I’m grateful for the following blog posts I found this week that explore biblical gender equality. You’ll read about mutuality in marriage, two pastor spouses, a reflection on being a woman and a Bible major, the struggle to forgive Adam, and an exploration of 1 Corinthians 11:9.
My Parents: An Example Of Mutual Authority In Marriage by Jory Micah Peterson (The Junia Project)
“There are many principles in the Bible that can and should be taken literally because God is absolutely clear that some things are sinful. But my parents’ relationship of mutual submission and shared authority is far from sinful. They are closely connected, take long walks together often, and talk about everything. They make decisions together, respect one another’s independence, and share financial responsibility.”
#Yoked: Working (Not) 9-5 (First Day Walking)
“I’m Jes. And I’m Jim. And we are the Reverends Kast-Keat. Today one of us (Jim) is going to interview the other (Jes) about what it’s like to be simultaneously a pastor and pastor’s spouse. Here we go…”
Reclaiming Eve: Cara Strickland’s story: An interview by Suzanne Burden
“I’ve been through a long journey, through many kinds of churches and theologies. I was uncomfortable with female leadership in church until late in my college career before slowly picking up pieces of the beautiful heart God has for women, and finding freedom in how I saw myself and other daughters. But though I had started attending a church whose senior pastor is a woman, and begun to find healing from many hurtful ways of thinking I’d gleaned in my youth, I still hadn’t forgiven Adam.” – Cara Strickland
On Being a Woman and A Bible Major by Julie Dykes (Women Biblical Scholars)
“I listened to the stories of my fellow female Bible majors, who likewise felt the struggle to overcome the intimidation factor that comes from trying to speak up in a male-dominated classroom. I once sat in horror as a professor, in the middle of a lecture, joked that my friend shouldn’t speak up in class, not knowing the amount of courage that it took her to voice her comment in the first place. Even I would occasionally bite my tongue in class discussions regarding issues I was passionate about, simply because I was afraid my answer wouldn’t be taken seriously because it was being voiced by a girl.”
1 Corinthians 11:9, in a Nutshell by Marg Mowczko
“It’s troubling when people misuse Scripture to subordinate and repress women, and, conversely, to elevate men. The misunderstanding and misuse of 1 Corinthians 11:9 in this regard especially concerns me.”
This Week on the CBE Scroll
February Preview: Women in Media by Paul Hjmelling
“At CBE this month we’re using the Oscars to talk about women in the media. We’ll have posts about specific films, like Richard Linklater’s Boyhood, and we’ll recap the Oscars after the results are in. We’ll look at how we analyze whether a film plays into patriarchy or breaks from it (the aforementioned Bechdel Test) and develop a Christian lens through which we can analyze media.”
What articles about biblical gender equality encouraged you this week? Share them with us in the comments!
*Note: Linking to these posts is not a CBE endorsement of previous or future written work or statements made by the authors.
