Thoughts on Evangelical Culture and a Place for Women
A paper I submitted this past week.... I welcome your thoughts.
A professor recently made the in-class comment that, “The strongest voice against women in ministry are evangelical women.” This important thought is only one of many echoed in Noll’s chapter on gender in his book American Evangelical Christianity. Surveying the history of generations of Christian women who have been caught in the swinging pendulum of encouraged support and quieted veiling, Noll notes that the issue of gender has made a prominent mark on evangelical history. Research completed by prominent women in both the secular and sacred fields reveal that the role of women in the Church, public domain, and the arena of the Christian home and family, is a role everyone seems to care about – regardless of gender or opinion.
The pendulum effect can be seen throughout the history Noll presents. Although not the norm, Jarena Lee and Julia Fotte (both African American women) were placed in prominent positions of church leadership at the turn of the 20th century , while today 100 years later, women must actively seek out church denominations and faith communities that will openly support the calling God has laid on their heart.
Noll describes historical time periods where women were not only actively seeking the opportunity to lead in the Church, but also were themselves actively serving in the country and throughout the world in positions of church leadership. Today, however, many evangelical women have found themselves on the opposite side of the pendulum, submerged in a 21st century evangelical church culture that has segregated them from Adam, emphasizing a disproportionate understanding of submission and traditional gender-roles while focusing on the patriarchy of the Trinity instead of the unity found within it. This major swing throughout the last century has lead to what Canadian theologian John Stackhouse notes as a “speechless majority” , a majority of women in the church who are behind-the-scenes, out of the public eye, supportive or submissive to their male counter, and who might otherwise choose to remain “speechless”.
On this point I must interject. At some of the most critical points in history Christians have remained silent. While millions have lost their lives for the sake of Gospel, millions continue to live on with the opportunity to be apart of God’ s transformation of the world. For every woman in America that has the opportunity to speak out, take leadership, actively serve, participate in public affairs, and become engaged in life and ministry in and outside of the home– there are 3 women elsewhere in the world that will never have that opportunity. This ratio of 1:3 gives a true definition to the term “speechless majority”.
One of the challenges the evangelical church will face as it heads into a post-modern context is a generation of young people who will seek out the core of Christianity. At this core they will find Jesus and the dogma that has defined the Church for years. This generation will then hold a mirror up to the Church to see if it truly reflects Jesus and the answer will hinge on what is found in the mirror. If it does not reflect Jesus the Church will fail, as it will no longer be what it was intended to be. The role of women in ministry is not Church Dogma nor even doctrine, there was never any doubt, however, how Jesus treated women.
In his book Irresistible Revolution liberation theologian Shane Claiborne (my projection not his self-address) quotes the martyred Danish pastor Kaj Munk, “For what Christians lack is not psychology or literature….we lack a holy rage- the recklessness which comes from the knowledge of God and humanity.” He continues on to discuss how at times Christians need to not only care, but act in the face of human-made boundaries and injustice and that these things require us to use whatever we have, even if all we have is our voice, our prayers, or each other. For the Church in the 21st century, this is a calling that must be considered, regardless of gender, race, or class.
As is found in the book of Ecclesiastes, there are seasons for everything. There are times for silence and there are times when the speechless need to speak. There are also times when the silent need to let those who want to speak do so. Women make up the strong majority of Western evangelicals, and the opportunity to become a ‘holy rage’ and partake in God’s transformation with the unified Church, not a segregated, labeled, error-free social club, is very real. As the pendulum of history continues to swing, will it head dramatically in the opposite direction or settle somewhere in between? If the professor’s comment is true, the mirror might reflect a Church that has become its own worst enemy. Unfortunately for us, that is exactly what the enemy wanted all along.
Let us seek to be the unified Church that might be worthy to carry the Gospel.
A professor recently made the in-class comment that, “The strongest voice against women in ministry are evangelical women.” This important thought is only one of many echoed in Noll’s chapter on gender in his book American Evangelical Christianity. Surveying the history of generations of Christian women who have been caught in the swinging pendulum of encouraged support and quieted veiling, Noll notes that the issue of gender has made a prominent mark on evangelical history. Research completed by prominent women in both the secular and sacred fields reveal that the role of women in the Church, public domain, and the arena of the Christian home and family, is a role everyone seems to care about – regardless of gender or opinion. The pendulum effect can be seen throughout the history Noll presents. Although not the norm, Jarena Lee and Julia Fotte (both African American women) were placed in prominent positions of church leadership at the turn of the 20th century , while today 100 years later, women must actively seek out church denominations and faith communities that will openly support the calling God has laid on their heart.
Noll describes historical time periods where women were not only actively seeking the opportunity to lead in the Church, but also were themselves actively serving in the country and throughout the world in positions of church leadership. Today, however, many evangelical women have found themselves on the opposite side of the pendulum, submerged in a 21st century evangelical church culture that has segregated them from Adam, emphasizing a disproportionate understanding of submission and traditional gender-roles while focusing on the patriarchy of the Trinity instead of the unity found within it. This major swing throughout the last century has lead to what Canadian theologian John Stackhouse notes as a “speechless majority” , a majority of women in the church who are behind-the-scenes, out of the public eye, supportive or submissive to their male counter, and who might otherwise choose to remain “speechless”.
On this point I must interject. At some of the most critical points in history Christians have remained silent. While millions have lost their lives for the sake of Gospel, millions continue to live on with the opportunity to be apart of God’ s transformation of the world. For every woman in America that has the opportunity to speak out, take leadership, actively serve, participate in public affairs, and become engaged in life and ministry in and outside of the home– there are 3 women elsewhere in the world that will never have that opportunity. This ratio of 1:3 gives a true definition to the term “speechless majority”.
One of the challenges the evangelical church will face as it heads into a post-modern context is a generation of young people who will seek out the core of Christianity. At this core they will find Jesus and the dogma that has defined the Church for years. This generation will then hold a mirror up to the Church to see if it truly reflects Jesus and the answer will hinge on what is found in the mirror. If it does not reflect Jesus the Church will fail, as it will no longer be what it was intended to be. The role of women in ministry is not Church Dogma nor even doctrine, there was never any doubt, however, how Jesus treated women.
In his book Irresistible Revolution liberation theologian Shane Claiborne (my projection not his self-address) quotes the martyred Danish pastor Kaj Munk, “For what Christians lack is not psychology or literature….we lack a holy rage- the recklessness which comes from the knowledge of God and humanity.” He continues on to discuss how at times Christians need to not only care, but act in the face of human-made boundaries and injustice and that these things require us to use whatever we have, even if all we have is our voice, our prayers, or each other. For the Church in the 21st century, this is a calling that must be considered, regardless of gender, race, or class.
As is found in the book of Ecclesiastes, there are seasons for everything. There are times for silence and there are times when the speechless need to speak. There are also times when the silent need to let those who want to speak do so. Women make up the strong majority of Western evangelicals, and the opportunity to become a ‘holy rage’ and partake in God’s transformation with the unified Church, not a segregated, labeled, error-free social club, is very real. As the pendulum of history continues to swing, will it head dramatically in the opposite direction or settle somewhere in between? If the professor’s comment is true, the mirror might reflect a Church that has become its own worst enemy. Unfortunately for us, that is exactly what the enemy wanted all along.
Let us seek to be the unified Church that might be worthy to carry the Gospel.
posted by melissa at 12:02 AM
1 Comments:
Hi Melissa. I am a conservative, evangelical woman wrestling with this issue as well. I am able to distinguish between my gifts and the place I believe God wants to use them, but to be clear, I can see way beyond the sterotypes to see my role as a Christian leader. With an m.a. from an evangelical seminary, I find it difficult to fit in at many churches, but my hope is to see more women identify their gifts and use them for the glory of God. See my blog, flashpointfiles.blogspot.com
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