In protestant theological institutions: a critical appraisal of contextual challenges in kerala, india jessy jaison b b s., M d
FIGURE-3 Suggestions by Men Students to Better the Status of Women
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FIGURE-3Suggestions by Men Students to Better the Status of Women
5.2.2 Summary Observations Men students recognized that seminaries provide more support to women than churches. But they also opined that Kerala women who join theological education do not seem to be developing. There were a number of judgments on the negative attitudes and segregating practices in the church and family. In particular, their personal values were very much in line with what is being practiced by the churches and families. They made valuable suggestions on how to gain better acceptance of women in seminaries, but were silent on what could be done in churches with regard to this. However, their openness and sincere cooperation greatly contributed to data collection. In order to reach a set of theoretical formulations, these views will have to be verified against data from other sources. 5.3 Data Gathered from Women Students 5.3.1 Interviewees and the Data As stated earlier, there were only 18 women interviewed with this schedule (number of interviewees from each seminary is shown in the first row of Table-17). Proportion of responses from various sample categories cannot be considered significant as there were only two interviewees from ES(a) and four in NES(b) while each of the remaining categories had six students to respond. Among the respondents were ten spinsters and eight who were married. Academic courses undertaken were: M Div. Final year (10 students), B D Final year (6) and B Th. Final (2) and all from Kerala. TABLE -17 Women’s Ministries as Perceived by Women
Women students listed the above six areas as open to them in ministry. A student from the Episcopal category said, “The option I see for my future is field mission work outside of Kerala. After gaining a Masters with men students who are trained to be priests, I am still unsure how I would benefit from this type of a theological training for that work.” Students from NES(c) and (d) had the opinion that openness for women into Sunday school, evangelism, counselling etcetera is not intentionally done by the church. According to one of them, “When I went back to my local church after my second year of theological training, the church was even more indifferent to me than ever before. I was told to do any ministry outside the church for which obviously the church would have no responsibility. That is where I felt avoided.” Another response came from NES(b), Church leaders do not realize we women too are able to see the tricks played to keep women aside from active roles in church. Sunday school and women’s ministry are integral part of the church but when women get involved in such ministries, those on leadership remove them from the key activities of the church. But when wider public meetings of Sunday school and women’s ministry are held, women who actually work in them would never get any recognition; men are there to lead. One student from NES(c) who is married to a pastor said, Most seminaries in Kerala train women with a single purpose- that is to become pastors’ wives. But I can say that they never get any opportunity in ministry other than the cooking and cleaning chores. Women’s meetings are fully under the leading of men or in some cases the elderly women who never approve theological education of the younger generation. While mentioning the possible ministries for women in Kerala, most respondents gave further description of how restricted these areas were. Instead of excitement about the possibilities, interviewees expressed the difficulty of being segregated by the church. TABLE 18 Women Students’ Comments on Seminary Education
All informants stated more than one positive aspect of seminary training. Fourteen out of eighteen said they are given equal opportunity in the class especially to present assignments, respond, question and comment. A student from ES(a) opined, “Atmosphere in the class is generally sensible; the faculty member who is present and some of the men colleagues are individually mindful to our presence. There are a few men who keep on encouraging us for more involvement in class activities.” There were ten responses to state women are grateful to the few men faculty who support and uphold women involvement in ministry. One such response from NES(c) was thus, There are two men on the faculty in my seminary, who think and speak about developing women in church’s ministry. One of them has made quite a number of writings with this view. But the seminary community behaves in such a way that it is his personal view and there is nothing special to be done about it. There were also responses regarding the ‘living away from home’ which was a first experience for ten of them. “This training in seminary has helped me to develop confidence that I can manage life on my own. However this is not a stress free situation as I anticipated it to be; it sometimes even spoils the women with great calibre by criticisms and gossiping,” a respondent from NES(d) said. While 15 responses mentioned equal opportunities in the class room, only two respondents felt women are equally valued in social life on campus. Further description on this is shown in tables below. Seven responses came upholding the spiritual discipline they got from hostel life. “It is in the seminary I am trained to take regular quiet time and prayer in the morning. In life in the hostel, we are trained in regular duties and prayer times which would definitely help us in the future” said an interviewee from NES(b). TABLE 19 Women Students’ Comments on Seminary
Table-19 presents how women assess their situation as students in seminaries. The majority spoke of their discontentment at being rejected and seeing men students valued more despite the equal opportunities offered. An interviewee from ES(a) who spent a few years in an Indian cosmopolitan city before joining theological education said, It was not an easy decision for me to consider becoming a fulltime minister. I had higher degrees and fulfilled more than what was required for admission in a seminary. But here I feel unwanted. I do not see any reason to do this to a woman who is equally called and committed to ministry with men. Even after three years of education together, most of my men colleagues haven’t been able to accept me as their sister in Christ. A student from NES(d) shared her frustration about being part of a Bible College that has no concern for their women students, Our college admits only a few married women but no one cares about us. For example, there are women who preach much better than men but we cannot expect the annual award for preaching- it will only go to men. Though women do much better than their men colleagues, there is no approval of it; no one recognizes it. What then is there to say about being accepted into the system? We have nobody to share our problems. There is not even a rest room for women students. Every moment I feel it is better to quit than to stay on. From NES(c) a Women’s Representative explained how women’s needs are ignored by her seminary, There is no doubt that women feel unwanted or secondary in a seminary. In our case, whatever need arises in the men’s hostel is sanctioned as quickly as possible. But when there are requests from the ladies’ hostel, we are told to manage with what’s been provided and sometimes we’re even scolded for putting in requests. Women students had only rotten chairs in the library while men got good ones. When new and more comfortable chairs were bought for women, and seeing them more comfortable, the chairs were given to men while we were told to use the used ones. We know we have no voice here. All respondents expressed their concern at the uncertainty of seminaries about the ministry of women. A student from NES(b) observed, In all the written documents, the seminary has put men and women together. But when it comes to matters related to ministry, seminary has no commitment to uphold women. As long as our churches strive to segregate us, we desperately need to know the position of the seminary in this. One faculty member will affirm women’s role in ministry and the next teaching hour, another comes to argue against any participation of women in ministry. In line with this, was another response from NES(c), We are left in a dilemma. Seminaries seem to be supporting us by giving opportunities to preach in chapel, get training along with would be priests or pastors, discuss theological issues in classes and so on. But apart from this, there is no hope. We go back to a place where there is no change taking place which reminds us that the good aspects of seminary training were a mere dream. Women students expressed their wish to have more women faculty and more women in leadership roles in seminaries where women are enrolled. A woman from NES(d) who had a difficult miscarriage by the end of her academic program told me, The Dean of Students wanted me to go to his office to settle issues of my attendance. I spoke to him over phone and my husband who too was a student there shared my problem with him. But he was not convinced. He insisted that I should go there and will not be permitted to skip any class. I wanted to stop studying as I felt no one understands. Why don’t they appoint a woman at least to handle the personal concerns of the women students? As a woman who did her previous theological degree from another state of India, she said she felt there is no hope for women in Kerala churches and seminaries unless a change is advocated by someone intentionally. But another student from NES(b) said that though she liked to have women on leadership and faculty, she feared if the wrong people were promoted, the situation might get worse. If women on leadership are not enlightened but find joy in practising the cultural traditions, the situation will never change. As a matter of fact, such elderly women who are not in support of women’s theological education and development keep the attitude of many churches against women. They never give a chance for the younger women to come up in ministry. Women made a number of comments about how they are publicly alienated by words and attitudes. A student from ES(a) said, There are men who start their sermon in seminary chapel addressing only men. We are just four women but still we feel out of place. There are also men who never hold their heads up until a lady finishes her speech in chapel. I don’t know what makes them act like this. Especially I wonder when such attitudes are shown by academically excellent students with great reputation on campus. A comment from NES(c) was, “Men students are good to us individually. But at group discussions or class presentations, the way they publicly insult women is usually hard for us to understand. Sometimes we think, those without theological education may be better supporters to women especially when Bible verses are frequently quoted to ridicule us.” There were also mentions of harassments from men students in some seminaries. A respondent from ES(a) said that women are isolated in the dining hall. Men students can sit anywhere but there were many occasions when she was told by men students to change her seat and to go to a corner. I was shocked when men can come and sit with us anywhere in the dining hall anytime; but we have restrictions. That was always an insult to me. While both men and women are named jointly in duty rota, some men deliberately segregate us by not talking or some times telling us to go back to our hostels. These events are neither noticed by nor reported to the leadership of seminaries. These are all part of the culture which cannot be changed. Another response from NES(c) was again on being ridiculed in public, Men students laugh at us loudly when we women students get to the platform in the chapel. Some murmur and others make disturbing noises which would make us all the more nervous. Faculty are present and a few of them talk against such practices later in class rooms. Until and unless seminary enforces its policies to enhance the cause of women nothing is there for us to hope for. However, it can’t help when men students know there are men on the faculty who are anti-women. She continued, “If a seminary is not for women’s development in ministry why don’t they stop admitting women? If a seminary is devoted to develop women in ministry, why don’t they strongly stand for it? I don’t know whom they fear.” The avoidance of women in seminaries was expressed at another level as an informant said from NES(c), “Our current leaders are reducing admission to women from Kerala and they are going to other states and especially to the North East to recruit more students. A member of faculty said in my class that Kerala girls are not developing as they should and therefore this is essential.” Another seminary in NES(d) has only two women from Kerala while 27 from the North East. “We, girls from Kerala are not very bold to appear in public; we really fear problems. Our seminary appreciates the courage of North Eastern students and likes to send them for week-end ministry and open-air meetings. We are even told that seminaries will probably stop admitting women from Kerala. Seminary is starting ministries in other states of India, where these women can work” said a student. From two seminaries reports came that women students are given more manual duties than men students. A student from NES(c) said, “We ladies are supposed to do long hours of campus cleaning and washing dishes. While men except those signed up on work scholarship are free from duties at that time. While men students have exercise and games facilities, we don’t have any of these.” “After 4:00 pm, women students are not permitted to walk around the campus; while men can sit, walk or play anywhere on campus. We are to be in our rooms without enjoying the sunlight and fresh air outside. If otherwise, there will be questionings and warnings on our character” was a response from NES(b). There were also comments on strict rules enforced on women students as told by a student from NES(c), “Women are told not to speak loud; not to talk with men; not to go to the staff room; these restrictions put us in bondage of fear.” Practical ministry opportunity was another area of concern to women students. A comment from NES(d) was, There is a general disinterest in sending women out of campus into practical ministry whether it is week end or vacation. They might be fearful of religious fanatics or women abuse concerns. Practical ministry demands more effort from the seminary on issues of safety and finance etc. So even after trying this for a couple of times, the seminary is not still sure of how to work it out. From the same category of sample, another respondent said, “The seminary is not interested in sending out women from Kerala for week-end ministry. Preference goes to women students from North Indian states and especially North Eastern states because they are not under the Kerala taboos for women.” Students also were able to identify the potential reasons that withhold seminaries from advancing practical ministry training to women. For instance, “Churches welcome only men students; we have nothing to do there. Practical ministry requires more funding also. If churches do not benefit from the ministry of women, why should seminaries spend money on that?” asked a student from NES(c). But from NES(d) a student expressed her view differently, I believe only seminaries can do something concrete to change the status of women. If seminaries support women’s week-end ministry in local churches and if they are financially provided and endorsed, I’m sure churches will gradually change their approach. How can the church know the commitment of women unless women are provided with an opportunity? Without the backing from an authentic body, how can women take even one step further? Regarding the expressing of women’s concerns to the leadership, 12 out of 18 said they have practically no access to anyone for this. A response from NES(b) was like this, We are told to share our concerns with the Principal’s wife who is not really friendly with us.’ It’s true that there are people assigned to hear our concerns but usually all this is impractical. When wives of core leadership are assigned for this, everyone knows that we would never go to them mainly because we fear further problems rather than solutions. Another comment on this concern was from NES(c), We are told to share our concerns with the wife of Academic Dean, who has absolutely no idea about what is going on in the seminary. She has gained no training in counselling and she has never been part of the seminary. Recently there was a resolution that we can first share our concerns with the hostel warden, who would take it further in the proper path. But our warden is not trained enough to do this work; the most she can do is to assign daily duties and to lead the daily functions within the hostel. Ultimately this means that women’s concerns are not central; they are left to be solved by themselves. Therefore, we are waiting somehow to complete the course and go home. Responses above were filled with emotions such as anger, sadness, bitterness and even hopelessness and revealed the subtleties of the general statements they made. Yüklə 1,36 Mb. Dostları ilə paylaş:
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