Elizabeth Templeton, in the inaugural contribution to our newly revived book section, notes that none of the writers in "Walk my Sister" have theological scruples about the ordination of women to the ministry of word and sacrament as defined by the Reformation. They take it for granted that women should be ordained. It's a fair point. But it shouldn't be pushed too hard. The "knock-down argument" with which Kathryn Stegall was confronted was far from glorious. And apparently more serious arguments against women's ordination, whether from within the Reformed tradition or from the wider ecumenical community, turn out on close inspection to be just as insubstantial. It is in the end, I fear, a question of power: the question, as Humpty Dumpty recognizes, of who is to be master. We are faced, not with an open-minded and open-ended search for truth, but with words used as weapons: the word of God used (or abused) to defend relationships of hierarchy and subordination, despite the rather obvious facts that the God of the Old Testament likes to liberate slaves, and the God of the New Testament puts down the mighty from their seats, and exalts them of low degree.

Originally, we had planned a double issue on partnership of women and men, but the post office soon put an end to that. A quarterly journal, they told us sternly, may appear as often as it pleases, but it must be mailed at least four times a year. We pointed out, mildly, that we had produced a double issue in 1991, and another in 1993. They replied that that was acceptable, but only because they hadn't noticed. We wondered, briefly, about asking them not to notice a third time, but moved on smartly to plan B: a double issue - in two parts. This first part arrives on your doormat a little breathless and a little late; the second part will be mailed in June.

Páraic Réamonn