Have Women Been Had By The Church?

"The consensus appears to be that as it is presented and practiced in our churches the gospel is NOT Good News for women"--Elaine Storke, President of Tearfund, a christian relief and development charity organization.

In any debate, unfortunately, each side will too often cherry pick the evidence that best supports their stance and gloss over or completely ignore any contradicting information. 10 Lies The Church Tells Women: How the Bible Has Been Misused To Keep Women in Spiritual Bondage by J. Lee Grady, is refreshing because not only does the author cogently present supporting evidence, but he tackles ALL the evidence employed to support the OTHER SIDE. No matter where you fall on women issues, you have to respect an intellectually honest, holistic argument. Grady is an award winning journalist, ordained minister, and directs the Mordecai Project, an international ministry that confronts the abuse of women and challenges the church to release women in ministry.

I realize that the title alone of this book will offend many, so I would like to reiterate the introduction of the book that provides a few specific disclaimers to clarify what this book is NOT about. This book does NOT call for or advocate: female domination or rejection of male authority, an alliance with a radical secular feminist agenda or movement, gender androgyny, justification of female rebellion, bitterness, or resentment in response to male oppression or skewed biblical restrictions.

This book is about hope, healing, freedom and restoration for ALL of God's children, male and female alike; a call for all to take part in the spiritual inheritance made possible through Jesus.

The 10 lies Grady examines are:

1. God created women inferior being, destined to only serve their husbands

2. Women are not equipped to assume leadership roles in the church

3. Women must not teach or preach men in a church setting

4. A woman should view her husband as "the priest of the home"

5. A man needs to "cover" a woman in her ministry activities

6. Women who exhibit strong leadership qualities pose a serious danger to the church

7. Women are more easily deceived than men

8. Women cannot be fulfilled or spiritually effective without a husband and children

9. Women shouldn't work outside the home (not to be confused with MUST work outside the home either though).

10. Women must obediently submit to their husband in ALL situations.

Now, not all of these are complete lies, as Grady thoroughly covers, and some of them are only taught in very rigid fundamentalist churches, so some women may have never even encountered a few on this list.

Grady boldly explores the Genesis account, examining God's ideal creation, the miserable consequences of the Fall, and the miraculous, wondrous consequences of the cross: the restoration of both men and women to their original divine inheritance through Jesus' sacrifice. He examines the lives and implications of the female heroines of the bible: Deborah, Hulda, Miriam, Mary Magdelane, the many other Marys (hehe), Junia, Proverbs 31 woman, Priscilla, Philip's daughters, etc. He analytically and holistically examines Paul's writings, which seemingly appear to bar women from teaching/preaching/praying/leading in the presence of men, limit the spiritual gifts and capabilities of women, and advocate a heavily restricted-participatory status in the home, marriage, and society. Grady masterfully weaves together the the text, original historical and cultural contexts, the original language and the various interpretations among biblical scholars. He then shifts to a holistic approach to offset these isolated verses with the heart and message of the rest of the bible, believing scriptures should affirm each other and not stand in opposition to one another. He explores church history, challenging the basis for which some of these male-dominated interpretations emerged. The book has a personal feel to it, because Grady includes the stories of great Christian women leaders throughout church history and present day women who are restricted and conflicted. His scriptural study is EXTENSIVE, exploring stories and verses in Genesis, Numbers, Deuteronomy, Joshua, Job, Judges, Ester, Psalms, Proverbs, Joel, Jeremiah and large chunks of nearly every book in the New Testament.

To fight my long-winded propensity, I will refrain from relating the specifics of Grady's case (so, you should just buy the book!). I will, however, be using this book as one of many sources in my eventual multiple part study on biblical roles of women in each domain: home, marriage, and public church life.

Regardless of your stance, this will be a great read, even if it's is just to find out the reasoning for the conviction many christian brothers and sisters have to live out an egalitarian home, marriage, and church.

"'When [the women] came back from the tomb, they told all these things to the Eleven. … But they did not believe the women, because their words seemed to them like nonsense."--Christianity Today column.

"People do not know that while Barak trembled, Deborah saved Israel, or that Esther delivered the children of God from supreme peril … Is it not to women that our Lord appeared after His Resurrection? Yes, and the men could then blush for not having sought what the women had found."--Christianity Today column.