David Morris

"Christian feminism" truly is an oxymoron. It might be helpful to remember that feminism is not simply an ideal or concept with which every self-respecting woman should resonate. Feminism is a specific agenda, or rather a social/political movement in which specific organizations push a specific agenda, most of the goals of which are clearly anti-scriptural. Any common ground feminism has with Christianity is only superficial. For example, feminists oppose pornography, but only because pornography is degrading to women, not because it is morally wrong. The Bible's major offense to feminists is in regard to equality. The Bible is clearly patriarchal. However, for women to obtain true equality would be a step down from the biblical model. The Bible does not indicate that all women are to be subject to all men, but rather a woman is to be subject to one man - her own husband. A woman of high capabilities can be in a leadership position over men in the state (ex. Deborah), but not in the home, where the husband is the federal head, or the church.

While I agree with most of that, I'm not exactly sure what you mean by "true equality" being "a step down from the biblical model."
Biblically speaking, women are just as equal to men as Jesus Christ is to God. (see 1 Corinthians 11:3) The position of headship does nothing to alter the equality of women to men; it merely delineates the God-intended (and Christ-modelled)relationship within the home and the church.
Since its beginning in the earthly life of Christ, true Christianity has exalted the place, worth, and virtue of women. In God's eyes, there is no male or female, bond or free, etc. Christianity levels the playing field between men and women, honestly recognizing that a woman's soul is just as important as a man's, that a woman's ideas are just as valid as a man's, that women can be better than men in intellect, spirituality, and any other area.
The earned perception that equates militant Christianity with chauvinism is a tragic commentary on our failure to think and act biblically toward women. For too long, men have distorted, abused, or misappropriated the biblical order of headship for their own purposes of domination, with tragic results. If the women who gravitate to feminist thinking (so often hurting and empty) knew what the Bible truly does for women, and became intimately acquainted with the True Man, there would be no such movement.
On the other hand, I appreciated what you said about the oxymoron. Christianity so far excels the distorted concepts Feminists demand for "equality," so purifies the relationship between men and women, and so empowers true womanhood that the comparisons quickly fade.

As a last appeal, I would like to encourage truly biblical thinking about women. Sometimes I feel like "we" tend more towards a lower view of women than God has and that we fail to elevate their place and equality as God intends. The paucity of strong women leaders and speakers within "our" circles is one good example. (if a woman today wants to hear a wonderful women's speaker, by and large her only recourse is outside "our" circles.) A myriad of lesser, daily attitudes and perspectives reveal unbiblical views of women. Even in a marriage, women are free moral agents, not to be controlled by her husband but to be led. Reticence to "let" a wife do things like balance the checkbook since then she'd have authority over the man is a reflection of a terribly unbiblical view of headship.
While the demanding, agenda-driven philosophies of feminism are to be decried as unbiblical, so to is the arrogance and exaltation of men.

Joy reads my blogs, so she directed me to this blog of yours.

Ever heard of Mary Stewart VanLeeuwen? She's a great "Christian feminist" and has authored several books. One I'm reading now is called "Gender and Grace." She writes:

"A Christian feminst (if I may now venture my own definition) is a person of either sex who sees women and men as equally saved, equally Spirit-filled and equally sent. Please note this does not imply that there are not differences between men and women. The notion of justice between the sexes does not have to mean that men and women must always do exactly the same things in exactly the same way" (p. 36)

One of her topics in this book is about the results of the curse put on men and women. She says that after the Fall, man's tendency is to want to dominate the woman. Woman's tendency, ironically, is to let them (you'd need to read a fuller explanation in order to understand that one).

In my humble opinion, you're right about us fundies not encouraging women in certain areas-- like teaching. There are extremely great women teachers out there, but they don't run in fund. circles.

If you're interested, please check out the "gender studies" blogs on my site. There are quotes, links to a series of good sermons preached about this, etc. www.spreadinghisword.org/annesmeadow/

I was at a L'Abri Conference this summer, is what got me so fascinated with this topic. And I'm a missionary in Ukraine--and I will admit (with chagrin), that this is one of the few things that gets me hot under the collar here-- the treatment/perception of women in 'fundamental' cirlces. (I had a very 'liberated' father :)

Also, my sister does all the finances in her family. She is no less a woman, and her husband is quite manly.

:o)

thanks for commenting, anne. i'll be sure to check out those sermons. i've been to your blog several times, also resulting from joy's directing.

Another interesting thought just made a return-circuit through my brain. You wrote: "I would like to encourage truly biblical thinking about women." I think an interesting flip-side to that is coming to a Biblical view of men.

This is where gender roles can come into play. For example, in the microculture of the Bible institute where I teach, I've noticed that studying theology is a "man's work." It is not considered feminine. (Male/female gender roles are more distinct in this culture.) Studying theology is not for a woman. Therefore, my students sometimes perceive it as threatening to their manhood to conceive of a woman sitting in the desk next to them and learning Greek or what have you. The problem is that they have created an unbiblical foundation for their manhood.

In American culture, it's considered somewhat effeminate for a man to love poetry and music. (In Ukraine, this is perfectly manly.) This is actually how some men become gay--- not because they wanted to be, but because the gay community accepted them for who they were, while "normal" people considered them and treated them as if they were effeminate. This is also an unbiblical view of man created by our culture.

At this L'Abri Conference, the lady discussing this said several times that a man's manhood is secure in Christ (meaning, it's not secured through his doing the finances, his going hunting, his doing extreme sports, his micromangement of his home/work, his clothing, etc.) God made him a man; he is a man. He finds his man-ness in Christ, not in doing various and sundry things his culture (even his Christian culture) tells him is "manly" or "man's work."

She also stressed how much we just, as men and women, need to be pursuing the fruit of the Holy Spirit, humility, mutual submission, etc. It's not that women are the 'gentler sex,' that I need to be emotional, passive, etc. But as a woman, I work at developing qualities like love, peace, gentleness, faithfulness, wisdom, etc. And a man does the same. Then we're not competing for certain roles or qualities or striving after things that others tell us is masculine/feminine.

Well, anyway, that's some other interesting things I learned.