Faith and feminism as allies: Toward a consensus between Christian and feminist philosophical perspectives on the issue of women and leadership

This study examines the widely held idea within Christian and feminist spheres that faith and feminism are necessarily opposed to each other on the issue of women and leadership, specifically addressing the question of whether or not, from a Christian biblical perspective, women are restricted with regard to leadership in the church and home based on the matter of their sex. The study examines the issue by establishing a properly defensible biblical perspective, exploring this perspective with specific regard to the idea of women and leadership, and examining the ideologies of feminism and Christianity from the standpoints of essential philosophy and the notions of leadership, moral equality and freedom as a matter of human right. Findings demonstrate that despite the commonly held position in the Christian-feminist milieu, the converse presents a more accurate assessment, making allies of the two. Based on these findings, a Christian feminist philosophy of leadership is proposed.