Someone was joking recently that the reason the Eastern Orthodox cannot have women bishops is because one can’t call a woman “Patriarch.†Behind the wisecrack is some wisdom, and the existence of women ministers in non-Catholic denominations raises the question of just how patriarchal the Christian religion must be. Is it necessary to call priests “Father†and refer to the Pope as “Holy Father� The title “Abbot†comes from the ancient term “Abba-Father,†and “pope†comes from the Greek word pappas — “daddy.†Are these no more than human traditions? Are these just social constructs? Or is the idea of...