Evangelical Women and Secular Society in New Zealand: An Investigation into Feminism as an Ideology of Empowerment

Abstract

This thesis examines the resurgence of evangelicalism in New Zealand and the conflicting nature of the lives that evangelical women in New Zealand live. Evangelicalism in New Zealand is growing and evolving and thus evangelical women are by necessity adapting to their secular setting whilst maintaining their faith. This study reveals many interesting findings, illustrating the often contradictory and challenging issues that evangelical women must face as they identify with feminism as a secular symbol while maintaining a conservative evangelical faith. Evangelical women in New Zealand today are living in two worlds. The women have a strong sense of identity and faith within evangelicalism however there are contradictions. Simultaneously there is a strong influence of secular liberal society which is evident through the women's identification with feminist values. What has been discovered is that evangelical women can successfully live in two separate worlds – one secular and one religious. They can be women of faith while at the same time living their lives in a secular society. Similarly there is a significant gap between rhetoric and reality in evangelical women's lives – what evangelical women articulate regarding gender roles in theory is not necessarily what occurs in practice. These challenges are defined by society and thus are a useful tool to assist in the understanding of the conflicts evangelical women have to negotiate on a daily basis.