In this issue of the journal we profile some of the most significant gender-related books from 2003. Here is a brief reminder about the categories we are using and our intent in using them. By Complementarian we simply seek to designate an author who recognizes the full personal equality of the sexes, coupled with an acknowledgment of role distinctions in the home and church. By Egalitarian then, we intend to classify evangelicals who see only undifferentiated equality, 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 as well as books that broach 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 books that do not give sufficient indication of their fundamental stance for us to classify them more specifically.
Complementarian Authors/Books
Akin, Daniel. God on Sex: The Creator's Ideas about Love, Intimacy, and Marriage. Nashville: Broadman and Holman, 2003.
Walking through the Song of Solomon, Akin delightfully details God's plan for marital intimacy. He clearly demonstrates how God planned and rejoices in the goodness of marital sexuality. Sprinkled throughout with personal reflections and humorous anecdotes, the pages turn quickly. More importantly still is the conviction and encouragement that Akin's book provides when considering how often our own marriages fall short of the biblical ideal. In my own judgment, every married (and engaged) couple should read this book.
Campbell, Ken M., ed. Marriage and Family in the Biblical World. Downers Grove: InterVarsity, 2003.
In this scholarly volume, Campbell's six contributors provide a thorough evaluation of the marital and family contexts of the Old and New Testaments. Helpful extra-biblical chapters survey the familial mores of the Ancient Near East, Ancient Greek and Roman societies, and Second Temple Judaism. Daniel Block and Andreas Köstenberger also offer keen discussions of marriage and family in Ancient Israel and in the New Testament respectively.
Caner, Ergun Mehmet, ed. Voices Behind the Veil: The World of Islam Through the Eyes of Women. Grand Rapids: Kregel, 2003.
This remarkable volume is composed of twelve chapters, all authored by Christian women who are uniquely qualified to provide insights into the lives of Muslim women. Herein, for example, we get a glimpse of what life is like for Muslim wives and daughters. We also hear testimonies of Muslim women who have converted to Christianity, and we learn practical tips for witnessing specifically to Muslim women. This last point makes it especially relevant that this book has been written by women for women, for the Islamic cultural context makes it drastically unlikely that men will have many opportunities to engage Muslim women in public evangelistic conversation. Readers of JBMW will want to note that chapter five of this volume ("The Essence of the Veil: The Veil as a Metaphor for Islamic Women") by Susie Hawkins, was reprinted in JBMW 9/1 (Spring 2004) 29-34.
Clarkson, Sally. The Mission of Motherhood: Touching Your Child's Heart for Eternity. Colorado Springs: WaterBrook, 2003.
Clarkson details a compelling vision of the glorious and eternally significant task of motherhood. According to Clarkson, much confusion has arisen in this area because of a large-scale abdication of God's original design for families. But the recognition of complementary roles in marriage actually frees women to enjoy the great fulfillment found in God's wise purposes for motherhood.
DeMoss, Nancy Leigh. Surrender: The Heart God Controls. Chicago: Moody, 2003.
DeMoss encourages her readers to see that our greatest holiness and happiness come together at the point of greatest surrender to the Lord Jesus. In many ways this book is simply a winsome exposition of what it means to be a Christian by addressing the propriety of God's total lordship over the life of the believer. In the course of this discussion, DeMoss hits the nail on the head by depicting the beauty of the surrendered life.
Doriani, Dan. Women and Ministry: What the Bible Teaches. Wheaton: Crossway, 2003.
Doriani surveys the issues surrounding the debate over what ministry roles women may occupy in the church. He treats the issue sensitively, stating clearly that we must follow Scripture's teaching while also recognizing that differences in divinely appointed roles in no way undermines the value and worth of women or the wonderful ministries to which they are called. Doriani's treatment examines key texts, offers a theology of the gifts, and finally provides his own proposal for how the distinctives of complementarity should be worked out in the context of women ministering in the church.
Ennis, Pat and Lisa Tatlock. Becoming a Woman Who Pleases God. Chicago: Moody, 2003.
Ennis and Tatlock base their volume on the Home Economics curriculum at The Master's College where both teach. Their vision receives its impetus especially from the Pauline mandate in Titus 2:3-5, and expands from there to display the conduct of the "wise woman" as applied to a host of responsibilities inside and outside of the home. This is a wonderfully encouraging book, stocked with insights of practical application.
Getz, Gene A. Elders and Leaders: God's Plan for Leading the Church. Chicago: Moody, 2003.
Getz provides a thoroughgoing discussion of biblical eldership and leadership, with reference to the first century church as well as contemporary application. Getz affirms that the office of elder should be limited to otherwise qualified males, while also affirming the dignity and value of women and the manifold ministry avenues available to them. Though it stretches beyond 350 pages, the book is actually a very quick read, and it is full of graphics and other visuals designed to condense many of the author's points.
Harris, Joshua. Not Even a Hint: Guarding Your Heart Against Lust. Sisters, OR: Multnomah, 2003.
Harris contends that God requires that we not allow even a hint of lust in our lives. He further contends that this is so "not because God is heavy-handed," but because he so lavishly loves us and wants the best for us. Grace-saturated in its exposition and practical in its application, Harris's book sets the standard for honestly addressing and responding to the issue of lust from a Christian worldview perspective.
Hunt, Susan and Barbara Thompson. The Legacy of Biblical Womanhood. Wheaton: Crossway, 2003.
Hunt and Thompson provide a wonderful treatment of what biblical womanhood is and how to pass it on to succeeding generations. In the first of three parts, the authors provide a defense of biblical womanhood. In the second part, they address what it means and how it looks to be involved in the transmission of this legacy throughout the various stages of a woman's life. Finally, in the third section, Hunt and Thompson offer encouragement and guidance for conducting the kind of women's ministry that will help ensure the transmission of this legacy.
James, Sharon. In Trouble and in Joy: Four Women who Lived for God. Darlington, England: Evangelical Press, 2003.
In this volume, James profiles the lives of four godly women from earlier eras-Margaret Baxter, Sarah Edwards, Anne Steele, and Frances Ridley Havergal. Each biographical chapter contains background and setting information, the story of each woman's life, applications from their lives for women today, and finally excerpts from their own personal writings. This book is honest about the struggles and blessings that each woman faced, and it will provide great encouragement for those seeking to live godly lives, whether in circumstances of trouble or joy.
MacArthur, John, ed. Think Biblically: Recovering a Christian Worldview. Wheaton: Crossway, 2003.
Authored by John Mac Arthur and the faculty of The Master's College, this book seeks to address key planks in the Christian worldview. Contained within this book are two chapters of special relevance to the mission of CBMW-"Profiling Christian Femininity" by Patricia Ennis (reprinted in JBMW 8/2) and "Profiling Christian Masculinity" by Stuart Scott (reprinted in this issue of JBMW). These companion chapters both demonstrate how the Christian worldview speaks to what it means to be masculine and feminine. Ennis and Scott respectively dispel ignorant (though sometimes popular) stereotypes of femininity and masculinity, and then proceed to show the beauty of the biblical vision.
Mahaney, Carolyn. Feminine Appeal: Seven Virtues of a Godly Wife and Mother. Wheaton: Crossway, 2003.
In this delightful book, Mahaney shares seven virtues from Titus 2 that will help women to adorn the gospel with its fruit in their lives. Advocating a Titus 2 form of mentoring and taking up virtues such as loving husbands and children, self-control, purity, and submission, Mahaney wisely articulates that these gospel virtues will transform the lives Christian women and ultimately reveal the beauty of the gospel itself to unbelieving observers.
Patterson, Dorothy Kelley. Where's Mom? The High Calling of Wives and Mothers. Wheaton: Crossway, 2003.
Patterson provides a splendid exposition of the importance and value of wives and mothers. Soaked in Scripture, Patterson's volume encourages Christian wives and mothers to consider their priorities afresh by clearly affirming that homemaking is indeed a job that is challenging, fulfilling, and supremely worthwhile. Christian women in all contexts will find great encouragement in this little book-especially those who are doubting the value of their contribution as wives and mothers.
Piper, Noël. Treasuring God in Our Traditions. Wheaton: Crossway, 2003.
Piper investigates the importance of God-honoring traditions that God may be pleased to use in drawing and binding us and our children to him. She also helps us to see that a tradition is not just something that makes up a part of our routine. Rather, Piper contends that in the biblical frame, "The things we do regularly that help us in our deepest being to know and love and want God, the things that help our lives to be infiltrated with God-those things are tradition." What a glorious definition! The exposition and practical insights that flow throughout the rest of the book are equally engaging.
Ryken, Philip Graham, Derek W. H. Thomas, and J. Ligon Duncan, eds. Give Praise to God: A Vision for Reforming Worship. Phillipsburg, NJ: P & R Publishing, 2003.
This splendid volume, written in honor of the legacy of James Montgomery Boice, explores a panorama of issues related to Christian worship. For the purposes of JBMW, chapter thirteen deserves special mention-"A Call to Family Worship" by J. Ligon Duncan and Terry L. Johnson. This chapter (which was reprinted in JBMW 9/1) displays a deep biblical wisdom regarding the role of parents, and fathers in particular, in leading the household in family worship. Duncan and Johnson also offer time-honored and practical suggestions for implementing family worship. These are worth the price of the book, especially if one finds himself agreeing with the priority of family worship, but wondering how to get started.
Schreiner, Thomas R. 1, 2 Peter, Jude. NAC. Nashville: Broadman and Holman, 2003.
This is a wonderfully insightful and helpful commentary in its entirety. But it deserves special mention in this bibliography for its outstanding exposition of 1 Peter 3:1-7.
Sears, Alan and Craig Osten. The Homosexual Agenda: Exposing the Principal Threat to Religious Freedom Today. Nashville: Broadman and Holman, 2003.
Sears and Osten provide a telling expose of exactly what their title indicates-the homosexual agenda. The authors provide a clear background to how we got to this point and, with unmistakable clarity, they show precisely where homosexual activists aim to go. The book concludes with several practical and helpful suggestions as to how evangelicals should respond with both love and conviction to this gathering storm. Evangelicals need to read and understand the contents of this book.
Sproul, Jr., R. C. Bound for Glory: God's Promise for Your Family. Wheaton: Crossway, 2003.
Sproul, Jr. emphasizes the importance of covenantal relatedness in his exposition of God's plan for the family. Against the backdrop of the many assaults on the family, Sproul, Jr. discusses the family's covenantal relationship with God and the different ways this affects the intra-familial relationship (e.g. the Father's role in leading the family to grow in God's Word). The book is framed by transcripts of discussions between Sproul, Jr. and his father R. C. Sproul, Sr., with their final discussion providing thoughtful insights into questions pertaining to homeschooling and the involvement of parents in the education of their own children.
Egalitarian Authors/Books
Barger, Lilian Calles. Eve's Revenge: Women and a Spirituality of the Body. Grand Rapids: Brazos, 2003.
Barger seeks to address how issues pertaining to the female body have impacted women's spirituality negatively and positively. Her primary suggestion for positive growth in this area is that the "spiritual teachings" of Jesus can be particularly valuable to women on such a quest.
Grady, J. Lee. 25 Tough Questions About Women and the Church. Lake Mary, FL: Charisma House, 2003.
Grady attempts to provide a lay level exposition of egalitarian responses to twenty-five key questions that he has encountered in the ongoing gender debate within evangelicalism. His proposal falls short on a number of fronts however. In the first place, Grady's book proceeds with a tone that is often strident and unhelpful. As a consequence of this, Grady significantly misrepresents complementarianism on a number of occasions (e.g. 10, 91, 96). Secondly, his treatment of key texts falters when he routinely substitutes speculative theories that are not mentioned in these texts, in favor of the reasons that are actually stated in these passages. Finally, he seems to weight the issue of personal experience so strongly that one's personal sense of calling to the pastoral office (i.e. the office of elder) is virtually inviolable. For a more thorough summary and critique of this book see the review by Rob Lister in JBMW 9/1 (Spring 2004) 101-108.
Mathews, Alice P. Preaching that Speaks to Women. Grand Rapids: Baker, 2003.
Mathews observes that most preaching has been done from a specifically masculine point of view. She contends that failure on the part of most preachers to connect with feminine experience makes a dangerous communication gap. In laying out her case, Mathews distinguishes between "sex," which she argues is biologically determined and fixed, and "gender," which she argues is socially learned. While she does allow that we experience some gender differences because of our biology, she wants to minimize the significance of such differences. It is interesting then, that on the one hand Mathews wants to minimize the differences between the sexes, while on the other hand she critiques most preachers for failing to connect with feminine ways of learning, hearing, and understanding. When it comes to suggestions for improving preaching to women, one of Mathews's key exhortations to preachers is to avoid the use of masculine generics (e.g. use "people" instead of "man") when addressing a mixed-gender audience. She is also concerned to use terminology that emphasizes the equality of men and women.
Sumner, Sarah. Men and Women in the Church. Downers Grove: InterVarsity, 2003.
Sumner presents her discussion of biblical gender roles as a middle way between complementarianism and egalitarianism. In the end, however, her conclusions are solidly egalitarian, marked by many of the traditional exegetical deficiencies and methodological flaws of egalitarianism. One troubling factor that is particularly noteworthy in this book is Sumner's rather frequent elevation of personal experience over biblical norms. Another troubling factor is found in her many misrepresentations of complementarianism. For a more thorough review and critique of this book, see Dorothy Patterson's review article in JBMW 8/1 (Spring 2003) 39-50.
Non-Evangelical Authors/Books
Browning, Don S. Marriage and Modernization: How Globalization Threatens Marriage and What to Do about It. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 2003.
Browning argues that for whatever good modernization and globalization might bring, those forces also represent a disruptive threat to marriage. Consequently, he claims that a reformation of marriage and family is in order, along with the need to address other social issues. Among other things, Browning suggests that a reevaluation of marriage from the contexts of the world's major religions is a necessity.
Malone, Mary T. Women and Christianity: From the Reformation to the 21st Century. Maryknoll, NY: Orbis, 2003.
Malone, a Catholic feminist, concludes her trilogy on Christian women in history by examining their "story" from the Reformation to the present day. According to Malone that history is largely one of oppression and male domination. Not surprisingly then, she maintains that the arrival of feminism has been a great beacon of hope.
Sakenfield, Katharine Doob. Just Wives?: Stories of Power and Survival in the Old Testament and Today. Louisville: Westminster John Knox, 2003.
Sakenfield presents a study of the social contexts of several Old Testament women (e.g. Sarah and Hagar, Ruth and Naomi). In so doing, she clearly argues that the meanings of these OT narratives are not the same for everyone. Within each chapter, Sakenfield attempts to show how contemporary women of varying nationalities and contexts have appropriated these narratives. She hopes that readers of this book will likewise appropriate these stories in the way that is most beneficial to them.
Schlafly, Phyllis. Feminist Fantasies. Dallas: Spence Publishing, 2003.
Schlafly, of great pro-family political renown, offers a collection of essays from her decades in the trenches. Full of wisdom and wit, Schlafly's essays expose the folly and harmfulness of mainstream feminism.
Watson, Natalie K. Feminist Theology. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 2003.
Watson authors a brief volume that has the simple design of introducing the history and key themes of feminist thought to first-time students of the subject. The two major components of the book are a presentation of feminist ways of reading Scripture and then a discussion of major feminist themes (e.g. opposition to patriarchy, questioning masculine God-language, questioning the significance of the Christ's maleness, etc.). The book also includes a lengthy annotated bibliography surveying key works in feminist theology.
Undeclared Authors/Books
Scorgie, Glen C., Mark L. Strauss, and Steven M. Voth, eds. The Challenge of Bible Translation: Communicating God's Word to the World. Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2003.
This book is here classified as "undeclared" because of the combination of complementarian and egalitarian contributors. The authors consider a host of issues pertaining to the history, theory, and practice of Bible translation, most of which are not directly related to the current debate over gender-neutral translation. A couple of chapters, however, are specifically focused on this very issue. Pointed criticism of the work done by Wayne Grudem and Vern Poythress appears in the chapters by Don Carson and Mark Strauss. Since spatial constraints prohibit substantive interaction, readers will want to consult Wayne Grudem's rebuttal of a pre-publication version of Carson's chapter in JBMW 7/2 (Fall 2002) 31-66.
Via, Dan O. and Robert A. J. Gagnon. Homosexuality and the Bible: Two Views. Minneapolis: Fortress, 2003.
By way of format, this book falls into the recent genre of multiple views books. Via propounds the view that the Bible does not, in fact, condemn homosexual activity as sinful, while Gagnon defends the traditional view that it does. Upon conclusion of the major chapters wherein the respective views are articulated, each author is given a brief space to respond to the argumentation of his counterpart. More specifically, Via argues that homosexual activity in itself-as with heterosexual activity-is not necessarily sinful; rather it is the context in which the sexual activity takes place that determines its morality or immorality. Gagnon's treatment of key passages on homosexuality is clearly superior, and it has much to commend itself. Though it is far from the central issue in this book, it does appear that Gagnon gestures in the direction of egalitarianism on the broader question of gender roles.
