Marriage at work (4) “Wives submit”

3.1. Two Views We now get into the body of Paul’s instruction to wives and husbands.  So what does he mean by “wives submit” and why does he require it?  As we have seen already, Egalitarians treat any requirement for wives to be subordinate and husbands to lead as a temporary cultural requirement. 

Marriage at work (1) Introduction

I. 1. Why This Question? This dissertation arises from personal circumstances.  Sarah and I both grew up in what might be termed traditional households; dad worked while mum looked after the children and the home.  Our own circumstances when we got married were different to what we had experienced growing up; whilst I studied Theology,… Continue reading Marriage at work (1) Introduction

The big beautiful marriage story

One of my favourite Bible passages is Ephesians 5:21-33. It’s the passage which I looked at for my MTh dissertation and yet in many respects I’m frustrated by how it is treated by Christians. It has become the battle ground for tribal disputes and the result has been a narrowing of focus and a squeezing… Continue reading The big beautiful marriage story

Does egalitarianism lead to denominations supporting Same Sex Marriage

Last week, the Methodist Conference voted to change its position on marriage. The decision was that: The Methodist Church believes that marriage is given by God to be a particular channel of God’s grace, and that it is in accord with God’s purposes when a marriage is a life-long union in body, mind and spirit… Continue reading Does egalitarianism lead to denominations supporting Same Sex Marriage

Complementarianism and Singleness – in practice

This is my third article responding to the accusation that complementarianism discriminates against single people.  I want to look at how this works out in practice. I want to say at the start that this is not an attempt to claim that the churches I’ve been part of as a member or as a leader… Continue reading Complementarianism and Singleness – in practice

Complementarianism and Singleness -what does the Bible say?

The other week, I wrote about complementarianism and singleness in response to the claim that Complementarianism gives no space for single women in the church or society because women are required always to relate to God and others through the authority of a man. In that article I explained that this is a misunderstanding of… Continue reading Complementarianism and Singleness -what does the Bible say?

Christian Patriarchy may be following the wrong trajectory

Patriarchy seems to be a dominant word at the moment. It’s being used as a term of accusation and abuse against complementarians. For example, Beth Allison Barr whose book I reviewed recently identifies this as the big problem with conservative evangelicalism. It is also being used as a badge of honour by some who say… Continue reading Christian Patriarchy may be following the wrong trajectory

(Not Quite) The making of Biblical Womanhood

The most recent contribution to the conversation about the role of men and women in the church and in the home is The Making of Biblical Womanhood by Beth Allison Barr. Barr argues against complementarianism and claims that it is in fact a modern attempt to re-impose patriarchy. Furthermore she argues that complementarianism is a… Continue reading (Not Quite) The making of Biblical Womanhood