Summary:
The excitement that accompanied the papal election
speaks to the power of the office to inspire the faithful. At the same time, we
cannot overlook this hierarchical structure of authority that demands total
doctrinal obedience. The impact of this structure is most evident in the
current clash between the Vatican and the Leadership Council of Women
Religious, essentially the leadership of Catholic sisters in the United States.
Yet, in a post-modern world, the Jewish Community should also reexamine the
structures of power and authority that define Jewish thought and practice as
these have evolved over 2-3,000 years. The leveling of authority and the
personal autonomy that modernism and post-modernism offer are challenges to
develop an approach to Jewish life and practice that emerges out of the life of
the covenant community—a covenant community that is engaged in creating Torah.
