Gendered Reality

My Grandma

2010-07-15T11:16:00.000-07:00

I can't post about one grandma without also acknowledging my other grandma, Alma Grace Smith. This was another woman of strength from my past. She died when I was just 21 years old, but I have great memories of time spent with her. She bore and raised 13 children in the mountains of West Virginia. I have recently been given a collection of letters she wrote to an uncle who died in Korea during that war. Each letter made me smile as I read her words detailing her love for her family and home. Again, her life was one of hard work and poverty but my fondest memory is of her belly laugh. She would laugh till tears came to her eyes in that deep voice of hers. She loved with unconditional love. There were 51 grandchildren yet we all felt special in her eyes. We all knew she would welcome us with a hug that enveloped us from head to toes. Grandma, I still miss you every day.

A Generation Ago.....

2010-07-15T10:55:00.000-07:00

Last week I visited my parents and came home with a photo album filled with pictures of my father's family that I had never seen. I brought them home to scan for my dad so that we can save them for future generations and as I have been looking at the pictures, I have been struck with how different my life is from my great grandmother's. The gendered reality of her life consisted of lots and lots of hard, physical work. And she was a trooper. She raised 12 children, two of which died during her lifetime. She then also raised my father when his mother, her eldest daughter, died when he was 4 months old. Most of this childrearing was done in abject poverty without the aid of electricity or indoor plumbing. Her name was Clara Cather. She was short and stout and possessed a very sharp tongue. The pictures have been a poignant reminder to me that women's lives we and are lived in direct contrast to men's lives. I see the toll of her labor as I view her pictures from early womanhood to late life. She was a survivor and for that I respect her and love her. I wish I had known her as an adult. I think she would have been an inspiration to me. As women, we must remember to look to our past and take heart in the strength of the women who came before us. Thank you, Clara, for the fiery character that all who loved you remember.

Sex and the City

2010-05-27T10:07:00.000-07:00

Today is the day: the release of Sex and the City Part 2. For all you fans out there, here is a little sociological analysis of the show:

YouTube Video

Take a moment to watch this video from fellow sociologist Tracy Scott, at Emory University. Thanks to Sociological Images for bringing this to my attention today. I know it takes some of the fun out of it to analyze every little part of every little thing, but welcome to my world!!! BTW, I will be running out to see the movie at my first opportunity!!!

Unsung Hero in Feminism

2010-05-24T18:25:00.000-07:00

I was recently alerted through a blog by Letha Scanzoni (72-27) about the unsung giant in the Civil Rights Movement and the Feminist Movement. She passed away in April at the age of 98 and you can read about her life in a New York Times article. I consider myself to be well-educated about the Civil Rights Movement but I confess this is the first time I have heard the name of this hero. Why is this? Perhaps it is my oversight and others are aware of her accomplishments but I rather believe it is because her accomplishments have not been hailed by historians. And if that is true, why not? It makes me suspect that there are many more unsung female heroes out there whose accomplishments we will never know. It does not mean that their deeds were unimportant but it is disturbing to me that some kind of censorship has prohibited the accomplishments of women like Dorthy to remain buried. I commend the National Visionary Leadership Project for highlighting Dorthy Height and encourage you to check out her life if you are like me and reading about her for the first time.

The Musical Glass Ceiling

2010-05-20T15:38:00.000-07:00

Talk about a glass ceiling????? One of my favorite blogs from Christianity Today, Her.meneutics, posted this:

According to Mark Geil’s article for Christianity Today on the gender balance in contemporary Christian music (CCM), exactly zero women are on Billboard's lists of the past decade’s top 10 Christian songs and top 10 Christian artists. (Billboard compiles their lists based on record sales.) Only two women are in the top 50, at numbers 40 (Francesca Battistelli) and 50 (Stacie Orrico). The surprising statistics highlight how difficult it can be for women in today’s Christian music industry.

The article goes on to say that many people interviewed said they were uncomfortable with women onstage leading worship. What is that about? And are our female Christian song artists experiencing fallout from our male-centric worship styles? I would encourage our churches to embrace equality for the genders as we worship in song. Time to stop this nonsense.

The Male Brain

2010-05-18T18:46:00.000-07:00

As a sociologist, I have always been fascinated by the nature vs. nurture debate. My sociology sometimes seems to be at odds with my biblical worldview. I believe that we are created in the image of God - that He made us uniquely male and female. I also believe that our culture imposes strong norms on our behavior, especially our gendered behavior. Separating the influence of society from our biological impulses can be a daunting task. I choose the title of this blog, Gendered Reality, because I believe that those influences (both nature and nurture) create entirely different worlds for someone born a woman versus someone born male. The reality is, gender makes a difference. So I am fascinated by the study of scientific research that documents either nature or nurture. This week a new book has been released by Louann Brizendine entitled The Male Brain. This is a follow up of her first title, The Female Brain and continues her research on the biological differences in the structure and functioning of the human brain. She states in her book:

The vast new body of brain science together with the work I've done with my male patients has convinced me that through every phase of life, the unique brain structures and hormones of boys and men create a "male reality" that is fundamentally different from the female one, and all too frequently oversimplified and misunderstood.

We are entering an era, finally, when both men and women can begin to understand their distinct biology and how it affects their lives. If we know how a biological brain state is guiding our impulses, we can choose how to act, or not act at all, rather than merely following our compulsions. If you're a man, this knowledge not only can help you understand and harness your unique male brain power, but it can also help you to understand your sons, your father and the other men in your life. If you're a woman, this book will help you to interpret and comprehend the intricacies of the male brain. With that new information, you can help your sons and husbands to be truer to their nature and perhaps you can feel more compassionate toward your father.

I will be purchasing this book and digging deeper into the classic debate between biology and sociology. If you are also interested in this topic, you can read an excerpt of the book at the GMA website.

Gender and Social Justice

2010-05-13T17:14:00.000-07:00

Summer is here! That means there is time to get back to something I have shelved: my blog. So I am going to work harder at being actively involved in blogging this summer. Today, I am including a segment that is from The Social Justice Handbook by Mae Elise Cannon. This section was included in the latest post from Arise E-Newsletter published by CBE International. Cannon writes:

"While women continue to be paid less than their male counterparts in equivalent roles in the workplace, my understanding is that in the United States conditions are now improving and women are given equal (if not favorable) opportunities to progress up the corporate ladder. A close friend of mine is an executive in the banking world. He often tells me that if he were a woman, with his qualifications and experience, he would have already risen to the position of CEO. In the corporate world, gender quotas and affirmative action have been ways that women, and people of color, are given opportunity in the workplace. Many of these policies are an attempt to create fair work environments where women have historically been overlooked or excluded. Often, the culture of work environments was one in which much business was conducted at the club, on the golf course, or in other social settings that were not the most conducive to the presence of women. Although many changes have been made to improve equality in the workplace, the corporate world still faces many obstacles in terms of women, minorities, and the like. The realities in the church, however, are far less encouraging. Unfortunately, gender assumptions still limit women's abilities to use their gifts holistically in many places, including the church context. Theological assertions, such as complementarianism, argue that women are gifted uniquely and differently than their male counterparts and that their capacity and expression should be limited to gender specific roles which are under the authority of men. Even in churches that affirm an egalitarian theological framework, gender assumptions often impede women's ability to thrive and to flourish. These assumptions are incredibly damaging to women in the church. In addition to these false assumptions, Christian communities miss out on the abundant gifting of women because of cultural norms and expectations. For example, in the evangelical world, women are often called by a church to serve in associate pastor roles, to work with children, and to facilitate spiritual formation and community programs. These are all wonderful ministries! However, many women also have gifts of leadership, discernment, and wisdom that would be powerfully effective in other roles. I know one female pastor who preaches about once a month in her local church. She is an excellent teacher and often receives compliments for her gifts of communication and ability to relate the gospel to practical living and application. However, in her more than ten years of pastoral ministry, she has never (not once!) been invited to preach in any other church or ministry environment. When people look at her, they assume that she has administrative gifts, not that she is a preacher. On several occasions, when visiting with other pastors and church leaders in the area, she has been asked if she is the church secretary. This woman has been called and gifted by God to serve the Christian community with her many gifts, which unfortunately are often overlooked by those in leadership. The treatment and inclusion of women and their gifts in the church and body of believers is an issue of justice that has profound effects on the entire body of believers. Justice, simply put, is the difference between right and wrong. Jeremy Del Rio describes it like this: "Deep justice is about righting wrongs." Sometimes justice is described as the "right use of power" and injustice is understood as any abuse of power. The Bible is full of Gods ideas about justice. Biblical justice has its foundation in God's concern for the poor and the oppressed. Biblical justice is the scriptural mandate to manifest the kingdom of God on Earth and make God's blessings available to all humankind. Social justice occurs when justiceor right actionis manifested in a social framework or community. If we start from the assumption that God commanded all people to steward the earth, we can assume then that God desired for all people to have access to the earth's resources. When access to those resources is limited because of prejudice, injustice is experienced. Much of the world's inequality about justice relates to race, poverty, and gender. Of these issues, gender is often the most controversial. Women have been systematically oppressed around the world and have had limited access to resources and opportunities. Need further convincing? Consider the statistics of women who have suffered because of female genital mutilation, forced prostitution, the sex trade, rape, abuse, and assaultboth in developed countries and around the world. In addition to these physical injustices, consider the painful reality of emotional abuse and the consequences of continually living in a world where the value of women is limited because of their gender. It is a painful reality for women that in many situations and geographic locations, women are often viewed as less than men. There is a deep need for justice in the world as it relates to gender. Unfortunately, the church often perpetuates limitations placed upon women rather than standing against them. God's call upon the church is to be a place where the value of women should be taught and celebrated. The community of Christ is called to be intolerant of injustice and to advocate for all people. The foundation of God's throne is both justice and righteousness (Ps. 89:14). May the church be a place that rests in those truths for the glory of God."

Some great thoughts from this new author. It is a challenge to all of us who are passionate about social justice to include issues of gender in our quest for peace on earth.

2007-06-09T17:52:00.001-07:00

If you can only read one book this summer, you must read A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseine. This is the author of Kite Runner, an award-winning novel. In this new book, Hosseine tells the story of 2 Afganistan women living through the warfare in that country. It is fascinating. I could not lay it down. Check here for a book review: The Saving Shards of Sacrifice by Genevieve S. Kineke. I am hoping you are all reading more than one book but this is really a winner. I love fiction - especially fiction rooted in fact. You will weep as you read about the lifestyles of these Muslim women. Let me know what you think about this book if you get the chance to read it this summer.

Summer Reading

2007-05-08T17:30:00.000-07:00

Thanks to the blog God's Word to Women who alerted me to a new book on gender entitled, Finally Feminist: A Pragmatic Understanding of Gender. The following quote is from a review in Books & Culture on Christianity Today,

"Finally Feminist lays this paradigm out. From Genesis to Revelation, Stackhouse argues, God's overriding purpose in working with his creation is to make the truth of the gospel in Christ clear. To accomplish this, God works within human culture, rather than wiping it out and starting fresh. His acts of redemption are limited by the human context in which they take place. As an example, Stackhouse points to the miracles of the Gospels. Jesus did not heal everyone, or raise everyone from the dead, even though this was well within his capacities. Rather, he limited his miracles so that they acted as "signs of the inbreaking of the kingdom through him and thus signs of his authority and identity." In the particular time and place of the Incarnation, this served God's sovereign purposes."

This fits well into a Christian sociological analysis of feminism and I look forward to adding it to my summer reading list. That list grows longer each day and this is still the first week of summer vacation! If you have read this book, let me know what you think.

Research On Female Christian Students

2006-07-02T17:15:00.000-07:00

Christians for Biblical Equality has been instrumental in initiating research into the gendered experiences of women at Christians colleges. They are basing their research within the CCCU (Coalition of Christian Colleges and Universities). Here is a feature from their latest electronic publication:

E-Quality

You will note that they cite research that was conducted by myself and my daughter concerning this topic. My daughter and I continue to be involved in collecting data surrounding this topic. It is important that this research be expanded beyond Cedarville University and I am pleased that this seems to be happening thanks to CBE!

Educating Women

2005-12-14T17:16:00.000-08:00

It is finals week at Cedarville and as I watch students scurry through the cold from one frantic exam to the next, I am reminded how fortunate we all are to be at a place that we are able to learn and expand our minds, especially those of the female gender. Today I read the amazing statistic that one in four countries around the world do not provide formal education for their girl children (read more about this at Just Tryin'). It was not until late in life that I felt the pull toward higher education, well, at least it was not in my twenties! Education has opened so many doors for me. I am a different person today than I was before I went back to college. Yet I think many Christian females still feel that education is a man's world. Most of our Christian professors are male, most of our learning in higher education comes from males, and few aspire to degrees beyond the bachelor's degree. There is no doubt about the glass ceiling that exists for women in higher education. It permeates the board room, the deans and VP positions, and even the paychecks. The reality for women in higher education is that they will work twice as hard as a man to climb the ladder from the classroom to positions of power, especially in the Christian college environment. Just being a woman in the classroom in a Christian environment is an anomaly. So, as we take a break from education over the next weeks, I will also take a deep breath as I step down from the ledge of my gendered walk here and fortify myself for a new start in the new year. There will be little wiggle room on the ledge - there never has been for women. Still, I find it an exhilarating and provocative profession!

Evangelicals & Divorce

2005-12-13T16:16:00.000-08:00

This month's issue of Christianinty Today has an interesting article on divorce. Here is an excerpt:

If nothing else, it may suggest a reason why the divorce rate is so high among evangelicals—though, of course, that's merely speculative. Our current understandings of marriage inadvertently pit husband and wife against one another: as leader and assistant, or as two individuals protecting their prerogatives. The Ephesians metaphor moves to a climax, so to speak, of the two becoming one. I can't help but wonder if the divorce rate in the church might decrease if we would recognize the mystery of God fusing a husband and wife into "one flesh." It's not very disturbing for a leader to break up with his assistant, or for two equal individuals to decide to go their own ways. But it is utterly disconcerting to imagine a bloody rupture between a body and its head. That's why God hates divorce (Mal. 2:16), and that's why he commands every husband to cleave to his wife.

(http://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/2005/011/30.59.html)

It has puzzled me for a long time why our divorce rate matches that of the secular world. We spend so much time talking about abstinence, waiting for your "true love," and roles in marriage that you would think we would be more committed to the institution of marriage.

Recently my body has taken a real hit. I can relate to this article! I discovered I would do whatever was necessary to take care of the hurting spots! It is my opinion that more marriages would be improved if husbands treated their wives as they would their hurting bodies!

One thing I disagreed with in the article is that the term "Christian feminist" is used as a way of escaping submission. I don't hear any evangelicals advising women to NOT submit. What I do hear is a call for mutual submission. Somehow, calling for each of us to submit to one another has been translated into women refusing to submit!

Let me know what you think.

2005-06-15T19:25:00.000-07:00

Mahlah, Noah, Hoglah, Milcah, & Tizrah
Daughters of Zelophehad (Numbers 26)

The current issue of Mutuality Spring 2005 includes an interesting article about a Bible story I had never heard before. It is the story of the daughters of Zelophehad, found in Numbers 26. These 5 sisters were the only offspring of one of the Israelites who died in the desert on the way to the Promised Land. As females, they were denied, by Israelite custom, of the laws of inheritance that would have given property in the Promised Land to the sons of deceased men. Together, these sisters appealed to Moses concerning the unfairness of this gendered reality - namely that their father's name would not be honored in the Promised Land simply because he had no male offspring. Moses was touched by their appeal and took their request to the Lord. God told Moses to grant their request,"What Zelophehad's daughters is saying is right. You must certainly give them property as an inheritance amoung their father's relatives and turn their father's inheritance over to them. (Num. 27:7 NIV)"

This was a bold move by women in that day. Typically, women had no rights at all according to Judiac law. We see through this story that God does not desire this for women. He desires for women to be treated fairly and equally in all instances.

Today we should be bold as these daughters and appeal to those who are in authority for equal standing with men both in the church, in our communities, in the workplace, and in the home. It is a bold move today as it was then. I am sure there was murmuring that occurred in the camp of the Israelites when the daughters dared to ask for something previously denied to women. Today we hear the same retort - why do women need to always clamor for roles of equality? We need to clamor in order to be heard. It is not sinful to request equality. It is what God desires for us.

I wonder why this story is buried within the OT and rarely discussed or preached? If you are intereseted in more about the daughters, visit the Mutuality website.

Women of the Bible

2005-05-24T17:02:00.000-07:00

I am reading another interesting book about this gender issue in the church: 10 Lies the Church Tells Women: How the Bible Has Been Misused to Keep Women in Spiritual Bondage. (J.Lee Grady, 2000, Charisma House Publication). The following is taken from pg. 36:

In conservative Christian circles women are expected to live contentedly in the background - presumable to focus on domestic duties - because this is their humble, god-ordained "place" in life. It's a place of invisible service and of godly but quiet influence over children and the home, or perhaps over the church nursery, Sunday school class or women's bible study.

Women, of course, are told it is an honor to live in the shadow of their husbands or other male authorities and a disgrace for them to assume a place of significant spiritual authority. But we need to ask: Where did we get this warped idea when it was not the perspective of Jesus Christ, nor is it promoted anywhere in the Scripture?

The bible, in fact, contains a rich record of women who were placed in authority by God. We must consider the way God used them before we attempt to pull an isolated Scripture out of context to build a doctrine that restricts the ministry opportunities of women. Consider the following biblical women and the level of authority they were given;

Miriam (Exodus 15:20)
Deborah (Judges 5)
Huldah (2 Kings 22:14)
Esther (Book of Esther)
Phoebe (Rom. 16:1-2)
Pricilla (Acts 18:24-26)
Philip's Daughters (Acts 21:9)
Lois and Eunice (1 Tim. 2:12)
Junia the Apostle (Rom. 16:7)

I will stop there but the list goes on. Women had major roles of leadership all through the Bible. Yet women today are denied roles of leadership except under the auspices of men. Women can lead as long a man says it ok to lead. As long as he has the final authority to say when to stop leading. As long as she does it with the approval of a man who remains in the room to observe that she does not overstep her authority over man. Now, obviously, not all women in the Bible were leaders. Not all women today are called into leadership. However, for some women, this will be a role that she feels especially equipped to fulfill and since there is clearly a model of female leadership from the Bible, it would be wrong to prevent her from filling a role for which she has been prepared for by God.

Women of the Bible

2005-05-24T16:59:00.000-07:00

Dominating women?????

2005-05-24T15:57:00.000-07:00

Mary Magdalene's image

2005-05-23T06:08:00.000-07:00

I have resisted reading The Da Vinci Code by Dan Brown, however, I believe some of the discussion generated from this best-seller is worthy of consideration. In the article excerpted below, the author argues that the myth of Mary Magdalene the whore has had a great impact on the way women were viewed culturally by both the secular and religious world. As we consider some of the historic representations of Mary Magdalene, what we see is a wanton prostitute repenting at the feet of Jesus. Mary Magdalene and the story of the prostitute forgiven by Jesus have been linked in the minds of many due to these artistic renderings. A closer look at the scriptures denies that link. These were two separate women; still, we often confuse Mary Magdalene with this woman. Watt believes this whore myth of Mary Magdalene has served to denigrate her unique position as a close companion of Jesus in her own right and has further served to reduce the status of women in the church. The myth perpetuates the fallacy that women are second-class citizens in need of rescuing from their uncontrolled sexual passion. He even goes on to state that the early church fathers used this myth to their advantage in advancing a patriarchal attitude toward women that placed women as inferior beings in need of guidance and overseeing.

As noted in earlier posts, it is important to examine the social factors that contributed to the status of women today in the religious world. This is just one example among many of how biblical truth was twisted by men to suit their need to control women and place them in subservient roles. It is important to examine the real role of Mary Magdalene in the ministry of Christ on earth. While I vehemently reject the notion that Mary Magdalene was the wife of Jesus, I just as strongly reject the image of her as depicted in many of the images of classic art. Jesus elevated the role of women during his walk on earth and Mary Magdalene is a prime example of this. She was a strong supporter and friend of Jesus and carried an esteemed position in his ministry. Consider the following excerpt from John Watt's article on the influence that the distorted image of Mary Magdalene has had on us today.

The Strange Fate of Women in Christian Culture (excerpt)by John Watt © 1997
Editor's note: "The Strange Fate of Women in Christian Culture" is a chapter in a larger, unpublished work called "In Search of the Covenant: Rediscovering Biblical Ethics," and only a portion of it is excerpted below. The author outlines some of the relevant history of Mary Magdalene, and discusses the complexities in discovering her place within Christianity. The section in which he discusses Magdalene's depiction in art is not to be missed.

"There is a great need in contemporary Christianity to rethink and reformulate from the ground up the role of women as bearers of religious and spiritual tradition. In terms of progress in this matter among the general public, we are still close to zero. The appointment of a few women to ministerial positions does little more than tinker with a closed system and does not get at the question of women as bearers and transmitters of divinity. The language, culture and traditions of modern Christianity are still fundamentally patriarchal. This was evidently not the intention of its founder. The renewal of Christianity will occur when the energy, language, spirituality, and recognition of women as carriers of divinity are fully engaged, as Jesus had intended."

The full article can be viewed by clicking on the link with the author's name.

Social Factoring

2005-05-21T17:49:00.000-07:00

In the early 19th century, Fredrick Franson writes,

Brothers, the harvest is great and the laborers are few. If the ladies want to help out in the fields during the harvest time, then I think we should let them bind as many sheaves as they can. It is better that women bind the sheaves than that the sheaves get lost. When one has been sent out on the field and heard the real cries for help from dozens of places, places to which one cannot possibly reach, then one cannot help but think, "It seems strange that only such a few verses of Scripture, about which there are so many disputes, should be made such obstacles to hinder those who otherwise would have responded to these calls for help."
(Fredrik Franson, quoted in Edvard P. Torjesen, Fredrick Franson: A Model for Worldwide Evangelism, Pasadena CA, William Carey Library, 1983, pg. 47)

And we see that many women did indeed answer that call to join with men in ministering the Word of God to the world. Women like Phoebe Palmer, Catherine Booth, and Hannah Whitall Smith, to name a few, were pioneers in this challenge. Preaching at places like the Winona Lake Bible Conference and forming the Women’s Christian Temperance Union, these women are recognized for outstanding preaching that led thousands of souls to Christ. Yet, by the 1930's we see a gradual withdrawal of women from the forefront of the pulpit.

Janette Hassey, in her article entitled Evangelical Women in Ministry a Century Ago, lists several reason why we saw this decline of women from the pulpit. She cites the emergences of a fundamentalist subculture which took a hard stand against women's involvement, a backlash against the social values arising in the dominate culture due to the feminist movement, and finally, a more literalists view of Scripture concerning those passages in the scriptures dealing with women. These factors combined to effectively wipe out women's involvement and we see the effect of the minimizing of women's voice during the last 50 years or so.

As a sociologist, I find it incredibly interesting that social factors played such a huge role in this battle of women to be heard. Many try to wrap the argument in Scripture and while there is a place for this discussion, we must also consider our culture, our subculture, and our reactions to both of these when making what we deem to be moral decisions about right and wrong. Many times our decisions are tempered by the events of the social world around us. Our individual experiences, especially what happens in our own families, shapes us in such strong ways that we come to believe that what our parents taught us as right or wrong must be validated in the Word. Sometimes this is not always the case and it is our responsibility to step back, examine our culture, and try to determine its impact on our moral decisions.

While one can never completely separate from the culture around us, I will attempt to do this as I pursue my thoughts on gendered reality.

Bush at Calvin

2005-05-18T05:05:00.000-07:00

Many of you know that Cedarville had high hopes that President Bush would deliver our 2005 comencement address. He turned us down - in favor of Calvin. This week he will be at Calvin to speak and it appears that there is some resistance to his politics. More than 100 professors have signed a letter protesting Bush's politics. Calvin has 300 professors, so this represents about 1/3 of their faculty. It is interesting to note that even though evangelicals have all been assumed to be on the bandwagon with Bush, there are still some out there who resist! I have included the letter written by the faculty:

An Open Letter to the President of the United States of America, George W. Bush
On May 21, 2005, you will give the commencement address at Calvin College. We, the undersigned, respect your office, and we join the college in welcoming you to our campus. Like you, we recognize the importance of religious commitment in American political life. We seek open and honest dialogue about the Christian faith and how it is best expressed in the political sphere. While recognizing God as sovereign over individuals and institutions alike, we understand that no single political position should be identified with God's will, and we are conscious that this applies to our own views as well as those of others. At the same time we see conflicts between our understanding of what Christians are called to do and many of the policies of your administration.
As Christians we are called to be peacemakers and to initiate war only as a last resort. We believe your administration has launched an unjust and unjustified war in Iraq.
As Christians we are called to lift up the hungry and impoverished. We believe your administration has taken actions that favor the wealthy of our society and burden the poor.
As Christians we are called to actions characterized by love, gentleness, and concern for the most vulnerable among us. We believe your administration has fostered intolerance and divisiveness and has often failed to listen to those with whom it disagrees.
As Christians we are called to be caretakers of God's good creation. We believe your environmental policies have harmed creation and have not promoted long-term stewardship of our natural environment.
Our passion for these matters arises out of the Christian faith that we share with you. We ask you, Mr. President, to re-examine your policies in light of our God-given duty to pursue justice with mercy, and we pray for wisdom for you and all world leaders.
Concerned faculty, staff, and emeriti of Calvin College .

This letter will published as an advertisement in The Grand Rapids Press on Saturday

Herstory

2005-05-17T19:26:00.000-07:00

Throughout history, a hidden thread of women's voices interweaves between the dominate voice of males. At times the thread runs wide and brillant but more often, it is thin and disguished. Still, it is interesting to look at the voice of women from the past - perhaps voices you have never heard. Ruth A. Tucker writes a chapter in a new book I am reading, Discovering Biblical Equality. Her chapter is entitled The Changing Roles of Women in Ministy: The Early Church Thought Through the 18th Century. In this chapter, she traces the role of women from the begining of the New Testament church. From early Christian martyrs such as Perpetua and Felilcitas to medival women monasteries led by women such as Hildegard or Catherine of Siena, we see women taking forefront roles in the church. One of the most interesting stories told by Tucker is the role of Suzanna Wesley, mother of John and Charles as well as seventeen other children. Most of us have heard her lifted up as the godly influence of a mother on the development of men of God, however, Suzanna was a leader in her own right and even called a "preacher of righteousness" by her son Charles. In fact, Tucker recounts that when Suzanna preached in the pulpit, only standing room remained in the churches. Even in the early days of bible institutes such as Moody Bible Insitute, it was quite acceptable for women to occupy and be trained for pastors, evangelists, Bible teachers, and even ordained ministers. This all leads me to again question where and what caused the changes we observe in the last century that places women in subordinate roles in the church and family. At one time, women served side by side with men in full equality. It is this and other themes I will attempt to explore in coming days.

A low regard for women

2005-05-16T05:49:00.000-07:00

Today, a blog from Lilypad2 reminds us of the infamous Jack Hyles and his treatment of women in the name of religion. This site includes audio files of an expose of Hyles and his followers in the 90's which document incidents of child sexual abuse, severe corporal punishment, and Hyles recorded responses from the pulpit. Admittedly, this is an extreme example of the experiences of women in Christianity today. However, it does remind me that this kind of "low regard for women" in Hyles brand of fundamentalism sets the stage for these kinds of happenings. When women are not included on an equal basis in the celebration of religion, it is very likely that some kind of abuse will occur. Women have been indoctrinated for centuries to believe that if they follow the lead of men, they are submitting to a biblical model. Yet, if we examine the scriptures, we see women in the Bible who were leaders in the early church. How did we come to this model of exclusive male leadership? Sadly, examples like Jack Hyle remind us how devastating the reality of gender is for women in these churches.

Questions

2005-05-15T18:59:00.000-07:00

Always asking questions!
Why is there such a gap between men and women?
As we look at the world, we see a history of women being overpowered, domineered and abused by the men they live with - all to various degrees. Why? The NY Times ran an article on Friday about women who are compelled into a "cleansing ritual" after the death of their spouse. This includes having sex with some designated male in either the family or the tribe. Women are forced into this ritual against their wills. It is one source of the spread of AIDS in Africa today. Again, I must ask why?

My quest

2005-05-13T17:35:00.000-07:00

Lately I have been questioning what it means to be a woman in the world of Christianity today. For most of my life, I have rarely questioned the reality of my gender. That is not to say that I do not accept nor embrace being a woman today. What I do question is how my reality differs from my fellow brother believers. I do not long for missing parts (sorry Sigmund!) but I have come to realize that my life is quite different because of the biological sex I was born into. All my life, my Christian experience has revolved around male leadership. Rarely have I experienced watching how women lead. My most crucial spiritual moments corporately have been under the tutelage of male ministers. It has been their words that inspired me to spiritual mountaintops and their words that lifted me from the valleys. Lately though, I have realized that I long for the female voice - it is like a piece of me is missing. Searching for female voice in the spiritual context has left me more than a little unfulfilled. As a young wife, I remember clearly reading Marabel Morgan's Total Woman and quickly rejecting her image of femininity. Many more like Marabel have followed. The reality of Christian women in today's world and church is that we have been taught that our voice is not important in the weightier issues of life. This is not acceptable to me. It will be my search to find and bring to this weblog some of the voices of Christian women that need to be heard today.