Like the Wideness of the Sea

The failure of the Church of England to ordain women bishops in November 2012 let to a tidal wave of shock, anger and recrimination. Many people are questioning whether the Church can survive this crisis. How many women priests and ordinary church goers will leave out of a sense of betrayal? What is the way forward?

Maggi Dawn watched with sadness but without surprise as the events of the Synod vote unfolded. As an ordained Church of England priest working in the United States where women can become bishops, she is uniquely able to comment on the current debate. In the book, as well as exploring the theology that has informed the process and debate over women's ordination, Maggi also looks at the spirituality of waiting. We spend much of our time urging each other to wait for God, but what if God is waiting for us?

At the heart of this book is Maggi Dawn's account of her unfolding vocation, and the discrimination she has faced as a woman. 'To recount honestly the experience of living with unacceptable levels of prejudice may not make for a pleasant read, and I have thought much about whether I should write it down at all. But in the end this is not an angry book, or a sad one, because I am neither angry nor sad. I feel immensely fortunate, and full of hope.'