Lutheran Women Ministers' Experiences of Gender Discrimination

The aim of this psychological study was to uncover women minister¿s experiences of gender discrimination in the Lutheran Church by using a discourse analysis. Three female participants, who are involved in ministry in the Lutheran Church, were interviewed about their experiences and perceptions of gender discrimination. The resultant texts were analysed using Parker¿s (2005) steps to discourse analytic reading. The discourses that were discovered indicate that power struggles are prevalent in the context of gender discrimination. The extent to which an individual opposes gender discrimination is informed by contextual, educational and historical factors. In addition to this, gender discrimination within the church is easily legitimised ¿ to a large extent by women ¿ through discourses, such as Biblical texts.