The whole question of the place of women in the church, their sharing in responsibilities and the exercise of authority within it -- which implies access to the ordained ministry -- represents one of the major challenges posed for the traditional Christian churches by the modern Western world. Initially the Orthodox churches maintained that this challenge did not concern them, but gradually they have come to take it to heart. After outlining the historical context, Elisabeth Behr-Sigel describes the ups and downs of the difficult growth of consciousness, coupled with a creative return to the sources of genuine ecclesial Tradition called for by frank ecumenical dialogue. Bishop Kallistos Ware sets the question of the ordination of women in perspective in the light of patristic anthropology and Orthodox theology. This book also sets the Orthodox church in a new light; often described as 'Eastern', a large diaspora is found today throughout the world, and especially in Western Europe and North America.