You Wouldn't Have a Female James Bond: Catholic Priests, Doing Religion, and Women's Ordination

• In Event: 341 - Section on Sociology of Religion Refereed Roundtable Session and Business Meeting
  In Refereed Roundtable 60min: Table 02. Catholicism in National and Global Context

Abstract

Patriarchal religious practices support and legitimate patriarchy more generally. Research suggests that Catholic priests’ attitudes to women’s ordination are influenced by when they were ordained and if they converted from another denomination. Though useful, this research presents both factors as static and discrete, and religious performance and attitudes as fixed. This paper, using 31 semi-structured interviews with Catholic priests and Avishai’s (2008) “doing religion” frame, suggests an alternative approach. Religiosity is an ongoing performance, which reciprocally influences identity. Together these shape priests’ attitudes to women’s ordination. Religious conduct and identity vary between priests so that two groups emerge – Total Priests and Partial Priests. Total Priests seek to exclude all other identities through constant, deliberate religious performance. They cleave to the Church and its teachings, therefore rejecting women’s ordination. Partial Priests allow other identities prominence, doing religion less overtly and often compartmentalizing the priesthood. Correspondingly, they maintain a slight distance from the Church and some of its rules, so they endorse women’s ordination.

Author

• Peter Francis Harvey, University of Pennsylvania