Related Article Abstracts

John Filiatreau, "Help Wanted," Presbyterians Today Online, Jan/Feb 2001.
This article explores the clergy shortage in the PCUSA and describes a number of initiatives proposed to treat the problem. The difficulties of obtaining a pastor are greatest for smaller congregations who are unable to meet the financial burdens of seminary graduates facing the high costs of education for themselves and their children. Pastoral internships, grants given in exchange for service to smaller congregations, and creative means of recruitment are just three suggested paths explored to meet the needs of pastoral leadership in the future.

Paul Sullins, "The Stained Glass Ceiling: Career Attainment for Women Clergy," Sociology of Religion 61:3 (Fall 2000), 243-266.
This study of Episcopal priests found that a persistent inequality exists between male and female clergy, not owing to formal institutional discrimination, but as a result of embedded cultural values on the level of congregations. The author had hypothesized that women would gain greater achievement in areas that were more removed from the church's hierarchy, that is, in the individual parishes, but he discovered that in the more tightly controlled non-parish positions there was virtually no difference in achievement between male and female clergy. The author suggests that this continued subordination of women in these more loosely coupled positions may be best explained by understanding the congregation as a type of family, rather than simple use of organizational models.

Rodney Stark and Roger Finke, "Catholic Religious Vocations: Decline and Revival," Review of Religious Research 42:2 (December 2000), 125-145.
This article uses the theory of religious economies to explain the dramatic decline in Roman Catholic religious orders. Rather than secularization or increased opportunities for women in other fields, the authors argue that the causal factor of the decline was the change brought by the decisions of Vatican II. The Council reduced the rewards of religious vocations (removing the heightened state of holiness, distinct dress, and cloistered community life) while maintaining the high cost of the religious life (celibacy, obedience, and poverty). If the current trend of decline is to be reversed, the authors suggest that some of the rewards be reinstated to justify the required sacrifices.

Dean R. Hoge, "The State of Catholic Pastoral Leadership."
Pastoral leadership in American Catholicism is in the process of change with increasing parish size, decreasing numbers of priests who bear more responsibility, and growing lay participation in the formal ministerial functions of the church. While Catholic laity would prefer an enlarged number of priests, they appear to have adjusted to the changing leadership situation. Those members occupying lay ministerial positions appear to have high rates of job satisfaction and increased respect amongst parishioners. The transition has been hardest on newly ordained priests who have experienced increased amounts of stress and burnout stemming from receiving more responsibility earlier in their pastoral careers than previous generations.

Joyce Smith, "The Media Diary of an American Priest: Christian Ministry in Popular and News Media."
Through an examination of agenda-setting print and visual material with a wide ranging audience, this study discovers that the pastoral ministry is normally depicted through the use of Catholic clergy which functions as a readymade image. In regard to print news media, the author suggests that the global nature and visible local presence of the Roman Catholic Church make it a more readily accessible news contact. In film and television, Catholic clergy are easily identifiable and thus can appear without requiring much background or explanation. Protestant clergy when depicted are more likely to be nameless participants in rites of passage that reflect no particular denominational tradition.

Jackson, W. Carroll, "Protestant Pastoral Ministry at the Beginning of the New Millennium."
This paper reviews trends in pastoral leadership, suggests routes for further study, and concludes that the profession is a troubled one with an overall decrease in both the quantity and quality of ministers who face increased demands from families and congregations. While the number of students entering seminary has remained relatively flat, the average age of those students has risen and their test scores have declined. Many denominations report a shortage of ordained clergy who face increased expectations in their congregations. The majority of clergy feel satisfied with their work, but many report increased stress and difficulties in family life. Ministerial salaries remain low compared to other similar professions, and financial demands amplify the other problems ministers face.