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2015-29 An Eastern Orthodox Reaction 37 Reag eer in more recent years the opinion has gained ground (even among distinguished Orthodox hierarchs and theologians) that, apart from the argument of “tradition,” there seems to be no other serious theological reason hindering the ordination of women. 7 As early as 1968, John D. Zizoulas (now Metropolitan of Pergamon in the Ecumenical Patriarchate), maintained that “on the question of the ordination of women, Orthodox theologians could find no theological reasons against such an ordination. Yet the entire matter is so deeply tied up with their tradition that they would find it difficult in their majority to endorse without reservations the rather enthusiastic statements of the paper.” 8 For his part, Metropolitan of Diokleia Kallistos Ware, in a book written in collaboration with the late French Orthodox theologian Elisabeth Behr-Sigel, had to recognize that in the light of patristic anthropology and of Orthodox theology, there are no serious theological arguments against women’s ordination, except the argument of “tradition.” 9 Despite the fact that canonical matters in Orthodoxy have always been subject to revisions and 7 See as examples the following publications: El. Behr-Sigel, “L’ordination des femmes: un problème œcuménique. Développements récents dans la sphère de l’Eglise orthodoxe,” Contacts , n° 150, 1990, 101- 127; Κ. Yiokarinis, The priesthood of women in the framework of ecumenical movement , Katerini: Epektasi Publications, 1995 [in Greek]; Nikos Matsoukas, “Women’s Priesthood as a Theological and Ecumenical Problem,” in: Tamara Grdzelidze (ed.), One, Holy, Catholic and Apostolic: Ecumenical Reflections on the Church , Geneva, WCC Publications, 2005, pp. 218-223. 8 J. D. Zizioulas, “Comments on the Study paper of the Faith and Order Commission on ‘The Meaning of Ordination’,” Study Encounter , 4/1968, p. 193. 9 Elisabeth Behr-Sigel and Kallistos Ware, The Ordination of Women in the Orthodox Church , Geneva: WCC Publications, 2000. The same conclusion is reflected in the majority of the papers and the “Common Considerations” issues at the end of the two consultations of Orthodox and Old Catholic theologians on the ordination of women to the apostolic ministry, held in Levadia, Greece (February 25-March 1, 1996), and Konstancin, Poland (December 10-15, 1996), and organized with the blessings of His All-Holiness Ecumenical Patriach Bartholomew I and His Grace Antonius Jan Glazemaker the Archbishop of Utrech, see: Urs von Arx & Anastasios Kallis (Hg.), Bild Christi und Geschlecht. “Gemeinsame Überlegungen” und Referate der Orthodox-Altkatholischen Konsultation zur Stellung der Frau in der Kirche und zur Frauenordination als ökumenischem Problem , 25. Februar- 1.März 1996 in Levadia (Griechenland) und 10.-15. Dezember 1996 in Konstancin (Polen), in: Internationale Kirchliche Zeitschrift 88 (1998) 65-348; English version: “Gender and the Image of Christ,” trans. Duncan Reid, Anglican Theological Review , 84 (2002), pp. 489-755.