Mutuality | Blog + Magazine | Winter 2011
The print + digital magazine of CBE International
Mutuality offers articles from diverse writers who share egalitarian theology and explore its intersection with everyday life.
Blog + Magazine ArticlesThe opinions expressed in these articles are those of the authors. They do not purport to reflect the opinions or views of CBE International or its members.
Winter 2011
Volume: 18 | Number: 4
Power
In God’s kingdom, one person does not exert power over another. This issue of Mutuality explores the ways in which power imbalances in the church today harm the kingdom of God, but also provides practical steps to break free from our captivity to power.
Contents
“Jesus prayed for God’s kingdom to reign on earth. Your kingdom come, on earth as it is in heaven. When it comes to gender, the church has been settling for a lot less than God’s kingdom here on earth.”
I identify with the Exodus story because of the deep burden and calling that God has placed in my life to guide his people out of slavery and the trappings of this world’s philosophy into his guiding way of life that is grounded in God’s son, Jesus Christ, and through the power of [...]
Jesus’ power to relieve oppression points to Jesus’ authority, a byproduct of power. The crowds often recognize the authority of Jesus’ words (e.g. Luke 4:32)
Pornography is so prevalent that often one does not ask if a man watches pornography but rather how much. In one recent study conducted on male sex buyers, researchers defined a “non-user” as a man who had not used pornography more than one time in the last month.
Most people do not think of the Bible as a love manual, but, unsurprisingly, the Scriptures support the idea of egalitarian sex—both wife and husband exist for each other spiritually and physically when they make love.
Often when I've heard James 2 addressed in a sermon or in a Bible study, the message was a simple admonishment to “not show favoritism.” These lessons have their place in our image-conscious society. However, I believe there is a message within this passage that is more complex and more fundamental than the typical surface [...]
Our challenge is to recognize, understand, and respond to the propaganda of patriarchy with discernment and courage, believing that “in Christ, the new creation has come: The old is gone and the new is here.” (2 Cor. 5:17).
In trusting the teachings of the Bible we experience the expansive joy that comes not from saving our lives, but paradoxically, from giving them away. As the creator and ruler of heaven and earth came not to be served but to serve, we too learn that leadership is not control, power, domination, or entitlement, as [...]
(Movie spoiler alert!)First off, Courageous (the most recent movie release from Sherwood Baptist Church, the makers of Fireproof) is far from a terrible movie. There are very funny scenes. The characters wrestle with real life struggles. It resists the hyper-sexualization of females that runs rampant in Hollywood movies. It touts important values like integrity, [...]
