Source: Public Orthodoxy
Varvara Gulina
Doctoral Student at San Diego State University
Imagine a young woman who has just been sexually assaulted by a priest during confession. Leaving what was meant to be a sacred experience, she feels lost and unsure of whom to turn to in her parish, wondering if anyone would truly understand or believe her. Now picture another woman enduring domestic violence at home; after mustering the courage to confide in a bishop, she is met with the suggestion that she simply needs a change of scenery, leaving her feeling invalidated and dismissed. Envision a young woman seeking spiritual nourishment at a monastery, only to be pressured into marrying an abusive partner— spiritualizing the abuse and putting her life in danger. And finally, imagine a 17-year-old girl being groomed by a 30-year-old man in her parish, only to find herself being blamed later for the experience.
These are some of the incidences of abuse that I have seen and heard from women in the Orthodox Church. But they only scratch the surface.
Last year, I was invited to attend a symposium on the renewal of the female diaconate, where I distributed handouts aimed at educating the Church about the prevalence of abuse, as well as resources for those in need. During my time there, I became even more aware of the many women who have endured spiritual, emotional, physical, and sexual trauma—women who also feel uncomfortable sharing their experiences with the Orthodox Church. Too often, they feel invisible. They suffer in silence because their pain involves those in positions of authority—individuals meant to protect and advocate for them. Parishioners, who should act as a supportive family and community, often turn against survivors when they finally muster the courage to speak out. This is a common reaction that arises from discomfort and dissonance within a community which silences victims’ voices and perpetuates their suffering. Feeling discouraged, these women may silently seek help and support in secular places. Sometimes they remain wanderers without a spiritual home. And so, the silence continues—but it is not without its effect on the entire Body of Christ. Which is why I want to openly talk about it.
To begin, it’s important to define our terms. Physical, sexual, verbal, psychological, financial, and spiritual abuse are all forms of violence against girls and women [1-4]. Additionally, abuse encompasses elements like grooming, coercive control, institutional abuse, and gender-based cyber violence [5-11]. This includes online harassment, doxing, bullying, and exploitation via technology, all of which are rapidly on the rise [13-15]. More often than not, women and girls are abused by those closest to them—intimate partners, family members, friends, and other trusted individuals in their communities, such as pastors, teachers, coaches, and youth leaders [16-24]. About 1 in 3 women will experience violence in their lifetime [25], and the increasing rates have now prompted officials to declare violence against women as an epidemic and national emergency [26-30]. It is important to note that women today, who are leaving churches in unrepresented numbers, cite abuse as being one of the biggest reasons for leaving.
Extensive social science research demonstrates that male-dominated organizations and male-only leadership significantly increase the risk of sexual assault and other forms of violence [31-33]. We also now know that churches can be among the most dangerous places for women, children, and other vulnerable individuals [34-42]. The Orthodox Church is no exception. In the context of the Orthodox Church in the U.S.—which is relatively small—the environment fosters a culture where bias and favoritism among clergy are prevalent, exacerbating this issue. A friend of mine, who attended an Orthodox seminary to become a priest, once remarked: “Clergy feel isolated and outnumbered in their experiences, and the training in seminary reinforces this isolation. And so, they often band together. Their sense of closeness with one another creates a culture of sympathy and loyalty amidst allegations.” It is clear that this dynamic is compounded by a lack of proper education on abuse-related topics in seminaries and insufficient support systems for priests. But I digress.
Factors like patriarchal structures, emphasis on traditional gender norms, inequality, hyper-masculine attitudes, conservative ideologies, male entitlement, lack of resources, negative attitudes towards women, and lack of female leadership and decision making [43-58], can all significantly increase risk of violence against girls and women. It is no secret that the Orthodox Church is deeply patriarchal, valuing hierarchy and prioritizing male-centered writings, teachings, practices, approaches, and perspectives. The elephant in the room, I suppose, is that we frequently fail to connect this fact to the violence experienced by women in our churches, monasteries, and online spaces [59-62]. And now, with the increasing number of overly zealous male converts, we need to seriously ask ourselves if we are truly prioritizing the safety and well-being of our girls and women.
In the grand scheme of things, there seems to be little concern or discussion about the spiritual and physical experiences of girls and women in our parishes and monasteries. The conversation often shifts to something like “How do we better equip and show patience with the men in our churches?” While I fully support finding solutions to guiding the next generation of men into becoming good-standing Orthodox Christians, I also have a problem when these efforts are done at the expense of the urgent needs of women and girls (which are left neglected in the process).
It is alarming, for instance, that the Orthodox Church is one of the few Churches lacking research and statistics on abuse, as well as data on how often women leave the Church as a result. Some people believe that the absence of data and large enough scandals in our community indicates a kind of innocence compared to our Catholic and Protestant brothers and sisters. I disagree. It is often in the refusal to acknowledge a problem that we reveal a deeper, more serious issue. It is in the pointing of the finger at others, we fail to recognize, and medicate the problems in our own backyard. Denial often stems from a place of pride—a dangerous place to be indeed.
I recognize that, in our theology, the Church is not merely a human institution. However, we must face this uncomfortable truth: any organization that subjugates, dismisses, or overlooks women’s perspectives and roles creates a heightened risk for religious abuse, emotional trauma, and sexual assault. Our Church is not exempt from these complexities. We must honestly come to terms with the fact that our leaders can be quite messy; that even they are not immune from patterns of systemic cover-ups, abuses of power, and cycles of secrecy [63-65]. Yet, even when we do understand, we still fail to prioritize the urgent psychological, spiritual, and physical needs of girls and women.
I believe we are standing at a critical juncture: The ever-rising clericalism, the rapid over-masculinization of our Church, an intense expansion of Orthodox fundamentalism, and an excessive fixation on traditional gender roles among many converts, have converged to create a perfect storm—one that poses a profound risk and danger to our girls and women. Unfortunately, this leaves women to fend for themselves in advocating for their safety and well-being—or to implore other women, who haven’t yet silently left the Church like their friends or family members, to stay even after significant spiritual trauma.
If men, in general, are less likely to recognize abuse and advocate for victims of violence [66-71]; if Bishops are often too busy to care about ‘women’s issues’; and if the Church is heading towards a critical shortage of clergy [72], then why not ordain official female representatives of the Church to address these urgent problems? We already have an existing ministry—the female diaconate. We could empower women called to this ordained ministry, through the power of the Holy Spirit, to directly attend to the needs of women in our communities. By elevating women within the Church, we can bless, enable, and transform women who are eager to minister as deaconesses through the life-giving power of God’s grace, and breathe life back into our churches.
Reinstating deaconesses would not only restore the wholeness and balance our Church longs for but also cultivate an environment of growth and reconciliation. Embracing this wonderful ministry would allow communities to experience the loving and transformative presence of women who would be willing to bravely venture into the most hopeless and desolate of spaces. They would seek out the most vulnerable among us, offering hope, joy, and healing—bringing them home. Through their compassionate presence and visitations, whether to victims or others in need, as well as through prayer and the distribution of communion, they would enrich our beautiful liturgical life and provide essential pastoral and spiritual nourishment.
For a Church that emphasizes the significance of the distinct roles of men and women, I am often surprised how we fail to recognize that clergy and monastics cannot be the sole providers of spiritual care in the Orthodox Church. Not only are they unable to meet every single spiritual and pastoral need, but perhaps they shouldn’t assume that they can.
Many women, for example, who experience health issues specific to their female bodies prefer to consult a female doctor [73-74]. Moreover, while both male and female bodies may respond similarly to certain medications, there are important differences in how each gender metabolizes various drugs and what dosages are most effective [75-77]. Perhaps the Church can embrace this sentiment. We could recognize that some parts of a girl’s and woman’s healing journey may be more beneficial when lead and administered by a theologically, clinically, and spiritually trained woman. Someone who has integrated her education with her spiritual formation and accountability the Church—a Deaconess—a visible point of reference for any girl or woman in any a parish or monastery. She becomes a trusted person to turn to in times of crisis and need.
At this point, we should contend with the possibility that our churches and online spaces may be some of the most dangerous places for our daughters, sisters, mothers, and friends. But to genuinely address the problem of violence in the Orthodox Church, we must start by actively listening. This includes establishing organizations, accountability systems, resources, and support groups, as well as implementing external investigations, initiatives, and collaborative advisory committees. Additionally, we must implement rigorous policies and educational curricula in seminaries and parishes, and place women’s decision-making at the forefront of Church governance alongside the men. Most importantly, however, we must fully support the critically important woman-to-woman ministry.
Simply put, it is no longer a question of whether we need deaconesses or not. We need them urgently. To me, it is a question of time; that of a ticking time-bomb. Perhaps, there is still time to turn around—to wake up to the true state of crisis within the Orthodox Church and respond to God’s call—before a scandal forces our hand.
“For nothing is secret that will not be revealed, nor anything hidden, that will not be known and come to light”. (Luke 8:17).
If you or someone you know is experiencing abuse in the Orthodox Church and would like to contact Varvara, you can reach her at barbaragulina.music@gmail.com
For more information on violence in the Orthodox Church, you can view the 2023 presentation from the Orthodox Christian Association of Medicine, Psychology, and Religion (OCAMPR) titled “Violence Against Women and the Orthodox Church’s Response.”
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About the author
Varvara Gulina
Doctoral Student at San Diego State University