Thoughts on women...

I've said before that complementarianism does not exist. For me, complementarianism rests on a spectrum, as most things do. First a definition. Complementarianism is the view that men and women are equal recipients of grace from God and have different roles and responsibilities. Sat on this spectrum you have a vast array of interpretations of this statement and from what I can make out they are largely centred around 'roles and responsibilities' and the value and interpretation assigned to them. It is this problematic inconsistency which makes complementarianism so difficult to pin down or to align with. At one end you have a version which insists on the submission of women in all aspect of life, society and church. Women serve 'at the pleasure of' the men in their lives. Education is seen as unnecessary because their role will be within the home, raising the children and supporting a husband. A man-made 1950's caricature of the well-kept home, wife and kids is ...

I am going to start this post in the same way as most narrators about the subject of complementarianism. It is worth saying straight away that there is much about this view that I am in agreement with.   I believe, and see that there are differences between the sexes to be treasured.  However  I would say that I am egalitarian in that I believe there to be equal authority between the sexes, both in secular and spiritual life. I see both of these demonstrated in the Bible and don't believe them to be mutually exclusive. I am, as ever very mindful of the fact that I am not a complete work. I like the picture of a piece of sea-glass on a beach - various waves and seasons make their mark.  In the Bible, God establishes things in pairs.  Sun and moon, l ight and dark, e arth and water. These things exist in relationship to one another. It is reasonable to say that each needs the other to fully flourish and be distinguishable in and of itself. He then made man and wom...