Theological Ambiguity and Its Impact on Women Serving in Churches
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Apr 1, 2026Keywords:
Theological ambiguity, Gender, Evangelical Theology, Serving, Women's ministryMain Article Content
Abstract
Kadi Cole, in her influential book Developing Female Leaders, has suggested that a phenomenon called the “ambiguity gap” exists in churches and limits women from serving in the church. Cole suggests that this phenomenon exists when a church's theological position on how women may serve is unclear, and women consequently may draw a more conservative line to avoid overstepping. This paper studies this phenomenon within Adelaide evangelical churches using an instrumental multiple case study approach to consider whether this phenomenon is present, and the extent to which it impacts churches with different theological positions on women serving in church. This research reveals an ambiguity even more extensive than what Cole suggested, then makes recommendations on how this might be reduced moving forward.
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