Recent comments by presidential hopeful Michele Bachmann have stirred up the discussion about gay marriage once again. While speaking to a group of high school…
30
Jan
2012
Jonathan Brink
The Author
Jonathan Brink
I am the Senior Editor at Provoketive. I am the author of the recently published, Discovering the God Imagination. I also serve as Senior Editor for Civitas Press, a boutique publishing firm specializing in inspiring and redemptive ideas. I am developing a new model for publishing and seek to create new opportunities for fresh and creative voices.
Occasionally, I speak on issues of justice, postmodern theology, and living a life in the way of Jesus. I leads workshops on The Practice of Love and Exploring a Postmodern Gospel at BeADisciple.com.
I am a son, a husband, and a father. I live in Folsom, Ca, with my beautiful wife and amazing three children.
Question Everything is a series of posts that asks the questions people are really thinking, but are often afraid to ask. You can submit your question here.
Today’s question comes from Melody Harrison Hanson.
“If there is historical evidence that Jesus affirmed and loved and served with women, even has them as disciples, why is the Church so stuck on this issue? Why don’t pastors/leaders/teachers care about learning the historical truth? (My sources Ben Witherington, Scot McKnight) What will it take to change? (Asked by implication/threat of women leaving the church by Jim Henderson, in Resignation of Eve)”
How would you answer the question?
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I think what it will take, sadly, is the dying out of a couple of generations. I think we’re (VERY) slowly moving in the right direction on this matter, but I think some things are so finely ingrained in the minds of those who are older that it’s difficult (and maybe even impossible) to change.
Of course, I have my own habits and opinions that I suck at changing, so who am I to speak? =)
Humans are selfish, and regularly twist things to suit our needs. The reason for the sexism in the church is that there are a lot of sexists in it who have no motivation to change things for the better, to be more Christlike, unless it benefits them.
I’d like to think Adrian’s right — that we’re moving in the right direction, and that all we’ll need is a generation of poor leadership to pass away — but I dunno. Backsliding happens, and sometimes the older generation are the reformers, while the new generation are the reactionaries. The New Calvinists come to mind.
Some years ago there was a local meeting in my own denomination, which has had women pastors since its founding last century. Some of the younger pastors in the meeting objected to women in leadership on the grounds that it’s “not biblical.” This went on till one of the leaders, one of older gentlemen in the group, stopped the debate and pointed out that they were out of order: As a denomination, this was a decided issue. If they wanted to make it one, they were in the wrong place.
Now, what are the chances these young men will repent and conform, as opposed to leaving and starting a new chauvinistic sect? Depends on how right they think they are — which in the end depends on how much they think they’ve overcome (or Jesus has overcome for them) their innate total depravity. Or whether they even believe they suffer from it in the first place. That’s the real issue. Sexism is the symptom.
Great questions and I address all of them head-on in my new book, Unladylike: Resisting the Injustice of Inequality in the Church.
The taproot for gender inequity is patriarchy and power.
Jesus did have women disciples. I devote an entire chapter examining how Jesus treated women (which does not match how the church treats women!).
I sent you a copy, yes, Melody?? Message me if I overlooked doing so!!!
What will it take to change? In my opinion, it will take women like you and me resisting gender inequity and inspiring other women to do the same. For some women this will mean making difficult choices like leaving their faith tribe. For others, it may mean speaking up as you do with your questions and blogging, and me with my book and writing. Each woman has to find her way in how she will resolve to respond (and resist) the injustice of gender inequity in the church.
Read Unladylike. I cover all of this!!
Just read a great blog post by Frank Viola about Jesus & women. http://frankviola.org/2012/01/30/godsviewofawoman/
Looking forward to reading Unladylike, Pam.
Male domination of the female is entrenched in human nature, according to Genesis 3:26. Also, a view of the universe in terms of hierarchical authority became entrenched in the church in the Middle Ages. Ths view actually came from mixing Plato and Aristotle’s ideas into Christianity; but once a teaching becomes part of church tradition, it is very, very hard to change. The church as a whole is by nature resistent to change, which is both its great strength and its great weakness.