Wednesday, April 19, 2006

Female Ordination

Here's a thought from Peter Leithart's Easter Musings on Genesis 29 on pastors as queens:

Rachel, importantly, is introduced as a shepherdess (the only woman so designated in Scripture, so far as I can find). Shepherd-shepherdess-flock = King-queen-subjects = Christ-church leaders-church members. Pastors are Rachel, bride-shepherds who minister in the name of the Chief Shepherd. All ordination is female ordination.

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

I read that too and was prompted to remember a line of thought I abandoned during my work on Song of Songs. The Hebrew word 'Rachel' means 'ewe' but is quite an uncommon word (when used in this sense rather than as a name), appearing only in the Genesis narratives, Isaiah 53:7 and Song of Songs 6:6. Not sure what the significance of this is but when I've worked it out I'll blog about it!