Ordained or Not, Many Women Lead Religious Groups

What constitutes women's leadership in religious communities is open to many interpretations. In the U.S., more attention has been given to women's ordination because of the highly public and visible nature of these roles, but the issue is far more complicated. In her 2010 book "Breaking Through the Stained Glass Ceiling: Women Religious Leaders in Their Own Words," radio host Maureen Fiedler identifies at least eight types of religious leadership roles for women: denominational and organizational leaders, biblical scholars, theologians, religious activists, spiritual teachers, interfaith leaders and journalists. While each has its own particular challenges and struggles, Fiedler notes that "denominational leadership is hardest for women to achieve, because it involves real power."