Hungarian Clergywomen’s Careers in the Church

Abstract

After half a century of formal equality regarding ministry in Protestant churches, female leaders have become increasingly common in Protestant churches in Western Europe and North America. However, in Hungary—and in East-Central Europe in general—women leaders are typically absent. Based on in-depth interviews with clergywomen, our study, which has focused on clergywomen’s aspirations and choices, explores the reasons why women’s church careers in Hungary will stop progressing at a certain point. We argue that by adapting to the traditional gender beliefs typical in Hungarian churches, clergywomen’s choices contribute to the maintenance of the existing gender order rather than challenge it Nevertheless, through their growing presence and the way in which they minister, Hungarian clergywomen have gradually expanded women’s opportunities in the church, albeit mostly unintentionally, by following a special way of emancipation: ‘norm-following emancipation’. This way of emancipation legitimizes women in the ministry but does not promote women in leadership roles.