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The book What the Bible Actually Teaches on Women is a comprehensive critique of the “complementarian” assertion that women are meant to be subordinates of men both at the household and in church. The author, Kevin Giles, is an accomplished scholar and backer of female leadership and he has written many books about them in the ministry. In this tome, he showcases his meticulous study of the Bible and other literature on the topic.
In his book, Giles targets the arguments from the book God’s Design for Man and Woman by Andreas and Margaret Köstenberger as his antitheses. It is noteworthy, however, that both Giles and the Köstenbergers hold the scripture in high regard. Also, they respect the sanctity of the marriage institution and the roles of men and women in society. However, Giles’s thesis in his book is that men and women have equal status and leadership potential at home, in the ministry, and in society.
Giles begins his book by critiquing the complementarian stance that women are subordinate to men in society. The title itself is indicative of his opinion that many preachers and theologians use the scripture to emphasize the view that women play a subservient role to men. In the first three chapters of the book, Giles outlines the rudimentary assumptions of gender roles and the ministry’s resultant crisis. He argues that complementarianism consolidates the traditional views that women are inferior to men, as alleged by some evangelists (Giles, 2018).
Complementary theology focuses on differentiating the roles of women from those of men. However, Giles criticizes this perspective in his book asserting that the term “role” is too rigid to disclose the refusal of the traditionally dominant gender (men) to empower the supposedly weaker sex (Giles, 2018, p. 13). By using this term, complementarians obfuscate their real motive; to reinforce the thought that men should rule while women submit.
In the book, Giles wants the reader to differentiate facts from implications, rules from principles, and explicit content from that which is implicit when studying the scripture. Giles views his style as more theological than exegetic because his teachings are meant to be applied in the contemporary world (Giles, 2018).
His books are authoritative in academia and in ministry because of his extensive experience in both fields. Therefore, he urges neophyte theologians to approach the scripture as carefully as possible because it accommodates both God’s ideals for the modern Christian and the ancient cultural, social structure (Giles, 2018). In his book, the author is methodical in his research, and his content is replete with factual data to back his claims. He provides an annotated bibliography on pages 231-35 and a broader reading list at the end of the book.
In the introductory chapters, Giles takes issue with the methodologies and content of complementarian scholars. He begins his argument by reminding the reader that women’s supposed subservience is a direct result of man’s fall. It was not in the initial plan for women to be subordinate, but she was created to provide company to the lonely man. In other words, women’s subservience stemmed from man’s sinful nature and is a departure from God’s original plan for man (Giles, 2018).
This stance is in direct contrast to that held by the Köstenbergers, who support men’s patriarchal dominance. He further wondered why gender equality is so hotly contested in the contemporary world given the positive impact of feminism, the greater participation of women in society, and the increase of women in leadership.
In the ensuing chapters, Giles discusses how complementarianism was invented in 1977 by George Knight. He laments the abuse of gender roles and how men have traditionally used the scripture to preach in coded language that God intended for women to be subject to male rule. He argues against this notion by working through the scripture from the creation story (Giles, 2018).
He refers to how Jesus treated women honorably and equitably. He refers to selecting women among the disciples of Jesus as a testament to God’s ideal about women’s position in the church (Giles, 2018). He asserts that women are capable of serving in the ministry and that they should be supported.
The author explains that Jesus continually thought about the value of self-sacrifice and humility, which are attributes that are more attributable to the female gender. Thus, while acknowledging the academic brilliance of the Köstenbergers, Giles respectfully disagrees with their complementarian views in their book.
The book outlines the important role women play in the Gospels and Paul’s argument about females’ critical role in leadership. He cites several women and their contributions to the ministry of Jesus. Some names cited in the book include the female disciple Junia, Priscilla, and Phoebe. Jesus never regarded men as serving more prominent marriage roles and had a special relationship with women in the New Testament (Giles, 2018).
The most notable female figure associated with Jesus is Mary Magdalene, who Christ referred to as the apostle of the apostles. Giles further argues that Just like Jesus, Paul had no issues working with women as he names ten ladies in Romans, chapter 16. The people in that list served in various church capacities such as deacons, apostles, church leaders, and missionaries. This data-driven assertion further underpins the thesis of his book.
The author clarifies ambiguous Greek terms kephalê and authentein. He explains that the term kephalê as used in 1 Corinthians 11:16 refers to “a source” rather than “head,” which was the most common interpretation (Giles, 2018). As such, he reckons that women were given the power to prophesy and lead Christian fellowships worldwide. He also acknowledges that some texts in the scripture, such as 1 Corinthians 14:33-34 support complementarianism in the ministry context (Giles, 2018).
Conversely, he offers a disclaimer that they do not belong in Paul’s argument against male dominance. On the other hand, Giles (2018) clarifies the scripture in 1 Timothy 2:12, which uses the term authentein to mean usurped rather than the popular misconception of divine authority. The author argues that the term is used to discredit women who attempt to control men in society (Giles, 2018). However, according to him, this clarification does not deny women’s leadership potential.
Chapters 6 to 8 discuss how the Bible takes women’s subservience for granted, especially in cultural settings. In parts, the Bible offers ammunition for complementarians such as the Köstenbergers to advance their argument that women have the divine duty to submit to men. For instance, on pages 154-168, Giles cites Ephesians 5:21-3 as a highly contentious text when broaching this subject (Giles, 2018).
The Bible says in this scripture that men had divine rights, privileges, and liberties not available to women. However, Giles maintains that this passage was only applicable in the ancient context when women and girls had little education, were dependent on their husbands, and were socialized to be good wives to their partners. He argues that his egalitarian view of marriage is unimaginable in such circumstances.
To further advance his view, the author uses the scripture to discredit patriarchy at the household level. The introductory part of the passage in the book of Ephesians 5: 21 affirms that submission in matrimony should be mutual. In his words, the central theme in the passage is to implore the husband, who is the head of the family, to serve the wife’s interests.
The author posits that this scripture does not bestow the man with powers to rule his household, but it asks him to listen to his wife. This interpretation supports the egalitarian perspective on marriage, where leadership is irrelevant, and service is of utmost importance.
Giles deliberates how the Bible has been used in the past to support slavery and female subservience. According to this theologian, there are many parallels to be drawn between oppression and gender discrimination. He uses the example of 19th century evangelists who used the scripture to brainwash their audiences about slavery.
These evangelists proclaimed that slavery was necessary and that the Bible had numerous instances where slaves were used for society’s greater good. However, he acknowledges the existence of an opposing faction of ministers who condemned the slave trade and dedicated their lives to abolishing it. In the book, it is clear that he does not support any form of slavery and subservience, regardless of gender.
In his argument against oppression, the author documents how the Bible has been used to defend oppression. Giles explains numerous instances when the scripture is quoted out of context to serve the colonizer’s interests. His primary focus is how missionaries advanced their agenda through apartheid in South Africa and the subsequent outcomes.
Further, Giles examines why complementarians argue against egalitarian ministers when all Christians should naturally support equality for women and oppressed people. It is inconceivable to him why people would promote male chauvinism in the church and society when the benefits of greater participation of women in society are there for all to see. Nonetheless, the author writes that not all people who advocate for race differentiation are oppressive and not all men are abusive despite supporting male headship in the family set up.
Giles admits that there are sociological and institutional conventions that lend credence to complementarianism. Egalitarians often struggle to battle deeply held traditions to empower women and achieve gender parity in many life spheres. For instance, many girls are socialized to be homemakers and often have to make sacrifices for the family.
In the contemporary world, it is common for women to look for less demanding and less fulfilling jobs because they are expected to raise children. Many evangelists believe that it is the divine duty of men to provide for women and their children, and as such, their wives should always support them and submit.
The institutional and social barriers to gender equality and justice for oppression against women take center stage towards the end of the book. Today, women are taught to be subservient to men and uphold various patriarchal beliefs imposed on them. It is a common practice for couples in the developed world to abort female fetuses because they want male children. This is a practice that should be discouraged in the 21st century as women and men are equal, and as such female fetuses should also be carried to term.
It is also normal for girls to be subjected to female genital mutilation in some cultures, despite the lack of textual evidence that this is God’s will in the Bible. This practice is often motivated by the desire for men to reduce women’s sexual desire and esteem. Some of these practices are health hazards, and it is evident why feminists should work harder to emancipate girls and women from patriarchs.
The book depicts Giles’s passion concerning the need to set women free to explore their potential. The author speaks out against the retrogressive culture of marrying off underage girls off to wealthy men. Not only are the children too young to play the roles of wives, such as advising their men during the decision-making process, but according to Giles, they are rather vulnerable against such men given the significant age difference (Giles, 2018).
Further, the author decries the flawed criminal justice systems which treat grave abuse against women lightly. In many countries, many rapists and violent husbands escape justice, which leaves millions helpless in the hands of such men. This makes the argument for male supremacy all the more baffling for Giles. In his view, no person in his or her right mind should support male dominance when it leads to the gross violation of human rights against women.
To his credit, Giles absolves complementarian scholars of the abuse against women. The scholars are not responsible for the social ills committed against women in the name of upholding the will of God. However, their work is frequently used by abusive men to justify their actions and to evade the law.
By creating a body of literature that supports the notion that men are superior to women, they generate an environment where it is impossible for women to thrive. For instance, despite advances in the ministry, women are still underrepresented in the clergy and ministry. Giles (2018) argues that feminism and other efforts to elevate women’s social and economic status in contemporary society is good news for both genders and the ministry.
The book concurs with the egalitarian analysis of central biblical readings about women and men’s roles in the ministry and other spheres of life. Further, the author proves that the most respected theologians always converge in their interpretation of the scripture. In his view, it does not matter whether a theologian is Catholic, Reformed Catholic, or Protestant, they always agree on critical issues in the Bible (Giles, 2018). For this reason, he conducts a detailed review of Christian literature to corroborate his claims.
The background of his inquiry on the topic is extensive, and there is no apparent subjectivity. However, it is noteworthy that the book appears to advance a strong bias against Reformed Christians’ view of the role of women in the household and the ministry. In some passages, such as on pages 101, 22, 228, to mention a few, the author appears to suggest that Reformed churches are heavily responsible for literature that supports slavery and slave trade (Giles, 2018). While this could prove to be true to some extent, millions of non-reformed theologians are egalitarian.
The book raises numerous arguments about women’s participation in contemporary churches. The author advances the belief that since Jesus marked the end of animal sacrifices and the isolation of priests as essential links to God when the veil was torn (Giles, 2018). This marked a new era of Christianity, where individual repentance and communication with God opened opportunities to reconcile without any intervention.
Based on this analogy, Giles questions why women were not accorded the chance to become priests after the veil was torn. To date, women have not exercised any priesthood despite the modern theological understanding described by numerous scholars. Giles (2018) claims that an egalitarian theology should support women’s role as priests and as equal persons in society. In addition, when the veil was torn and through Jesus’s sacrifice, the theological grounds were leveled.
However, following the egalitarian teachings to inform cultural practices might infer that some practices such as homosexuality are acceptable. Although Giles questions the role of women in the priesthood, his explanation of egalitarian theology does not include accepting behaviors that otherwise are considered immoral and queer.
In conclusion, the author adamantly advocates for both genders’ equality, noting that women are equal to men in many perspectives. However, the Bible seems to advance the notion that male privilege is acceptable as other social practices such as slavery. The book takes a feminist stand and strongly advocates equality of sexes instead of women’s subordination based on the creation ideal.
The convictions against women subjugation are essential in contemporary society as it informs pastors, scholars, and Christians about the significance of women in the Bible. Giles informs that the long-held concept of Jesus’s subordination to God since Father begets son is used to support women’s subservience. However, he shows that eternal subordination is flawed since the doctrine of eternal generation teaches the co-equality of Jesus and God.
Similarly, the Holy Trinity’s ideology has long been used to shape the family patterns on earth, placing wives below the husbands. Giles contends that such a perspective is superficial and subjective since it fails to acknowledge women’s implication in families and society. Therefore, both sexes have similar roles and responsibilities, and one can replace the other without enforcing the submission of the less perceived gender.
Giles uses the complementarian argument to deconstruct the notion that women are inferior to men, as stipulated in the Bible. He offers credible and reliable arguments that mainly depict the flaws in the complementarian perspective. Further, the book advances many perspectives that women are equal to men, and the social practices that reduce them to inferior beings are detrimental. The author believes that in the same way God and Jesus co-exist as equals, women should be accorded a similar recognition to their equality to men.
Giles argues against slavery and the subordination of women apparent in any biblical passages. He successfully shows that the Bible seeks to maintain male privilege as it would be used to appeal for slavery and apartheid. The book indicates that the clergy in today’s society encourages a legitimate abuse of women using the scriptures to convince the Christians about the inequality of sexes based on God’s ideal. In that way, Giles provides comprehensive research providing consistent and robust grounds to accept the equality of sexes and avoid subjecting women to male patriarchy.
Reference
Giles, K. (2018). What the Bible actually teaches on women. Wipf and Stock Publishers.
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