I don't know how I stumbled on this book, but I'm sure glad that I did. In my church family, we are exploring, discussing and maybe even debating this very important issue of women's role in the church. As our theological roots are steeped in a very conservative take on the biblical texts, we are coming from a patriarchal position that has, over the decades, morphed into a more complementarian practice. But, for the most part, we still practice some gender distinctions in terms of the assigning of roles and responsibilities within our local fellowship and global denomination.
Certainly, the number of those distinctions has been reduced and their extent has been fading. At one time in our restoration background, women were never featured in roles of appointed leadership and their public responsibilities were limited to teaching children's classes and leading in and/or speaking at women's events. However, we have since created public roles for women and now accept women as functioning in previously forbidden roles. Women serve on church boards, even as its officers. Women speak in our public assemblies, with some limitations. They serve on leadership teams. And we have created paid ministry roles/titles. Yet, we are not egalitarian, as long as there are any restrictions on what roles and responsibilities women can hold and fulfill. We are really more complementarian than egalitarian, but we seem to moving in that direction—too slowly for some and maybe too quickly for others.
So, the question has been raised, as it should, about where, on the continuum, we as a local fellowship land on this issue. However, my fear is that in looking into the Bible for the answers, we are losing sight of the fact that the Bible is (to quote Pete Enns) an ancient book, that is often ambiguous in its direction and diverse in its practices. We are looking for definitive direction on what women can and/or cannot do within the pages of the Bible. One "side" is arming itself with passages to prove that God is a complementarian. The other side is preparing an aggressive defence of God as an egalitarian, by stockpiling their own key passages. Both groups are praying, discussing and studying and yet coming to conflicting conclusions.
How can this be? Both of groups have the very same problem, as they regard the Bible as God's answer book, a step-by-step manual for all issues of life and faith. The position that will win out, is the one that collects what are deemed to be the most and best proof texts. Yet, while we do this, we are missing some key principles that are much more significant because they are not ancient practices, but eternal truths, and thus they are not presented ambiguously. These are the truths that Lee-Barnewall's book strives to introduce to the discussion; truths that supersede complementarianism and egalitarianism (as well as many of the other issues that tend to divide Christians into competing factions).
In her "Introduction," she states, "I am proposing that we may find a better solution by going back to the biblical text to see, not which of the two current positions—complementarian or egalitarian—is correct, but rather whether there might be a different way to configure the issue itself." I agree entirely as Lee-Barnewall challenges her readers that, "Limiting ourselves to an either/or choice does not leave enough room for improving either side or exploring a different understanding" because such a binary approach does not recognize every person's "individual fallibility and the potential contribution from those of the opposing position." In order to prevent such polarization, she quotes Timothy George who calls us to consider the following three questions:
- What do I owe to the person who differs from me?
- What can I learn from those who differ from me?
- How can I cope with those who differ from me?
In order to let go of our polarizing thoughts, mode of study and presentation, we have to stop and really think about eternal truths that are greater than any one of us or any one group of us. Lee-Barnewall calls upon her readers to reflect on the nature of the body of Christ, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and foundation of the truth. She states, "The body of Christ is not the exclusive province of one race, class, or gender. However, the radically inclusive community is not one in which differences do not exist. Rather it is one that manifests unity in its members’ love for one another in the context of such diversity as they are called to build up one another." She calls her readers to consider God's overall purpose for the church where "these concerns are transcended and put into larger perspective as the members are called to love one another following the example of Christ, who purposely relinquished his rightful privileges for our sake."
The problem is that "as evangelical Christians, we often want to know what we can or cannot do, or what we should or should not do" and so we rest on "various biblical and theological arguments..." that results in a discussion that "is dominated by practical questions such as “Can women be elders?” “Can women teach men?” and “Do men make the final decision in marriage?” The focus on authority, leadership, equality, and rights tends to lead to yes or no answers that do not prompt deeper questioning. It is not that these do not matter, but rather that there is a way to reconsider them."
This book has been written to challenge its readers to consider the issue of gender in the church from an overarching, eternal kingdom perspective. Thus, in her concluding remarks as she transitions into Part 1 (Gender in Evangelical History) and then Part 2 (Reframing Gender), she states,
"While rights can be a legitimate issue, there is a kingdom value that supersedes rights and is more representative of kingdom ways. On the other side, the gospel redefines considerations of power and authority in terms of humility, sacrifice, and suffering, not simply as qualifiers but as essential components, even starting points...In various ways God is presenting a witness to the world through the life of the church, called to unity and holiness, and so issues of rights, authority, individual benefit, and duties must flow out of this larger understanding. As a result, we may gain new insights on old topics as we interact with essential kingdom themes that speak of our corporate identity in Christ in the new age and how the church is to glorify God as the body of Christ."
This book is not an easy read, not because it is written in scholarly terminology or is dependent on knowledge the average reader has yet to attain. Rather, it is not an easy read, because Lee-Barnewell challenges her readers to step back from entrenched positions on the "gender issue" in the church and to see it through the lens of eternal, overarching kingdom principles. Getting out of our binary, "right/wrong," and "true/false" thinking is not easy. That does not mean that we won't land somewhere on the continuum of women's role, but rather that we will land with greater humility and respect for one another. The result will be unity in the midst of our diversity. We won't split into factions or run off those with whom we disagree, but we'll shine as loving truth bearers in a dark world of argumentation, division and attack.
