Mary T. Malone

The Elephant in the Church Mary T. Malone

Women are the elephant in the Church. They have been perpetually silenced, ignored and discounted. They are not required to make any contribution, except for obedience. In every public ecclesiastical event, such as the election of a pope, it is glaringly obvious that women are entirely irrelevant. This revised edition explores what the author terms `Women Christianity' from a historical perspective, following the story from biblical times to the women mystics of the Middle Ages and, finally, the Christian feminists in the years following Vatican II who began their own journeys of discovery into the history of women in the Church after failing to find it in traditional theological texts. If the Church is to survive, it is clear that it must be more inclusive, where the gifts of women and men are equally recognized.