A matter of justice and necessity: Women's participation in the Catholic Church

This article expands on a statement made by John Paul II on the necessity for ‘real equality’ for women. It begins by elaborating on two aspects of this statement that with regard to women, ‘history has conditioned us,’ and ‘the Gospel contains an ever relevant message.’ The article examines some sayings about women in the tradition, and argues that the tradition has been shaped by Aristotelian philosophy rather than the Scriptures. Finally it notes some contemporary thinking with regard to opening the diaconate to wome

The missing feast of Pentecost : John 1,19-2,12

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Was there another vine? Questions on John 15:1a

Jesus final words to his disciples (Jn 15:4, 12) lie at the heart of the Farewell Discourse and are situated within two models of the type of relationship these commands will produce: firstly the model drawn from nature, the vine (vv. 1, 5), and then the model of Jesus' own relationship with God (v. 9). But while the language suggests intimacy, the use of the term 'true' in the emphatic position (egō eimi hē ampelos hē alēthinē) suggests a comparison be made between Jesus, the 'true' vine, and a vine that is 'not true.' Rather than intimacy was there discord within the community? Is the passage 15:1-17 engaged in a polemic with some who may be turning to 'another' vine? In this essay I will examine the image of the vine, attempting to establish its possible historical context