This third (and final) preliminary response to the three e-books in Zondervan’s new series, Fresh Perspectives on Women in Ministry, attempts to briefly outline and respond to the distinctive arguments and conclusions of each.
According to their own accounts, each of our authors began with questions and problems raised by their own beliefs about and experiences of women in churches, and then, subsequently, turned to a re-examination of the Scriptures.
Although eager to be persuaded by the many revised interpretations offered for 1 Tim 2:11–12, Kathy Keller was unconvinced by the arguments and so her ‘Shift-story’ brought her back to a conservative position: these verses forbid a woman from being in the kind of office that requires the exercise of discipline in the church, that is, she should not be ordained.
John Dickson and Mike Bird present a shift story that invites their readership away from traditional readings. It is worth noting, however, that our two friends offer different revisions, which actually conflict with each other. One of the features of the last forty years is that, despite being united by a common need to revise this text, the revisions have been multiple and contradictory.
Each of our authors suggests, in their own way, that the meaning of Paul’s prohibition (1 Tim 2:12) is closely related to the content of what is taught. Read more
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