Annotated Bibliography for Gender-Related Articles in 2008
Jeff D. Breeding
In this issue of the journal we profile some of the most significant gender-related articles from 2008. Here is a brief reminder about the categories we are using and our intent in using them. Complementarian designates an author who recognizes the full personal equality of the sexes, coupled with an acknowledgment of role distinctions in the home and church, as articulated in the Danvers Statement (see back cover of JBMW). Egalitarian classifies evangelicals who see undifferentiated equality between men and women—i.e., they see no scriptural warrant for affirming male headship in the home or the church. Under the Non-Evangelical heading, we have classified important secular works that address the subject of biblical gender issues from a religious, albeit, non-evangelical point of view. This category also serves as our classification for liberal scholars wanting to retain some sort of Christian identity. Finally, under the Undeclared heading, we have listed those authors who do not give sufficient indication of their fundamental stance for us to classify them more specifically, or authors whose position is too ambiguous to classify in light of the category descriptions above.
Complementarian
Berry, Everett. "Complementarianism and Eschatology: Engaging Gordon Fee's ‘New Creation' Egalitarianism." The Journal for Biblical Manhood and Womanhood 13, no. 2 (2008): 59-68.
Berry takes on Fee's assertion that complementarianism contradicts NT teaching on how believers should presently relate to one another in light of coming eschatological realities. Fee contends that complementarians, with their insistence on male headship, are advocating an idea that will not be found in the new creation. Berry responds to Fee's assertion by noting, broadly, that egalitarianism operates from an over-realized eschatology. Berry concludes by noting that whatever life in the new creation looks like, we will still have unique roles to play, and we will retain our distinct essence as male and female creatures.
Carter, Micah Daniel. "Reconsidering the Maleness of Jesus." The Journal for Biblical Manhood and Womanhood 13, no. 1 (2008): 27-41.
Feminist theologians have sought to reinterpret much of what constitutes orthodox Christian doctrine. As Carter points out in this insightful article, Christology is no exception. Carter outlines the rationale for feminist reinterpretations of Christology and surveys their alternative interpretations of the incarnation. He critiques such reinterpretations by noting that they contain a faulty starting point—women's experience—that leads to a loss of biblical authority. The result is a Christological conception that has lost any connection with the text of Scripture. In light of such reinterpretations, Carter concludes his article by affirming the necessity of the maleness of Jesus.
Dever, Mark. "Young vs. Old Complementarians." The Journal for Biblical Manhood and Womanhood 13, no. 1 (2008): 23-24.
Dever briefly summarizes differences between young and old complementarians. While he finds significant agreement on the issue itself, the differences center on the strategy for presentation of the complementarian position. According to Dever, younger complementarians tend to be more up front with the issue than do older complementarians. He offers two reasons for this: different personal experiences and different theological assessment.
Duncan, J. Ligon. "Why ‘Together for the Gospel' Embraces Complementarianism." The Journal for Biblical Manhood and Womanhood 13, no. 1 (2008): 25-26.
Duncan offers the reasons for including complementarianism in the "Together for the Gospel" theological statement of affirmations and denials (http://t4g.org/beta/pdf/affirmations-denials.pdf). Duncan notes that the main reason is because egalitarianism undermines the authority of Scripture. The remaining reasons, such as damage to Christian discipleship and inclusion of non-biblical anthropology, flow from this foundational concern.
Hunt, Susan. "Defenders of Women." The Journal for Biblical Manhood and Womanhood 13, no. 2 (2008): 24-30.
Hunt notes that one important aspect of male leadership in the church is the responsibility for men to protect women, providing a safe place for those who are or have been hurt. Hunt's article urges pastors and men within the church to accept this responsibility and learn how to fulfill it effectively. To that end, Hunt offers a series of helpful suggestions, designed to assist churches in protecting women.
Köstenberger, Margaret. "What's at Stake: ‘It's Hermeneutics!'" The Journal for Biblical Manhood and Womanhood 13, no. 2 (2008): 36-42.
Köstenberger seeks to understand the hermeneutical method behind various feminist interpretations of Jesus' ministry to women. Her article surveys some hermeneutical issues that drive the feminist studies of Jesus' approach to women, such as the endeavor to reconstruct biblical history and the alleged patriarchal nature of Scripture. Her conclusion is that any assessment of feminist interpretations of Jesus must also assess the viability of the underlying hermeneutics.
Kotter, David. "Answering Lottie Moon's Cry: A Call for Dialogue On the Role of Women in Missions." The Journal for Biblical Manhood and Womanhood 13, no. 2 (2008): 31-35.
Kotter details the frequent questions regarding the application of complementarian gender roles in missionary work. He does not seek to offer answers to all such questions. His goal, rather, is to call for dialogue on the topic in hopes of developing a consensus that can guide those who are engaged in missionary activity.
McCully, Carolyn. "Raunch Culture Rip-Off." The Journal for Biblical Manhood and Womanhood 13, no. 2 (2008): 12-19.
McCully's article discreetly details the rise of the "raunch culture" and its effect on young people, specifically young women. She notes that a biblical view of sexuality is often foreign to young women who have come of age in today's porn-saturated culture. McCully's contention is that the biblical view of sex is an absolute necessity today, and it can be effectively communicated by one-on-one mentoring that presents a clear picture of marital intimacy.
Phillips, Benjamin B. "Method Mistake: An Analysis of the Charge of Arianism in Complementarian Discussions of the Trinity." The Journal for Biblical Manhood and Womanhood 13, no. 1 (2008): 42-47.
Phillips surveys the debate between complementarians and egalitarians concerning intra-Trinitarian relations between the Father and the Son. Phillips's article provides a summary of the egalitarian philosophical argument used in the debate, noting the deficiencies of the claim that any subordination that extends into eternity must entail an ontological subordination. Phillips also affirms that while philosophical arguments may be helpful, Scripture must be the final authority regarding intra-Trinitarian relations.
Stinson, Randy L., and Christopher W. Cowan. "How Shall We Speak of God? Seven Reasons Why We Cannot Call God ‘Mother'." The Journal for Biblical Manhood and Womanhood 13, no. 2 (2008): 20-23.
While noting that few evangelical feminists openly advocate feminine language for God, Stinson and Cowan also recognize that such language may become increasingly prevalent among evangelicals as the pressure to accept egalitarian gender roles intensifies. In an effort to combat such pressure, Cowan and Stinson offer seven biblical and theological reasons why Christians should not refer to God as "Mother."
Stinson, Randy L., and Christopher W. Cowan. "Women in Ministry: Practical Application of Biblical Teaching." The Journal for Biblical Manhood and Womanhood 13, no. 1 (2008): 17-22.
Stinson and Cowan offer a practical guide for applying complementarian gender roles within the ministry of the local church. Their suggestions are motivated by a desire to help churches faithfully apply biblical teaching so that each and every believer has opportunity to exercise his or her gifts in a way that glorifies God and honors Scripture's commands. The article is particularly helpful in that it addresses specific ministry positions that are most prone to uncertainty regarding the application of complementarian gender roles.
Van Neste, Ray. "Pursuing Manhood." The Journal for Biblical Manhood and Womanhood 13, no. 1 (2008): 12-16.
In light of culture's confusion regarding manhood, Van Neste's article attempts to provide some guidance for young men on how to pursue biblical manhood. His suggestions are broadly characterized as follows: fulfill your responsibilities, embrace commitment, and be willing to sacrifice. The result is a vision of manhood in which the most significant cultural engagement begins in the home.
Ware, Bruce A. "Equal in Essence, Distinct in Roles: Eternal Functional Authority and Submission among the Essentially Equal Divine Persons of the Godhead." The Journal for Biblical Manhood and Womanhood 13, no. 2 (2008): 43-58.
Drawing on both Scripture and historical theology, Ware outlines the position that, while the Father and the Son are equal in essence, there exists within the Trinity an eternal authority and submission structure in which the Son submits to the authority of the Father. This article is a helpful introduction to the intra-Trinitarian debate between complementarians and egalitarians.
Egalitarian
Boris, Anne Clift. "Julian of Norwich: The Loving Motherhood of God." Priscilla Papers 22, no. 1 (2008): 21-22.
Boris offers three reasons for her admiration of Julian of Norwich. One, Boris appreciates Julian's depiction of God as Mother. Boris even describes Julian's depiction as "theologically precise and orthodox," but offers no defense for such a label. Two, Boris appreciates Julian's writing on sin. Again, Boris highlights Julian's use of feminine imagery for God, saying that Julian encouraged people in sin to flee to God for comfort as a child flees to "his or her mother." Third, Boris appreciates Julian's emphasis on the love of God. On the topic of referring to God as "Mother," see the above mentioned article by Stinson and Cowan (JBMW 13, no. 2 [2008]: 20-23).
Chilcote, Paul W. "Biblical Equality and the Spirituality of Early Methodist Women." Priscilla Papers 22, no. 2 (2008): 11-16.
Chilcote details the role of women in early Methodism and notes some of the factors that allowed for such ministry. Chilcote contends that Methodism's approval of women in ministry enabled Methodist women to be active in a variety of ministries, such as caring for the poor and preaching the Word to those in need.
Dean, David A. "The Role of Women in the Early Adventist Movement." Priscilla Papers 22, no. 2 (2008): 17-22.
Dean surveys the role that women played in the Adventist movement, noting the ministries of some particular Adventist women. Dean's conclusion is that women made important contributions to the movement and that such a legacy can teach us about the different ways in which God has used women to build his church.
Deddo, Gary W. "The Trinity and Gender: Theological Reflections on the Differences of Divine and Human Persons." Priscilla Paper 22, no. 4 (2008): 4-13.
Deddo examines the church's teaching regarding the relation of divine persons within the Trinity. He offers six theses, which he then defends through an examination of the Church Fathers and Scripture. From these six positions, Deddo draws a number of implications from the doctrine of the Trinity for the relationship of men and women. Within these implications, Deddo asserts that there ought to be no essential roles or functions assigned men and women. Deddo bases this assertion on his belief that roles are not essential to deity or humanity. So, in Deddo's conception, gender distinction does not entail role distinction. We can preserve the distinctions between male and female without insisting on different roles for each gender. Futhermore, Deddo concludes his article by offering a number of conclusions for how these implications should be lived out. Some of these conclusions are helpful, such as his insistence that the differentiation of humanity is a product of God's good creation. However, his conclusions also suggest an egalitarian relationship between men and women.
Franklin, Patrick S. "Women Sharing in the Ministry of God: A Trinitarian Framework for the Priority of Spirit Gifting as a Solution to the Gender Debate." Priscilla Papers 22, no. 4 (2008): 14-20.
Franklin argues that Spirit gifting should be the "primary criterion" for Christian ministry. He argues that gifting "trumps" all other criterion, including those of church structure, tradition, or innate personal qualities such as gender. Franklin also notes that while this is a common argument for egalitarianism, it often lacks a suitable theological foundation. As such, Franklin seeks to provide that foundation by examining the "dynamics of Trinitarian grace" as present in the theologies of Augustine and J. B. Torrance. Franklin hopes that his Trinitarian approach will answer the objection that prioritizing Spirit gifting places too much emphasis on human experience. His conclusion is that gender plays no factor in God's gifting and calling of people in ministry. It is important to briefly note a flaw in the foundation of Franklin's approach. His suggestion that Spirit gifting "trumps" all other criteria fails to take into account New Testament passages that limit ministry positions for reasons other than gifting. For example, the qualifications for elder in the Pastoral Epistles place the greatest emphasis on character, not gifting. As such, it seems that the pattern of New Testament teaching conflicts with his assertion that Spirit gifting is the "primary criterion" for Christian ministry.
Green, Robert J. "Catherine Booth, The Salvation Army, and the Purity Crusade of 1885." Priscilla Papers 22, no. 3 (2008): 9-18.
Green recounts the commendable work of Catherine Booth and the Salvation Army against such social evils as poverty and prostitution. Green's historical survey is intended to determine the origins and intentions of the Salvation Army's social ministry.
Haddad, Mimi. "Jessie Penn-Lewis' Cross Theology: Gender Relations in the New Covenant." Priscilla Papers 22, no. 2 (2008): 5-10.
Haddad's article is a reflection on the theology of Jessie Penn-Lewis, whom Haddad describes as an influential woman associated with the Welsh Revivals and Keswick movement of the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. Haddad notes that Penn-Lewis rooted her egalitarianism in the finished work of Christ. In Penn-Lewis' understanding, Christ's work on the cross accomplished the redemption of sinners and the unifying of men and women. Haddad spends the majority of her article surveying Penn-Lewis' The Magna Charta of Woman, which was a defense of a contemporary work by Katherine Bushnell. Haddad contends that Penn-Lewis' work enabled women to reject the subordination to which the church had historically subjected them in favor of full inclusion in all avenues of ministry.
Hendershot, Kathryn Reese. "E. Stanley Jones Had a Wife: The Life and Mission of Mabel Lossing Jones, 1878-1978." Priscilla Papers 22, no. 2 (2008): 23-26.
Hendershot examines the life of Mabel Lossing Jones, with particular attention paid to her egalitarian beliefs. Hendershot laments that Jones's story is not more well known, but notes that it provides us with a good example for understanding the woman missionary.
Johnson, Kristin. "Morphing Mary: The Medieval Transformation of the Mother of Jesus Christ." Priscilla Papers 22, no. 1 (2008): 11-16.
Johnson questions what the church, particularly during the medieval era, has done with the biblical portrayal of Mary. She notes that Protestants tend to ignore Mary, while Catholics tend to distort her. Johnson contends that this tendency is due to physiology rather than theology. So, Mary is ignored or distorted by theologians because she is a woman. Johnson goes on to state that the biblical picture of Mary is one of a fallible human being who trusted the word of God and was used as a part of God's plan in history. This is certainly a better picture of Mary than the one present in the Catholic Church. Johnson also uses this picture of Mary as the ground for her conclusion that God can choose to use anyone, regardless of gender or economic status or "hierarchical position." Complementarians would heartily agree that God does indeed save and use people regardless of gender or economic status. However, the underlying assumption of Johnson's argument must be rejected. God's choosing of Mary does not somehow indicate that God chooses women to serve in positions in the church today that are prohibited in Scripture.
Maddox, Mary Agnes. "The Aggressive Christianity of Catherine Mumford Booth." Priscilla Papers 22, no. 3 (2008): 5-8.
Maddox discusses the life and faith of Catherine Mumford Booth, who co-founded the Salvation Army with her husband, William. Maddox approvingly describes Catherine's belief that since women were equal with men, they should be able to serve in any ministry capacity a man might fill. Throughout the article, Maddox notes how Catherine exceeded her husband in both skill and popularity. The assumption of Maddox's article appears to be that since Catherine Booth was apparently successful in ministries usually closed to women, then all women should be able to pursue whatever ministry they choose, despite so-called biblical prohibitions. Furthermore, the article fails to offer any defense as to why this particular movement of Christian history, which was by no means mainstream, should be considered normative.
Molinari, Andrea Lorenzo. "Women Martyrs in the Early Church: Hearing Another Side of the Story." Priscilla Papers 22, no. 1 (2008): 5-10.
Lamenting the tendency of church history to recognize only the male martyrs of centuries past, Molinari recounts a number of stories of the church's female martyrs. Specifically, Molinari deals with the supposed martyrdom of Peter's wife, as retold by Clement of Alexandria, and with the martyrdom of two deaconesses of Bithynia, as recounted in Pliny's writings. Molinari's goal in pursuing such a thesis is to recover the history of the church's female martyrs, which, in his estimation, has been lost due to an inequitable emphasis on the church's male martyrs.
Morrison, Pam. "The Holy Spirit, Neglected Person of the Trinity, and Women's Leadership." Priscilla Papers 22, no. 4 (2008): 21-24.
Morrison asserts that attentiveness to and dependence on the Spirit are the marks of effective servants of God. As such, she contends that the church should not base leadership on human achievements and especially not on gender. The primary concern in spiritual leadership should be the ministry of the Spirit. While Morrison is correct is asserting the importance of the Spirit's work in personal ministry, she incorrectly concludes that this eliminates any and all other qualifications. She dismisses significant passages of Scripture, such as Eph 5:22-23 and 1 Tim 2:12, as merely "problematic" without offering any explanation as to how those passages actually do fit her understanding of the Spirit's work in personal ministry.
Nichols, Bridget. "Women and Liturgical Reform: The Case of St. Margaret of Scotland." Priscilla Papers 22, no. 1 (2008): 23-27.
Nichols's article is a reflection on the life of St. Margaret of Scotland. To that end, Nichols surveys an early account of Margaret's life and offers some suggestions for interpreting the history of this particular woman.
Omelianchuk, Adam. "The Logic of Equality." Priscilla Papers 22, no. 4 (2008): 25-28.
Omelianchuk sets out to examine the logic of the complementarian claim that men and women are equal in essence but distinct in role or function. Omelianchuk outlines a five-part argument that claims it is not logically possible for men and women to be equal in essence but distinct in role or function. In Omelianchuk's understanding, the Bible is logical and, therefore, those positions that are illogical should not be considered biblical. This is Omelianchuk's rationale for examining the logic, rather than the exegesis, of complementarian claims. Omelianchuk contends that by disproving the logic of complementarianism, he can prove that the position is not biblical.
Rader, Paul A., and Kay F. Rader. "Lest We Lose Our Legacy: Officer Women in the Salvation Army." Priscilla Papers 22, no. 3 (2008): 19-22.
The Raders, former Salvation Army officers, discuss the Army's policy on women in ministry, which stems from the influence of co-founder Catherine Booth. The article details some of the continuing challenges the Army faces in incorporating women in all aspects of ministry. Noteably, the authors lament the fact that "far-right conservatism" is preventing new recruits from acknowledging the "scriptural grounds for women's freedom to preach and lead." Unfortunately, the Raders do not articulate what those scriptural grounds are. The article also operates from the assumption that "far-right conservatism" seeks to deny women the opportunity to exercise their gifts in ministry. Of course, complementarians would challenge such an assumption.
Shade, JoAnn Streeter. "Vocational Identity and Direction: Hagar's Word to Women in Ministry." Priscilla Papers 22, no. 3 (2008): 23-26.
Shade seeks to identify and deal with questions that women in ministry face. In doing so, Shade hopes to reduce the number of women who, despite being trained for ministry, end up leaving their positions. Shade looks for answers to these questions from the biblical story of Hagar.
Trumbull, Whit. "Equality and Pastoral Rule: Pope Gregory the Great's Inner Conflict." Priscilla Papers 22, no. 1 (2008): 17-20.
Trumbull argues that Gregory the Great held egalitarian beliefs that caused him a significant amount of "anguish" and "dissonance." Trumbull attempts to demonstrate that Gregory's view of pastoral ministry, which was based on what Trumbull terms "hierarchy," contradicted his egalitarianism. She also notes that this hierarchical view influenced the church until the time of the Reformation, when the Reformers reintroduced the concept of the priesthood of believers and reestablished a more egalitarian basis of ministry within the church. Early in the article, a significant flaw in Trumbull's argument appears. She defines egalitarianism as "belief in fundamental human equality"—falsely assuming that those who are not egalitarian do not believe in fundamental human equality. Furthermore, Trumbell assumes that the Reformation concept of the priesthood of believers fits with her particular understanding of egalitarianism. Certainly, the priesthood of believers asserts the equality of persons before God, but it is questionable whether the Reformers would agree that this concept supports the claims of evangelical feminists.
Undeclared
Bird, Michael F. and Robert Shillaker. "Subordination in the Trinity and Gender Roles: A Response to Recent Discussion." Trinity Journal 29, no. 2 (2008): 267-83.
The authors begin their article by noting the recent increase in interest concerning intra-Trinitarian relationships as they relate to gender roles. Their stated goal is to respond to the recent studies offered in the intra-Trinitarian discussion. After briefly summarizing the two main positions in the debate (as represented by Wayne Grudem and Kevin Giles), the authors offer a four-part critique of Giles' rejection of functional subordinationism. The points of critique are as follows: (1) Giles's assertion that function determines ontology is questionable; (2) complete co-equality between the Father and Son endangers the necessity and meaning of the incarnation. The incarnation is the historical expression of an eternal reality, namely, the Sonship of the Son; (3) the subordination of the Son in the economic Trinity corresponds with subordination of the Son in the immanent Trinity. At this point, the authors' make use of Rahner's Rule—in the Trinity, economic relations are identical with immanent relations; (4) there are several biblical texts that are consistent with functional subordination. The authors conclude that the intra-Trinitarian debate is being driven by those who seek to support a particular view of gender relations. The danger, they assert, is that such comparisons can only go so far. Furthermore, the authors claim the analogy from intra-Trinitarian relations to male-female relations does not work. They contend that the conclusions drawn by complementarians do not disprove egalitarian claims. As such, the authors believe that both sides of the gender debate should refrain from appealing to the Trinity for defense of their particular position.
Greenbury, James. "1 Corinthians 14:34-35: Evaluation of Prophecy Revisited." Journal of the Evangelical Theological Society 52, no. 4 (2008): 721-32.
Greenbury attempts to demonstrate some of the problems associated with what he terms the "most popular" interpretation of 1 Cor 14:34-35. The interpretation to which he refers maintains that what Paul prohibits in this passage is women evaluating prophecy within the church. Greenbury finds five problems with this particular interpretation: (1) it makes the evaluation of prophecy more authoritative than prophecy itself, which is problematic in Greenbury's mind; (2) Paul's language about learning seems incompatible with evaluating prophecies; (3) Paul's language in verse 29 more likely denotes silent assessment by the congregation, rather than audible evaluation; (4) Paul uses a general term for speaking, which appears incompatible with a specific activity of speaking such as evaluating prophecy; (5) the popular interpretation does not naturally flow from the text.
Patterson, Richard D. "Metaphors of Marriage as Expressions of Divine-Human Relations." Journal of the Evangelical Theological Society 52, no. 4 (2008): 689-702.
Patterson attempts to understand what the marriage metaphors of the Bible reveal about divine-human relationships. He pursues this thesis by examining marriage in the ancient Near East, the Old Testament, and the New Testament. Patterson concludes that these metaphors communicate the necessity of the church submitting to the sanctifying work of Christ, her Bridegroom, as well as the necessity of the church serving Christ.
Schmutzer, Andrew J. "A Theology of Sexual Abuse: A Reflection on Creation and Devastation." Journal of the Evangelical Theological Society 51, no. 4 (2008): 785-812.
Schmutzer's article is an attempt to bring light to the reality of sexual abuse and foster a deeper understanding of this reality that can lead to healing for those involved. Schmutzer offers theological analysis, along with exegesis of key creation texts as they relate to the issue of sexual abuse. He concludes by summarizing a series of needs created by sexual abuse that the church must meet.
Tracy, Steven R. "What Does ‘Submit in Everything' Really Mean? The Nature and Scope of Martial Submission." Trinity Journa l 29 NS, no. 2 (2008): 285-312.
Noting what he believes is a lack of material concerning marital submission, Tracy attempts to understand what it means for a wife to submit to her husband "in everything" (Eph 5:24). Tracy contends that many of the problems facing modern couples are not addressed specifically in Scripture. This creates difficulty in applying biblical commands concerning marital submission. In light of those difficulties Tracy offers his analysis and conclusions. He begins by surveying three "non-egalitarian" models of marital submission. First, Tracy addresses "Unqualified Submission, Unqualified Male Authority." He notes that in this model to disobey one's husband is to disobey God. Tracy rejects this model due to the unqualified nature of the husband's authority. Second, He looks at "Single Qualification Submission." This model differs from the previous in that complete spiritual equality between husband and wife is affirmed and in that the wife should not submit if doing so violates a clear biblical command. Finally, Tracy outlines his position, which he calls "Multiple Qualification: Limited Male Authority." In this model, male headship is qualified by emphasizing sacrificial leadership over authority to wield power. He also offers a number of biblical reasons for limiting male authority. Tracy further contends that while this model is not prevalent in literature on submission, it is the practice of the majority of "nonegalitarian" marriages. He concludes his article by offering six summary principles that should guide the application of submission within marriage. A number of Tracy's principles are clear guidelines for submission, such as not submitting to physical or sexual abuse. The complementarian position advocated at CBMW certainly agrees with this, so it is difficult to see how Tracy's conclusion differs at this point. Other principles need more definition. For example, Tracy contends that a wife should not submit to her husband if doing so would violate her conscience. This seems to be a well-reasoned principle, provided we state clearly what a violation of conscience entails. Overall, Tracy's article contains much that complementarians agree with and affirm. At points, he seems to read the authors of his second position—Single Qualification Submission—somewhat uncharitably. This creates the impression that there is more difference between his second and third model than actually exists.
