Summary for “Women in the Church”
Stanley J. Grenz and Denise Muir Kjesbo articulate an egalitarian view of biblical theology for women in ministry in relation to men. This view is in contrast to the complementarian or hierarchical view which states that women should play a functionally subordinate role to men’s leadership in both family and church. Both views agree to the equality in the essence or personhood of women and men, but egalitarianism extends such equality to their role play also. Both sides claim their views to be more biblical than the other. In this paper, I will summarize the egalitarian arguments presented in each chapter of the book, with necessary reference to the complementarian view.
Women in the churches
Two camps exist today since 1980’s. One side is the traditionalist, complementarian or hierarchical view, represented by the Council for Biblical Manhood and Womanhood. The other side is the emerging, egalitarian view, represented by Christians for Biblical Equality. Seminaries are caught in the debate since 1950’s as a growing percentage of women enroll in seminaries and seek ordained ministerial roles after graduation. Various denominations and local churches within the same denomination have wrestled with woman ordination differently. Sometimes schism breaks out within the same denomination. In general, Baptists are complementarians, while the Christian Reformed Church allows local churches to decide. The Evangelical Free Church permits women to serve in church leadership except as senior pastor. Seeking clarity to this divisive issue, the authors intend to show in the following chapters that complementarian view “is simply wide off the mark historically, biblically and theologically”.
Women in Church HistoryThe fact that women have served as a secondary role in church history is interpreted differently by complementarians and egalitarians. Complementarians see the paucity of women in church leadership as a reflection of biblical mandate. Egalitarians assert that such paucity is a result of institutionalization of church in a culture of male dominance after the early church and episodic revival movements involving women leaders. Women served as bishops (elders) and deaconesses in early church. Female monastic movement predates that of the male counterpart. Women played key initial leadership roles in Wesleyan revival and North American revivals as well as in the formative years of evangelicalism. Women’s partnership with men in church leadership was all the more remarkable in a male-dominated world culture.
Women in the Faith CommunityAll the way back to biblical era, women in the Hebrew community primarily took a subordinate role mostly as child-bearers in a strongly patriarchal culture. However, Old Testament bible does record women as leaders (such as Miriam and Deborah) and prophets (Huldah and Isaiah’s wife). In Jesus’ ministry, he broke away from the Jewish tradition and readily associated with women and taught women disciples. It was women who first witnessed Christ’s resurrection and proclaimed the good news to his disciples. In the apostolic church age, women Christians enjoyed far greater privileges as patrons, prophets, coworkers, deacons, bishops or elders (e.g., Phoebe) and apostles (e.g., Junia) in church life than possible in the society at large.
Women in the Writings of PaulPaul declared the charter of gender equality in Gal.3:28. Complementarians interpret that as positional equality in the context of soteriology, whereas egalitarians take that as the Magna Carta of Humanity for a new social order and as having exegetical priority over other Pauline texts that may seem to constraint women in ministry (1Cor.11:3-16; 14:34-35; 1Tim. 2:11-15). Egalitarians further questioned the traditional exegesis of women wearing material head coverings in worship and pointed instead to culturally appropriate hairstyle. They believe the word “head” (kaphalei) connotes source or origin rather than authority. The injunction that women are to be silent in worship (1Cor. 14:34-35) is interpreted as cultural or specific for the Corinthian church, and cannot be universally binding since that would conflict with women praying and prophesying with proper coverings (1Cor.11:3-16). The prohibition of women teachers in 1Tim.2:11-15 is again interpreted by egalitarians as an instruction specific for Ephesians church, despite the cited primacy of Adam in creation and of Eve’s culpability of sin.
Women in CreationComplementarians believe women were to be subordinate to men since woman was created after man, from man, named by man, and for man. Egalitarians reject this gender specific role assignment based on creation (apart from what is biologically predetermined) since the hierarchical relation (1Tim.2:11-15) is largely a result of the Fall (Gen.3:16), not the original creation intent of male-female mutuality. Despite a preponderance of male and masculine (over female and feminine) imageries analogically spoken of God (e.g., Father, Son, He, etc), God is not more male than female. In fact, God, being non-sexual, is best understood when both male and female images are used. Both men and women were equally created in the image of God (Gen.1:26-28). Likewise, full partnership in church ministry between men and women will better reflect the creation ideal. Complementarians cite the example of Christ’s submission to the Father as further support for functionally subordinate role for women. Egalitarian reject this forced association and believe Christ’s example is for both male and female members of his church, not just women. Further, the mutual dependence between Father and Son is a model for mutual submission of men and women.
Women in Church and PriesthoodThe new creation in Christ requires men and women in the church community to part hands with the post-Fall hierarchy and to strive toward the original egalitarian ideal of creation. The traditional male priesthood in Old Testament is not an injunction barring women priesthood, since both men and women in New Testament are the royal priesthood. To say women cannot be ordained ministers is to ascribe gender specific distribution of certain spiritual gifts, which the bible never teaches.
Women in the Ordained MinistryThe authors argue that ordained office has representative and authoritative dimensions that demand the full participation of men and women. Women are as sacramentally and ontologically representative of Christ in his humanness (rather than maleness) as men. Christ’s redemption of mankind liberated men and women from the socially hierarchical bondage. The authoritative dimension entails facilitative empowerment and servant leadership, which is best fulfilled by men and women serving together in the church, including the ordained office. Authority and power are not to be associated with maleness or masculinity.
The book starts and also ends with the story of Sally who sensed God’s call to full time ministry, completed her M.Div. degree with highest honors, waited and found a part time position in a church while taking a secular secretarial job to make ends meet. She is torn between the two worlds and waits for the door swing open for her to become a full time minister without the baggage of gender specific restriction on church leadership. She is still waiting.
(This essay is dedicated to the memory of Prof. Paul Siu.)
