On February 21, 2001, I
received an unexpected invitation from the President of the French Community of
Belgium to be a scholarly voice for American Pentecostal Women at a one-day
colloquium in Brussels on Women and Religions.
Since I have no
desire to travel and since I am fully occupied with ministry at home, my first
inclination was to decline. But as I
sought the Lord, it became clear that this was not a luxurious privilege being
afforded me. It was, rather, a
responsibility that he would have me assume.
So I agreed to go. I still held
a secret hope that I would not be able to go because I did not have a valid
passport. But when the Canadian Consulate in Dallas was willing to expedite the
process in record time, I was left without excuse!
Obviously, the
Lord had opened wide an effectual door for me in Europe and I would go as the
single voice of Pentecostal-Charismatic Christianity. On Friday morning, March 9, I flew from Dallas-Fort Worth
International Airport, just a stone’s throw from home. After 11 hours in the air, I arrived in
Brussels on Saturday morning in time to adjust to the 7-hour time difference
and attend the reception that evening.
The site of the event
As a guest of the
Belgium government, I was treated like an ambassador. They provided splendid accommodations in Le Plaza Hotel, the site
of the colloquium.
Renovated
in 1976, this exquisite 5-star hotel provided luxurious surroundings for the
event. Its classic banquet room was the
site of the Saturday evening reception.
Several breakout rooms, equipped with translation booths for English,
Dutch, and German, accommodated our round-table discussions on Sunday
morning. That afternoon, the 900-seat
theater-television studio was filled to capacity for the 5-hour televised
debate.
The participants
Forty women from
20 nations participated in the colloquium.
Of these, 9 represented Christianity, 15 for Islam; and 8 for
Judaism. Three were agnostics, one a
Hindu, and 2 were Buddhists. Two were
simply listed as “other.”
The nine
Christian women came from six different nations, including France, Belgium,
Rwanda, Peru, Chili, and the United States (yours truly). Several were theology or history
professors. One was a social
anthropologist in South America.
Chantal, an executive member of the African Alliance of the YMCA from
Rwanda, explained that many in her nation have left Christianity as a result of
the horrendous war. Indeed, how can
“Christians” justify such racial and tribal hatred?
The most alive
and friendly of the Christian women was “Sister” Noëlle Hausman, Mother Superior
of the Sisters of the Sacred Heart of Mary in Belgium. She had entered the convent at 15 years of
age by special permission of Léon Joseph Cardinal Seunens, the outstanding
Belgian leader of the Roman Catholic Charismatic Renewal. I asked Noëlle if this meant that she were
Charismatic, to which she replied, “Oh, no! I am afraid!” This, of course, opened the door for me to
assure her of God’s love for her!
Generally
speaking, the Moslem women tended to be strong, intelligent, and
aggressive. Certainly, they were very
different from the veiled Islamic women we see in American supermarkets! But I noticed that whenever I would pass by
Hawa from Djibouti, she would draw her headcovering more securely over her head
and face.
The eight Jewish
women were typically confident and conversant.
Some were history of religions professors. Others were leaders of national Jewish women’s organizations and
directors of Jewish cultural centres.
One high profile theologian from Germany, Ruth Lapide, once travelled
America with her theologian husband teaching the Jewish background of the
Gospels. She now works on ethical
issues with the German government and has a German television program promoting
the Bible.
Of the other
women, three were agnostics: a professor of History of Religions at the Free
University of Brussels, a secular feminist who is the French Community’s
Director of the Office of Equal Opportunities, and the third was Belgium’s
Minister of State.
The lone Hindu
representative was the Director of the Centre for the Study of Social
Development at J. Nehru University in New Delhi. Two others were Buddhist nuns, while two did not state religious
preference, one a dancer and choreographer and the other a Tajikistan-born
film-maker living in France.
The program
The program was
conducted in French with translation into English, Dutch, and German. Although I am quite proficient in reading
and writing French, unfortunately my speaking and listening/comprehension
skills leave much to be desired! Even
with the voice of good translators coming through my headset, I feel I missed
much of what was being said!
On Sunday
morning, we were divided into four round table discussion groups facilitated by
TV news anchors and professional journalists.
One group discussed the history of women in the various religions. Another group discussed the place and status
of women in the different religions. A
third group discussed the ways that religious women express themselves in their
various cultures. Of the 10 participants
in this group, none were Christians.
The fourth group,
the one to which I was assigned, dealt with “where are we and where are we
going.” Since the emphasis was
political, the ambassador and cabinet ministers were part of this group.
After a brief
lunch break, we convened to the theatre for the live, televised debate. I was impressed with the ornate theatre and
I was surprised by the enthusiastic crowd of 900 men and women who had gathered
for the event. I detected among these
Europeans a greater concern and more genuine caring for women than I have
observed in America!
As the debate
opened, we were challenged to consider certain “underpinning principles” in the
relationship between women and religion.
These 5 basic opposing elements that exist together within each religion
and that are common to all world religions, include the following:
1. All religions
contain myths that posit the liberation of women against patriarchal militancy.
2. All religions
claim texts that propose gender equality and texts that are gender-restrictive.
3. All religions
display power struggles between male superiority, on the one hand, and
so-called “mystical movements” ascribing equality, on the other.
4. Fundamentalism
in all religions legalistically dictates that men must dominate while feminism
calls for the creation of what is new, stating that the patriarchal text of
fundamentalism is not appropriate.
5. Religion is
seen as an obstacle to women’s liberation, yet religion often is the place
where women find liberty.
The voices of women
Although I am
aware of the injustices and inequities that women around the world are
suffering, simply because they are women, what the various women shared served
to remind and further inform me. Here
is some of what I heard.
In Djibouti, most
women are still illiterate. Women do
not have equal educational opportunities and poverty continues to stifle any
hope of progress toward a better life.
Although genital mutilation has been outlawed, the practice
continues.
In Algeria,
access to education and increased civic power are seen as the only means by
which women can combat the persecution and suffering they are experiencing
under the Islamic fundamentalist regime.
The Algerians have a saying, “Paradise is under the feet of women,” to
which a well-educated Algerian refugee woman responded, “Then lift your foot,
please!”
In Niger, more
than 9 out of 10 women cannot read. The
Islamic fundamentalism of Iran, Iraq, and Saudi Arabia, through the power of
oil money, is gaining increased control.
Many women simply accept this, refusing to take responsibility for their
personal development and settling instead for submission according to the
family code of Islam. This whole
situation is contributing to the suffering of women in many ways. Girls are no longer permitted
education. Women are required to “adore
their husbands” and are no longer allowed to be “fashionable,” but must wear
veils and long dresses. The Ambassador
noted that women must take personal responsibility for improving their
condition. In her opinion, the future
of Africa is in the hands of women.
Unfortunately, many who have the education to run for government
positions no longer have the economic means to do so.
Melika Bosnawi, Islamic
representative from Bosnia-Herzegovina, unleashed intense anger during the TV
debate regarding the horrendous war crimes against Moslem women in her
land. These atrocities, of which most
of us are aware, reflect badly on Christendom.
The Minister of
Culture of Senegal proclaimed, “Mohammed came and brought liberty to women!”
The problem, she explained, is that few women in her nation can read and
thereby interpret the Islamic texts in terms that would bring the equality that
Mohammed intended.
Princess Maria
Theresa, a Moslem and highly educated social scientist, said, “Equality of
women represents the future.”
Hinduism,
explained Madhu Kishwar, teaches a principle of feminine energy, a positive
creative force which produces wealth.
This leads to the possibility of two different kinds of women. One is a benevolent consort who is attached
to a male and the other is a strong woman who is unattached to a male. She is understood to be seeking her own
interests and men are expected to bow to her. Within the family structure, mothers and mothers-in-law can become
commanding, even oppressive, figures while younger women are marginalized. There is a definite preference for male
children. Girls are deprived of
education and life expectancy is low. Interestingly,
any progress towards bettering the life of women appears to be coming from the
initiatives of men.
In Judaism, women
are free and can enjoy independence both economically and socially. Today Jewish woman tend to seek
responsibility in the community. They
are demanding a rereading of the texts that have been used force them into
secondary social and religious roles.
Inequity in divorce is a concern since it is producing hardship for
Jewish women in some nations.
As Chili makes a
transition to democracy, human rights issues are coming to the forefront, but
there is no women’s movement. Roman
Catholicism is the majority religion which means that women are to be subject
to men and socially secondary. In 1989,
the government instituted a Ministry of Women’s Affairs, but women are still
second class citizens. Divorce is not
allowed. “Women work but men still
rule,” said the Chilean representative.
In Peru, it was
noted, Christian evangelism allegedly lowered the status of women in society. Now, with the re-establishment of Peruvian
culture, two things are happening: 1.
Women are emerging in areas of leadership; 2. Native religions are being restored.
Summary: It can be
said that women, regardless of religion or culture, continue to struggle and
suffer in ways that men do not simply because they are women. Illiteracy and lack of educational
opportunities remain hindrances to progress.
Religious fundamentalism is seen as restrictive and sexist. Many expressed the need for equity in divorce
because of the hardship that comes on women who experience this tragedy. Several women noted that women themselves
must take personal responsibility for equality with men, regardless of their
religious affiliation or current cultural climate.
M. Hervé Hasquin’s
Observations
In closing the
debate, M. Hervé Hasquin, who also serves as a History Professor, summarized
what he had heard the women say by making 8 observations.
1. The history of women and
religions is a history of the silencing of women. It is time to break that silence. This is possible only in the context of political democracy.
In history,
religion has always been a way of asserting ones identity when freedoms are
denied. 2. Women seek refuge in
religion.
3. Women tend to
be in denial regarding the restrictions placed on them by religion.
4. Religion can
be liberating for women, but restrictions normally arise based in tradition and
fundamentalist expressions of that religion.
Every case is unique but the economic and social context remains an
influence on women’s freedom.
5. When women
experience advancement toward equality, men tend to feel deprived and to
exhibit the need to return to those things that are certain. This gives rise to an increase in religious
fundamentalism, which is perceived as a necessary defence against revolution.
6. In evaluating
history we must be modest. The writing
of history is a constant rewriting because the questions we ask in writing
history are informed by our own context and we therefore search history on the
basis of context-driven questions.
7. Ultimately, a
person’s relationship to faith is a personal issue.
8. The number of
women in the colloquium from different backgrounds enabled all to express themselves
without imposing their position on others.
M. Hasquin’s final statement—his thesis, if you
like—was that, in his informed opinion, in spite of its imperfections, the
concept of separation of church and state remains fundamentally the best way to
organize society.
I had carried
with me a copy each of Eddie’s book (2000 Years of Charismatic Christianity),
my book (In the Spirit We’re Equal), and my teaching manual (The
Spirit, The Bible, and Women—A Revival Perspective). As M.
Hasquin was presenting his closing remarks, I felt that I should give
him these copies. He graciously and
enthusiastically accepted them.
My contribution
Generally,
throughout the day, the voice of the Christians seemed to me to be dull and
inconsequential. One Protestant
representative was almost shouted down at one point, but she rebounded with,
“Just because I am a Protestant doesn’t mean I should not be able to express my
mind!”
Personally, I
felt no such opposition. It seems,
perhaps, that most of the people present did not know what a
Pentecostal/Charismatic was and therefore, at least out of curiosity, gave ear
to what I said.
The assignment
given me was to state briefly “where we are and where we are going” as women in
Pentecostal/Charismatic Christianity.
We know that a uniform trend is not obvious. Many Pentecostal-Charismatic women are embracing a traditional,
subordinate role. But many, like
myself, are unwilling to be disobedient to the Holy Spirit by obeying the
dictates of distorted Christianity. We
are discovering that Jesus taught the equality of men and women in every
respect, including substance and value, privilege and responsibility, function
and authority. We are uncovering the
truth of biblical equality and we are proclaiming it far and wide by every
possible means. Nevertheless, we are
not driven by such a cause; rather, we are seeking to be led by the Spirit in
all that we do. Following, then, is
what I shared during the colloquium.
During the round
table discussion, I was free to say whatever I wanted to say, and I had a clear
sense of what that needed to be.
The moderator
immediately opened the door for me to make a clear statement of the Gospel by
asking me to define “Pentecostalism.” In the entire event, no one else was
asked to clarify their “religion.” Again, at the conclusion of the round table,
the moderator reminded me to reiterate the definition of “Pentecostalism” in
the TV debate. In fact, his first
question to me in the debate was, “What is “Pentecostalism?”
Here, in essence,
is what I said.
“A
‘Pentecostal-Charismatic’ is a believer who has a born-again experience with
Jesus Christ and an ongoing, dynamic experience of the presence and power of
His Holy Spirit in life.
“In the history
of Christianity, there have been 2 streams: Institutional Christianity and
Pentecostal/Charismatic Christianity.
The institutional stream. has
always tended to be hierarchical and to restrict women. The Pentecostal/Charismatic stream has
always tended toward egalitarian relationships and equality for women.
“Due to the 20th
century global explosion of Pentecostal/Charismatic Christianity, there are now
600 million Pentecostal-Charismatics worldwide. In the United States, 20% of women profess to be Pentecostal/Charismatic
Christians.
“As a
Pentecostal-Charismatic woman in America, I enjoy unfettered freedom and
opportunity to advance the truth of biblical equality. Pentecostal/Charismatic women know in their hearts
by the indwelling Holy Spirit that they are equal with men in terms of
substance and value, privilege and responsibility, function and authority. However, because of cultural and religious
baggage, most do not know this truth in their heads. This discrepancy between head and heart is the cause of many
struggles for Pentecostal-Charismatic women.
My job is to give the biblical truth that brings harmony between the
head and heart.
“To this end, my
husband and I teach, write, and operate a publishing company. His first major book, 2000 Years of
Charismatic Christianity, [I held it up for all to see] validates the
existence of the Pentecostal/Charismatic stream of Christianity as opposed to
the institutional stream. My book, In
the Spirit We’re Equal, and course [I held them up for all to see] present
an historical and biblical argument for gender equality.
“Others are also
advancing this truth among Pentecostal/Charismatics. For example, the leading periodical for women in the movement in
America is SpiritLed Women [I held up a copy for all to see]. You will notice a recent lead article
entitled “10 Lies the Church Has Told Women” by a leading male
Pentecostal/Charismatic editor and writer, Lee Grady. This is an example of an encouraging partnership that is
developing among some Pentecostal/Charismatic men and women to bring about
biblical equality for women.
“Also serving in
various ways to advance the truth of equality throughout the
Pentecostal/Charismatic Movement are 2 different organizations: Christians for
Biblical Equality and the Society for Pentecostal Studies.
“In general, we
are seeing 2 important advancements.
Slowly we are seeing a release from gender-defined roles for women to
gift-defined living. And we are seeing
a greater sense of egalitarian partnership between men and women.
“We are seeing an
increase in Pentecostal/Charismatic women taking leadership positions in
various areas such as communication and the arts, education (including
theological education), business and technology, law and government. Pentecostal/Charismatic women are also
increasing their influence in dealing with domestic abuse, pastoral
counselling, and medical concerns.
“The one great
stronghold of inequality among Pentecostal/Charismatic believers is the
home. I, for one, am working to bring
the equality Jesus taught to this important area.”
The TV Debate
During the TV
Debate, the moderator asked me 3 questions.
Question 1. What is a “Pentecostal/Charismatic”?
My Answer. “A Pentecostal-Charismatic is a believer who
has a born-again experience with Jesus Christ and an ongoing, dynamic
experience of the presence and power of His Holy Spirit in life.
“In the history
of Christianity, there have been 2 streams: Institutional Christianity and
Pentecostal/Charismatic Christianity.
The institutional stream has always tended to be hierarchical and to
restrict women. The
Pentecostal/Charismatic stream has always tended toward egalitarian
relationships and equality for women.
“Due to the 20th
century global explosion of Pentecostal/Charismatic Christianity, there are now
600 million P/Cs worldwide. In the
United States, 20% of women profess to be Pentecostal/Charismatic Christians.”
Question 2. What is the greatest area of struggle for Pentecostal/Charismatic
women?
My Answer. “The greatest struggle for
Pentecostal/Charismatic women is the process of renewing their minds in the
knowledge that they are equal with men.
Changing the mind is one of the greatest struggles we all encounter, and
I would say that this is the crux of the struggle for both men and women in
Pentecostal/Charismatic Christianity, whether they realize it or not! What we
think about women determines our behaviour in relation to womanhood.”
Question 3. George W. Bush, a professing Christian, has just been
elected president of the United States.
What is the position of Pentecostal/Charismatic women in relation to
liberal and conservative, Democratic and Republican politics?
My Answer. “That is a question I do not feel I can answer
adequately. I am a citizen of Heaven
and a citizen of Canada who is privileged to reside in the United States. I know several Pentecostal/Charismatic women
who are active at various levels in the political arena, but I am not
adequately versed in that subject to be able to answer your question.”
Reflections
I have been
listening to the Lord about why he had me there and what he would have me
learn, say, or do as a result. Here are
a few thoughts.
1. Christian
women need to shake off the shackles of religion masquerading as biblical
Christianity. So much of what is taught
about womanhood among Pentecostal/Charismatic Christians is no different from
what is taught in various other religions.
For example, the idea of male authoritative rulership and female
subordination, servanthood, and subjugation is a characteristic of
religion. It is not a legitimate
principle of biblical, Spirit-filled Christianity.
2. The favour of
man over woman is typical of religion, but not of Jesus.
3. Spirit-filled
women must take personal responsibility to develop their abilities, gifts, and
talents, including their intellectual ability through educational
opportunities. This is a
responsibility, not a privilege, and must not be left to men alone.
4. Women in all
religions are struggling because of doctrines that teach the primacy of the
male. Marriage is, perhaps, the main
stronghold of inequity. Divorce that
favours men seems to be a global problem.
5. Women in all
religions have gender-defined roles that provide them with social power of some
sort. This social structure inevitably
produces a climate of manipulation by women which produces power for a few and
hopeless depression for many.
There is no
reason why, in this era of Pentecostal/Charismatic outpouring of God’s Holy
Spirit, that we should succumb to religion.
We must realize that the Spirit of God does not come to confirm that
what we believe about everything is right and that what other Christians
believe is wrong. Rather, the Spirit comes
to help us in our human weakness, to empower us, to comfort us. And the Spirit comes to guide us into all
truth! That is to say, the Spirit
comes to open our understanding and to help us change the way we think.
It is my prayer
that we will allow the Spirit of God to change the way we, who profess to be
“Spirit-Filled” Christians, think about womanhood. May we shed our religious thinking and think about
womanhood the way Jesus wants us to think! According to the Gospels, accurately interpreted, that means
thinking of women as equal with men in terms of substance and value, privilege
and responsibility, function and authority.
In my brief
encounter with the French Community of Wallonie-Brussels in the new European Union,
I sensed the dynamic power that always seems to accompany a new venture. The EU is in its formative years. It is looking ahead to what it can become. It is searching for the best way to order
its society. This is refreshing! But
are Spirit-filled Christians as aware and alert to the need and to the
opportunity. Europe has had enough of
the Christian religion. Now they must
see Jesus!
I have often said
that many Christians will go to the ends of the earth to reach the uneducated
masses. This is good! But will they go
next door to reach the educated feminist who is turned off by patriarchal
Christian religion? I have no doubt that the EU’s French community in Belgium
is genuinely concerned about women—including the feminist—and about what role religion
should play in advancing the equality of women in their state and the emerging
European Union. What a place for the
Presence of God through people who can rub shoulders with the decision-makers!
Regardless of the
teaching of some Christian prophecy teachers regarding the EU, perhaps the
Church should embrace the fact that something that will influence the future
is, in fact, emerging in Europe. And
instead of smuggly dismissing the EU as an emerging evil empire, perhaps we
should dismiss our own stagnation and take a lesson from our European friends.
Perhaps we should
examine American Pentecostal/Charismatic Christianity and realize that our
methods need to be brought back to the standard and means of Jesus Christ. The fruit of our authority structures and
spiritual formation methods reek of religion and have little scent of Heaven!
Perhaps we should
be less concerned about music and entertainment, about flamboyant preachers
with extra-biblical theologies. Perhaps
we should be less concerned about funding TV programs and building cathedrals
and networks of personal power.
I have no doubt
that the Lord wants us to purge the message we teach and preach so that it
comes into line with the Message of Jesus.
I have no doubt that the only means the Lord would have us use is the
power of the Holy Spirit. Everything
else is secondary and superfluous—and often a hindrance.
I hope this
report has troubled you, challenged you, and inspired you! And perhaps Mary’s
words in John 2:5 can take on new significance for each of us: “Whatever He
[Jesus] says to you, do it!”
If you would like
to know what I am doing and become a part of it as the Spirit leads, please,
let me know. And if you are reading
this and are already taking action, I would be interested to know who you are
and what you are doing.
Susan’s book, In the Spirit We’re Equal, is
reviewed in this issue of the Renewal Journal. Her husband Eddie’s book, 2000 Years of Charismatic
Christianity, was reviewed in Issue 12 of the Renewal Journal. These books and other resources are
available from them at Hyatt Press, P.
O. Box 613216, Dallas, Tx 75261, USA.
E-mail: hyattpress@aol.com
Internet: www.hyattpress.org
© Renewal Journal #18: Servant
Leadership (2001:2) www.renewaljournal.com
Reproduction is permitted so long as
the copyright acknowledgement remains intact with the text.
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