PERCEPTION OF WOMEN'S LEADERSHIP IN NEO-CHARISMATIC CHURCHES ON THE EXAMPLE OF "THE WORD OF LIFE" CHURCH
The study of the status of women in Russian neo-charismatic churches is relevant for research due to the fact that the ideas declared in such churches do not often correspond to the real status of women in the community. In theory a woman can be a priest and lead a church but in reality, in Russian churches, this happens very rarely. Most often the current situation is explained by the lack of necessary skills and character qualities among women, which, however, does not prevent them from performing other types of work in the church and being personally responsible for many processes taking place in the church. Women in the church are encouraged to be active in certain activities, but it is emphasized that the role of the church leader is not available to them. The purpose of the article is to understand the causes of this phenomenon based on the arguments of women- preachers. Using content analysis and narrative analysis we examined three models of understanding women's leadership created by one Russian and two American preachers. These models are actively used in the church rhetoric of the “Word of Life” church and in the narratives of parishioners. In these three models with the help of personal stories and references to biblical authority a woman is presented as a potentially active figure able to participate in the life of the church and manage many processes, but it is also said about the limitations which a woman must accept. Restrictions are caused by various reasons: the need to pay more attention to the family than to service; fundamentally different areas in which a woman should develop; female nature. All three models do not contradict each other; however, they assume a different level of freedom and responsibility for women and consider the availability of necessary abilities and qualities in different ways. It seems to us that such a position of women in the church is due to the fact that the universal leadership of parishioners is declared, while the circle of those who make strategically important decisions for the community is limited.