I so often pray
that the eyes of the Lord will look to and fro about the earth,
seeking for one to whom He can show Himself as strong, and that, by
His help, I will be fit for Him to notice. I pray for his help to
enlighten my understanding so that He will show Himself strong to me,
in all His depth and width and height as my life unfolds, being
gentle with me as He brings me deeper into that sweet fragrance of
the knowledge of Him. But I find that I also look to and fro,
looking for people who will have the strength and the willingness to
step forward to speak the truth, and I pray that God shows Himself
strong to them, too. We have too few of them today.
Three years ago today, I had the honor
of sharing the dais with Shirley Taylor at Seneca Falls II, a
conference focusing on Evangelical Christian women's rights, where we
joined with others to form the Freedom
for Christian Women Coalition (FreeCWC). At a break in the order
of the meeting on the morning of July 24th, 2010, I told
her that it was a pity that I had to fly across the country to find a
woman of valor such as her – a woman of strength who readily
recognized the serious problems concerning the gender teachings in
the church, for I still ponder why so many Christians don't rise up
in dissent and protest. We should have such discussions at many of
our local churches. She also took the next step to rise up to speak
about them. When preaching complementarianism, Evangelicals no
longer preach Christ and Him crucified but instead tout the glory and
the traditions of men instead. To enthrone male headship, they had
to dethrone the King of Kings. Why are so many silent about it, and
why doesn't every Believer recognize it? Surely God will show
Himself strong to them for their faith and courage and valor, too.
What blesses me so much about Shirley
is that she is just a rank and file Believer like most of us who
wrote a book at the age of 69, and she knows, loves and recognizes
her Savior. She knows and adores the Genuine Article well, so when
that which is not comes along, she identifies the counterfeit
readily. She knows her Savior and seeks to see Him have his rightful
place in the Church and in the hearts of His people. It is that
knowing through walking through the Christian life as a student of
the Word that has given her the discernment to identify truth from
error. She's a wife and a mother and a church secretary, and she
used to work as a secretary for her Baptist denomination
headquarters. But the authority that truth yields to all Believers
empowers Shirley to not only recognize the problems of
complementarianism, but she also is willing to come forward to boldly
address them.
The Call to Action
In the introduction of Shirley's book,
Dethroning
Male Headship, the doctrine that “doesn't have a leg to
stand on” as she describes it, she explains that the serious errors
of the new gender doctrines and the serious problems of the fruit of
these doctrines must be confronted. We have a duty as Believers and
lovers of God's Word to speak out against them. She notes later in
the book with such refreshing simplicity something akin to my own
reaction to these doctrines – that which I could not understand was
not spoken often by all those who love and know Jesus through
diligent study of the Word: “That does
not make one bit of sense. It will not hold water. It is made-up
theology. And neither do their scripture references back it up”
(pg 21). Why do so few Believers recognize this very thing in the
same way that Shirley has, offended at the violence that has been
brought against the core message of the very identity of Jesus
Himself?
She notes that the Council
on Biblical Manhood and Womanhood (CBMW) came into existence in
the 1980s, claiming that they purposed to “stimulate healthy
discussion, hoping that it will gain widespread assent.” I
love Shirley's response as she echos what the consequences can be if
one gains the whole world for the wrong purpose, a principle that
every a young Christian child should be taught and should recognize:
“It
did gain widespread assent.
But
widespread assent does not make it right.”
CBMW claims in their slogan that they
believe that men and women are equal, but that they are different,
repeating it as though they borrowed the notes from the one who
popularized the concept of the Big
Lie. They have certainly demonstrated that the technique is
a powerful one. The Council repeats this idea, yet so much of the
message that they send through convoluted and contrived applications
of Scripture and so much sophistry speak the opposite in mealy
mouthed messages that say that women are most definitely not equal to
men. Splitting hairs and using nearly every logical fallacy and
propaganda technique in the book, they've blackmailed Evangelical
Christians into accepting both their paradigm and their novel,
redefined and contrived language so that they can dominate the
discussion of gender. For those who reject their paradigm, they've
crafted a lovely loophole: those who reject their ideas are said to
reject God Himself and His Lordship. And then the pejoratives
follow, the name calling that serves as the last resort for those who
try to advance a weak argument against those with a strong one.
Shirley notes that her book is a call
to action that she issues to the Evangelical Church at large today to
examine and recognize what the Scriptures actually teach and how that
contrasts with what has been redefined by CBMW as
“complementarianism.” Dethroning Male Headship walks the
reader through the reasons why complementarianism shows itself as
nothing more than the traditions of men who have scapegoated women by
viewing gender as some grand conspiracy on the part of women to
overthrow men, and those women are defined in terms of both primary
essence and character as far less than equal to men. They clamor
back to the Garden of Eden and their father, Adam, instead of running
to Jesus. Shirley's book demonstrates that the only means by which
the complementarians really have to run back to Adam comes through
legalism, condemnation, manipulation, and control – all while they
call it love and God's divine order.
An Overview
Divided into four sections, Dethroning
Male Headship begins with a Biblical defense of the equality that
men and women share, countering many of the primary ideas taught by
CBMW. Shirley establishes the principles that she finds to be taught
plainly and simply in Scripture, in just sixty pages. (Consider that
Piper and Grudem had to produce a
482 page treatise in defense of their Danvers
Statement, their overview position statement about what they
believe that the Bible states about gender.)
As Christians, we are to study the
Bible so that we can grow to be more like Jesus as we learn of Him,
changed over time to be more and more like Him by that miracle of the
melding of those Words of Life and the Holy Spirit that brings them
to life in us. Complementarianism demands a hierarchical view of
both God's identity and then superimposes that on to gender
relationships, then claims that if a person rejects this hierarchy,
they are not true Christians and, in effect, worship a false God and
follow an unorthodox religion We learn about proper conduct, not
through focusing on what we learn from the living out of the Word
which makes us more Christ-like, but rather through following the
moral imperatives dictated to us by CBMW. Why do we need volumes of
writing and group of elite experts to explain this to us? Doesn't
this argue against the study of Scripture itself and the illumination
of the Word through the Spirit so that a person like Shirley and
every other Believer can arrive at an orthodox understanding of who
God is? If the Word is inspired, profitable, and useful for
discernment about how to live, just as
the Apostle Paul taught Timothy, why do we need these high
priests to go into heaven for us to even begin to know the most basic
ideas about who God is, special secrets learned from volumes of the
writings of these men? I find that Shirley's simple and honest
defense of her beliefs points out that CBMW actually argues against
the sufficiency of Scripture and the transforming power of the Holy
Spirit that is given to everyone who comes to faith in Jesus.
In Part Two of the book, Shirley
specifically examines the Danvers Statement itself to expose
the deceptive and twisted language used by the Council in the crafty
document. An earlier summary of some of her ideas about the Danvers
Statement that are found in this section of the book already appear
here on this website (Read more about the Rationales
and Affirmations
via these links). As
stated earlier, CBMW uses sophistry and confusing language to read
into Biblical texts and ideas. This section brings to mind the
disingenuous nature of the efforts of these “complementarian
masterminds” of sorts, exposed in the words of Russell Moore. He
comes right out and says that he prefers the term “patriarchy” to
“complementarianism,” but if CBMW were that honest and direct in
their explanations of what their doctrine means, no one would have
bought into it. They had to disguise the true nature of what they
really meant about their gender teachings without them seeming
distasteful. Shirley expounds on her real world and pragmatic
understanding of how the Danvers Statement fleshes out, based on what
people come away with from the whole of complementarianism. She
shows the Danvers Statement to be little more than legalistic
disclaimers that are far from honest. She strikes me as like the boy
who pointed at the naked king to tell the truth about the Emperor's
New Clothes.
The third section of the book outlines
the Demand
for an Apology letter that was sent to CBMW three years ago,
demanding that the Council own up to the problems fostered by their
teachings and how those teachings have contributed to inestimable
harm. Much of this can be viewed and read at
the FreeCWC site, along with the defense of why an apology is
vitally needed. It is sad that these men who claim to be so driven
to change the world by bringing the right view of gender to the
Church have never responded to the letter. I know of only
one acknowledgment of it from within the complementarian high
priest camp, and it was far from concerned or instructive. Ignoring
criticism and through the name calling of dissidents, critics, and
opponents of complementarianism has been the modus operandi of the
group. (I am proud to have been a signatory of this document, three
years ago today, and I'm honored to have the opportunity to celebrate
the effort with this book review.)
Part Four of the book delves deeper
into more specific problems of the logical conclusions and aberrant
tertiary teachings that have resulted from the errors of
complementarianism. Shirley then calls for the dethroning of male
headship and the restoration of Christ to His proper place in the
Evangelical Church. She notes the history of the gradual acceptance
of the doctrine, and she touches on the painful consequences of the
Southern Baptist Convention's ratification of the Danvers Statement
as their formal position on gender. This act required that women
missionaries (this
site lists just a few and many articles about the resignations)
and seminary teachers like Sherri
Klouda be recalled from their fields of service because the
doctrine deems women unfit for any type of governance or teaching
capacity, if they teach men which is believed to threaten male
authority. I also admire the choice of accomplished men like Alan
Myatt as well as that of his accomplished wife, Kathy, who also
refused to pledge his acceptance of the doctrine, a choice that
radically changed their lives and ministries.
This section of the book also examines
what I find to be the most unpleasant and disturbing aspect of the
theological errors of complementarianism. As a vocal critic of the
manner in which the Godhead has been anthropomorphized or made over
into a man-centered concept which attempts to remove all ambiguity
from that which Paul called mysteries, I greatly appreciated this
section of the book. I was a bit mortified when I heard that the
book quoted and immortalized my statement concerning the doctrine of
the Eternal
Subordination of the Son and the “eternal suffering servant
sonship”of Jesus. (If I recall correctly, I've not written this
before publicly, as I have concerns that it sounds a bit too much
like the “shock jock tactics” used by complementarians who say
outrageous things like “most heterosexual Christians are really
living in same-sex marriages.”) I was relieved to see how well
Shirley treated the matter in an excellent chapter that explores
these doctrinal problems.
“It's not enough to just slam women, but the complementarians are so motivated by the woman problem, they will put Jesus in a dress and make Him out to be the eternal slave – a special purpose God. The one Divine Person who actually had a physical body that was male is given the “role” that is synonymous with women. In that sense, they put Him in a dress. Even on that level, what sense does this teaching make? The one who is given the pre-eminence in all things is secondary in power. Why?” (pg 137)
Shirley also tackles the disturbing
teachings of complementarians that distort marriage and sexualize the
Christian faith as well as the Trinity. I am grateful to Shirley for
suffering through these writings, for I cannot stand to read much of
them. With a grace and dignity that I find remarkable because of the
nature of the subject, she examines the extension of this theology to
the sex act itself. I had no idea that men like Tim Keller who I
believed to be a bit less caught up into some of the greater errors
of this theology linked coitus with some kind of spiritual
celebration of the Trinity. (I thought that no one was supposed to
really know about let alone discuss in mixed company in a worship
service the mystery of a man with a maid?) I've learned to accept
and had some knowledge of John Piper's fascination and obsession with
the bedrooms of Christian couples, though he has no business nosing
around or dictating anything that takes place in the sanctity of my
marriage bed or behind the door of my marriage chamber. Shirley
presents a brief tour through these writings, sparing people like me
from having to read what I think of as filth, really, exposing just
enough of this sick fruit of the beliefs about male headship and the
idolatrous worship of both men and sex.
Shirley concludes this section with
charges and challenges to Believers, to women, and especially to
pastors to not only discern what the Bible truly says about these
matters concerning gender, but also to consider how their influence
affects others. The fruit of these teachings and the errors in the
teachings cry out for those who observe the injustice and the harm to
take action. She asks that people consider making the issue personal
and to commit to read about and study and discuss these matters,
considering what the Bible really says about gender. The book
concludes with a list of questions, Ten Questions, that the Church
should consider and should honestly answer. They concern the
consequences of the continued acceptance of complementarianism if it
is permitted to grow without opposition.
Not Irenic?
In a recent post on Shirley's blog, the
bWe Baptist Women for Equality blog, she noted that a critic
claimed that her book was not irenic.
Shirley writes:
“Irenic is a good little Christian word which means that you don’t hurt anybody’s feelings. The definition is “tending to promote peace or reconciliation; peaceful or conciliatory.”Why would I be irenic? Who thinks I would write an irenic book? If my name appears on an irenic book, you can be sure that it was written by somebody else. Those of you who read my blog know that the last thing I want to be is “irenic.”
How do you demand that pastors tear down a wall and still be irenic? How do you attempt to spur people on to actually do something about male headship unless you tell who is teaching it, and what they are saying, and you cannot do that and still be irenic.
I am not going to compare myself with Jesus, but I am going to make a statement. Jesus was not irenic. Read Matthew 23 and see if his words would be acceptable in a Christian book.”
I disagree a bit with Shirley on this
point. Before reconciliation can take place and forgiveness can
thrive, there must first be a reckoning concerning that which has
occurred that has destroyed or threatened peace.
I would say that the first stages of
reconciliation and peace after an injustice involves the painful
process of wading through the hard and painful facts of that
injustice. Jeremiah
wrote that leaders dressed the wound of the daughter of God's
people slightly and covered over it's seriousness, pretending as
though it was not a serious matter. He wrote that it was as if the
people cried out repeatedly that all was peaceful, all while no peace
existed. The process of cleaning a wound to remove the irritants and
infection is a painful one, and to cover it up without doing so can
be deadly, very much so in the literal sense. Shirley's book,
particularly within that fourth section, accomplishes this hard
process of pain by exposing the unpleasant nature of the problem of
complementarianism. Like a surgeon, she lances through the surface
so that the “slight covering” of the true problems can be
acknowledged. She then asks the Church and charges it to do
something about it.
At this stage in the process, and given
the recalcitrant denial of the High Priests of Complementarianism to
look honestly into and acknowledge the bad fruits of their belief
system, it is up to them to respond with an irenic spirit. But they
will not hear anyone who does not tickle their own ears with flattery
and hero worship and maudlin admiration. Those who come to them
honestly for answers are ridiculed and are deemed to be unbelievers.
So that they do not have to be held accountable, they de-Christianize
and demoralize those who ask for accountability. They neither model
nor show a spirit of peace and cooperation. They vilify and abandon
the wounded.
If they were irenic, they would have
responded to the Demand
for an Apology long ago. Shirley's not rejecting peace. She's
taking appropriate and early measures in the process of collaboration
to seek justice. But what should one do when ignored and belittled?
It's been three years, and we who
signed that letter are still waiting for some productive discussion.
We're not going anywhere, either.
Don't let evil prevail. Read the book and be challenged....and
then act.
