. The Qur'an itself states "Every ˹destined˺ matter has a ˹set˺ time to transpire. And you will soon come to know." Muslims also recognize
8240-712: The process of ordination varies among the denominations and the specific church office to be held, it may require preparatory training such as seminary or Bible college , election by the congregation or appointment by a higher authority, and expectations of a lifestyle that requires a higher standard. For example, the Good News Translation of James 3:1 says, "My friends, not many of you should become teachers. As you know, we teachers will be judged with greater strictness than others." Usually, these roles were male preserves. However, Quakers, who have no ordained clergy, have had women preachers and leaders from their founding in
8343-523: The prophet in various ways depending on the religion and the story, such as visions , or direct interaction with divine beings in physical form. Stories of prophetic deeds sometimes receive considerable attention and some have been known to survive for centuries through oral tradition or as religious texts . The English noun "prophecy", in the sense of "function of a prophet" appeared from about 1225, from Old French profecie (12th century), and from prophetia , Greek propheteia "gift of interpreting
8446-400: The punishment of execution, for what would quickly be seen as a forgery. Ichadon prophesied to the king that at his execution a wonderful miracle would convince the opposing court faction of Buddhism's power. Ichadon's scheme went as planned, and the opposing officials took the bait. When Ichadon was executed on the 15th day of the 9th month in 527, his prophecy was fulfilled; the earth shook,
8549-584: The regular maintenance of a cult. Epitaphs provide the main evidence for these priesthoods, and the woman is often not identified in terms of her marital status. The tradition of the ordained monastic community in Buddhism (the sangha ) began with the Buddha, who established an order of monks. According to the scriptures, later, after an initial reluctance, he also established an order of nuns. Fully ordained Buddhist nuns are called bhikkhunis . Mahapajapati Gotami ,
8652-422: The results of applying the alleged Bible code , as well as to other purported pseudo-prophetic works. Most reliable academic sources maintain that the associations made between world events and Nostradamus's quatrains are largely the result of misinterpretations or mistranslations (sometimes deliberate) or else are so tenuous as to render them useless as evidence of any genuine predictive power. Moreover, none of
8755-499: The right to vote or hold political office. Priestesses of Liber , the Roman god identified with Dionysus , are mentioned by the 1st-century BC scholar Varro , as well as indicated by epigraphic evidence. Other religious titles for Roman women include magistra , a high priestess, female expert or teacher; and ministra , a female assistant, particularly one in service to a deity. A magistra or ministra would have been responsible for
8858-647: The rites of the Bona Dea ("Good Goddess"), for whom sacerdotes are recorded. The Temple of Ceres in Rome was surved by the Priestess of Ceres, Sacerdos Cereris , and the Temple of Bona Dea by the Priestess of Bona Dea, Sacerdos Bonae Deae . Other Priestesses were the Sacerdos Liberi , Sacerdos Fortunae Muliebris and the Sacerdos Matris Deum Magnae Idaeae ; sacerdos also served as priestesses of
8961-679: The rites that are to be used are rites of ordination of clergy. A justification given by many Protestants for female ministry is the fact that Mary Magdalene was chosen by Jesus to announce his resurrection to the apostles. A key theological doctrine for Reformed and most other Protestants is the priesthood of all believers —a doctrine considered by them so important that it has been dubbed by some as "a clarion truth of Scripture": This doctrine restores true dignity and true integrity to all believers since it teaches that all believers are priests and that as priests, they are to serve God—no matter what legitimate vocation they pursue. Thus, there
9064-427: The role of the Vestals, indicates that women's religious activities in ancient Rome were not restricted to the private or domestic sphere. So essential was the gender complement to these priesthoods that if the wife died, the husband had to give up his office. This is true of the flaminate, and probably true of the rex and regina . The title sacerdos was often specified in relation to a deity or temple, such as
9167-540: The secrecy of some mystery cults was regarded with suspicion. In 189 BCE, the senate attempted to suppress the Bacchanals , claiming the secret rites corrupted morality and were a hotbed of political conspiracy. One provision of the senatorial decree was that only women should serve as priests of the Dionysian religion , perhaps to guard against the politicizing of the cult, since even Roman women who were citizens lacked
9270-410: The site of a 1600-year-old Byzantine basilica revealed mosaics that provided evidence of women serving primarily as diaconal ministers in early Christendom , although there has been speculation of other females in ministry as leaders of convents . Additionally, Paul's letter to the Romans , written in the first century AD, mentions a woman deacon: I commend to you our sister Phoebe, a deacon of
9373-418: The sources listed offers any evidence that anyone has ever interpreted any of Nostradamus's pseudo-prophetic works specifically enough to allow a clear identification of any event in advance. According to skeptics, many apparently fulfilled prophecies can be explained as coincidences , possibly aided by the prophecy's own vagueness, and others may have been invented after the fact to match the circumstances of
9476-498: The state religion. However, officials in his court opposed him. In the fourteenth year of his reign, Beopheung's "Grand Secretary", Ichadon , devised a strategy to overcome court opposition. Ichadon schemed with the king, convincing him to make a proclamation granting Buddhism official state sanction using the royal seal. Ichadon told the king to deny having made such a proclamation when the opposing officials received it and demanded an explanation. Instead, Ichadon would confess and accept
9579-421: The sun was darkened, beautiful flowers rained from the sky, his severed head flew to the sacred Geumgang Mountains, and milk instead of blood sprayed 100 feet in the air from his beheaded corpse. The omen was accepted by the opposing court officials as a manifestation of heaven's approval, and Buddhism was made the state religion in 527. According to Walter Brueggemann , the task of prophetic (Christian) ministry
9682-486: The validity of some prophecies in other sacred texts like in the Bible ; however, they believe that, unlike the Qur'an, some parts of the Bible have been corrupted over the years, and as a result, not all of the prophecies and verses in the Bible are accurate. The Hebrew term for prophet, Navi ( נבוא ), literally means "spokesperson"; a prophet speaks to the people as a mouthpiece of their God , and to their god on behalf of
9785-540: The will of God", from Greek prophetes (see prophet ). The related meaning, "thing spoken or written by a prophet", dates from c. 1300, while the verb "to prophesy" is recorded by 1377. In 1863, Bahá'u'lláh , the founder of the Baháʼí Faith , claimed to have been the promised messianic figure of all previous religions, and a Manifestation of God , a type of prophet in the Baháʼí writings that serves as intermediary between
9888-504: Was adopted to fill it by the incumbent office holder. The Divine Adoratrice ruled over the extensive temple duties and domains, controlling a significant part of the ancient Egyptian economy. Ancient Egyptian priestesses: In ancient Greek religion , some important observances, such as the Thesmophoria , were made by women. Priestesses, Hiereiai , served in many different cults of many divinities, with their duties varying depending on
9991-456: Was a French apothecary and reputed seer who published collections of foreknowledge of future events. He is best known for his book Les Propheties ("The Prophecies"), the first edition of which appeared in 1555. Since Les Propheties was published, Nostradamus has attracted an esoteric following that, along with the popularistic press, credits him with foreseeing world events. His esoteric cryptic foreseeings have in some cases been assimilated to
10094-530: Was additionally a visual component, now lost. Child development and consciousness author Joseph Chilton Pearce remarked that revelation typically appears in symbolic form and "in a single flash of insight." He used the metaphor of lightning striking and suggests that the revelation is "a result of a buildup of resonant potential." Pearce compared it to the earth asking a question and the sky answering it. Focus, he said, feeds into "a unified field of like resonance (and becomes) capable of attracting and receiving
10197-514: Was charged with determining whether the ancient practice of having female deacons ( deaconesses ) is possible, provided they are non-ordained and that certain reserved functions of ordained male permanent or transitional deacons—proclaiming the Gospel at Mass, giving a homily, and performing non-emergency baptisms—would not be permitted for the discussed female diaconate. In October 2019, the Synod of Bishops for
10300-531: Was no longer accepted as the sole authority, some denominations allowed women to preach. For example, George Fox founded the Quaker movement after stating he felt the " inner light " of Christ living in the believer was discovered in 1646. He believed that the inner light worked in women as well as in men, and said: And some men may say, man must have the power and superiority over the woman, because God says, "The man must rule over his wife [Genesis 3:16]; and that man
10403-655: Was officially consecrated. It offers novice ordination and follows the Drikung Kagyu lineage of Buddhism. The abbot of the Vajra Dakini nunnery is Khenmo Drolma, an American woman, who is the first bhikkhuni in the Drikung Kagyu lineage of Buddhism, having been ordained in Taiwan in 2002. She is also the first westerner, male or female, to be installed as an abbot in the Drikung Kagyu lineage of Buddhism, having been installed as
10506-484: Was still acknowledged during the time of Montanus, and that he was controversial because of the manner in which he prophesied and the doctrines he propagated. Prophecy and other spiritual gifts were somewhat rarely acknowledged throughout church history and there are few examples of the prophetic and certain other gifts until the Scottish Covenanters like Prophet Peden and George Wishart . From 1904 to 1906,
10609-528: Was visited by God and Jesus Christ in 1820. The Latter Day Saints further claims that God communicated directly with Joseph Smith on many subsequent occasions, and that following the death of Joseph Smith God has continued to speak through subsequent prophets. Joseph Smith claims to have been led by an angel to a large hill in upstate New York, where he was shown an ancient manuscript engraved on plates of gold metal. Joseph Smith claimed to have translated this manuscript into modern English under divine inspiration by
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