Customer Reviews

Evangelical Feminism and Biblical Truth: An Analysis of More Than 100 Disputed Questions

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This large but very readable book is a well-researched, interesting and helpful treatment of the Bible's teaching concerning women's roles in marriage and in the local church. Grudem is pro-woman, pro-church and pro-Scripture.

The book's logic is compelling, though some will naturally be offended because certain conclusions go against our culture's grain--particularly the pervasive assumption that equality of person demands sameness in role. If readers give it a chance, and for some that will be a BIG "if," I think they will find Grudem to be fair and accurate in conveying what the Bible itself actually says, what evangelical feminists say and what gaps do and do not exist between those two.

Among other things, in his treatment of the difference between prophecy and teaching, Grudem offers an understanding of 1 Cor. 11:6 and gives a compelling contextual interpretation of 1 Cor. 14:33-35, resolving its apparent (but not real) contradiction with the previous passage (women free to prophesy and pray in church, yet not free to "speak"). His treatment of the often maligned and misinterpreted 1 Timothy 2 is also excellent, as is his handling of Galatians 3:28.

This book is an example of and a reminder of the importance of careful scholarship in building a case. Grudem cites jaw-dropping instances of evangelicals misquoting church fathers and other ancient authorities, and sometimes even citing them to defend exactly the opposite point the original authors were actually making. Of course, the average reader will not go to the library and look these up, and even if they were willing to resort to Google, some can't be located on the internet. (Indeed, as Grudem points out, some "quotations" do not even exist and therefore can't be found anywhere!)

Readers who think they can trust an author's accuracy will therefore end up believing what is untrue, and if they teach from these books, as many do, they will perpetuate inaccurate and even nonexistent citations. Those who assume evangelical authors and editors always carefully check citations to confirm their accuracy are sadly mistaken.

The book also demonstrates the contradiction between claiming belief in biblical inspiration, on the one hand, but subtly or not-so-subtly affirming Paul and the apostles were wrong, misguided or at best impoverished in their understanding of issues on which we moderns presume we have a superior viewpoint. (Hence our tendency, though rarely stated and often disguised, to consider ourselves and our culture-not Scripture--our TRUE authority.)

Grudem puts forth the best arguments made by evangelical feminists, and weighs them in light of Scripture, sound interpretation and logical consistency. It would be interesting to take Grudem's chapter 2, "A Biblical View of Manhood and Womanhood in the Church" to any pastor, scholar or teacher and ask, "What specifically would you take issue with in this chapter?" It's easy to dismiss any work in general when we don't agree with its conclusions, but the real test is whether we can cite specific errors in scholarship, interpretation or logic. I think most objective and open-minded readers would have to say the book makes a careful and compelling case.

BTW, this is nothing remotely close to the viewpoint that "women can't do anything but wash dishes and cook for potlucks." In fact, Grudem lays out a continuum of possible roles women might have in the church and encourages readers to evaluate the extent to which they believe the biblical passages apply to them, and concludes that only a very small number of them are biblically restricted. He gives wide latitude (wider than some readers will), in his personal opinions, to what women can do in the church, and he believes these would include baptizing, serving communion, teaching male and female high-schoolers, co-leading with husbands mixed Bible studies, etc. (Priscilla, named first, and Aquilla taking aside Apollos and correcting him from the Scriptures is biblical warrant for this.)

Grudem also is in favor of female Bible scholars and teachers in the parachurch and society at large, and the Bible's high role of women teaching other women and children (a role often dismissed as secondary, ironically implying the inferiority of women and children). Yet when it comes to pastoral roles, teaching and having authority over men in the church Grudem remains firm and clear, as he believes Scripture does, that God has appointed these roles to men. That is, needless to say, an unpopular belief, but the real question is whether or not it is correct. If it is not correct, it appears that Scripture itself is not correct, at least not in 1 Cor. 14 and 1 Timothy 2 and similar passages.

Those who do not believe in the Bible's authority will naturally dismiss Grudem's conclusions. IMO, most readers who are willing to place themselves under biblical authority, and seek to understand what Scripture actually says, will find Grudem's book engaging, enlightening and ultimately persuasive. In any case, this is a definitive and well-documented resource, one that should be carefully studied by seminary students, church leaders and all Christians serious about exploring this important question.

For those who have read "Recovering Biblical Manhood and Womanhood," this is a fabulous and highly recommended upgrade. For those who are new to the gender issues storming through the church, this is essential material.

Grudem's treatment of key passages is careful and precise, but the layout and content of the book makes it a fabulous resource for those who want to wade slowly through the whole tome or use it as a reference to quickly find answers to more than 100 major questions and arguments that are now at the forefront of the manhood-womanhood controversy.

Speaking as someone who has read about this issue extensively, I can still say that Grudem's new book had questions and answers I either had no answers to before, or didn't even realize were major points of controversy.

In addition to this meaty section of questions and answers, Grudem spends many pages giving a practical, easy to follow explanation of the whole Biblical manhood-womanhood debate as well as a foundational explanation of the complementarian and egalitarian perspective. Further, this is all done on the backbone of scripture with solid exegesis and integrity.

One final note: while this will be a pleasing and meaty read for the scholarly, this is extremely accessible to the layman.

When it comes to argumentation, this moniker was the first thing that came to mind. (Sorry to all the less playful theologians out there). Dr Grudem has handled a tremendously controversial issue with argumentative thunder. Coming away from this very thorough treatment, it is difficult to understand how anyone can persist in his or her egalitarian beliefs. As Dr Grudem helps us to understand, perhaps the only way people can persist in them is that they have decided beforehand to be loyal to an egalitarian agenda, regardless of logical and Scriptural argumentation.

When a book of this kind claims to touch "over 100" topics or argument points, it's usually either an exaggeration or a "double counting." If one were to count singly the points of argumentation which are so similar as not to merit separation, Dr Grudem still has well over 100 distinct critiques of the various egalitarian arguments. It might be added here too that the "disputed questions" he treats are hailed as hundreds of reasons for egalitarianism by the egalitarians; he is only being respectful of his opponents to treat each argument separately. He is respectful, but that does not mean he pulls punches. He calls heresy heresy, and in his passion fails not to point out that much of the egalitarian agenda rests firmly on the foundational denial of Biblical inerrancy. (Granted in 2006, rejection of inerrancy is not usually thought of as heterodox, but it should be, because ANYTHING short of inerrancy is heresy).

The jewel of this long book is not the extensive collection of material in the appendices; neither is it the gloriously meticulous and always honest and honorable critique of egalitarian arguments in the bulk of the text, but the first two chapters in which the "positive case" for complementarianism is so passionately presented.

I grew up in Fundamentalist circles, and later reacted strongly against that tradition (though never even doubting for one moment the strong faith commitment to inerrancy and infallibility that I inherited from it). I came (in my early theological training) to identify strongly with the "moderate" positions on most issues, even becoming a thorough-going egalitarian myself. Having received my Baccalaureate education in a "state" university rather than in a "Christian" college, I was strongly influenced by feminism and Feminism. I have, in the past 3 years, come back to a strictly conservative (not Fundamentalist) stance. However, there is still some dark part of my heart (not my mind, mind you) that WANTS egalitarianism to be true. I WANT it to be true because it would make conservative Christianity more culturally palatable (though perhaps in the process rendering it spiritually dead). I WANT it to be true because I have sensitivities, based in experiences of friendship with female pastors and my intellectual foundations laid in an atmosphere permeated by secular Feminism.

However, I have a greater desire. I want to know, believe, and live the truth. This book has helped to quell those banshee wails of egalitarian feminism that still sometimes haunt the dark corners of my mind - no, wait, those are only echoes from some dark place in my heart. My mind knows better, and thanks to this book, I am yet more fully convinced. Thank you Dr Grudem.

As a woman in ministry, I greatly appreciate this book. There are many evangelicals today who claim to take a "fresh new look" at the Scriptures, when in reality they are just redefining particular Greek and Hebrew words in order to fit their particular bent regarding women in ministry.

Every man and woman in ministry, whether lay or full-time, needs to get this book and read it! It is accessible, although not a quick read. It would be good to read through a chapter at a time, and really get a grasp on each chapter. Grudem's understanding of the issue of evangelical feminism is thorough and insightful. Chapter 14 is an excellent summary of how this issue is affecting churches today, and is actually comforting to those of you who may be in the middle of dealing with a push towards egalitarian thinking in your church or ministry leadership.

Don't let the other negative reviews fool you. Grudem does not have a narrow view of women in the church. Nor are his views inconsistent or illogical. These other reviewers obviously have a bone to pick with Grudem and his years of scholarly work that basically obliterate the flimsy hermeneutics that prop up egalitarianism.

This is my favorite book find of the year. As Walter Martin said (founder of the Christian Research Institute) in his sermon "The Cult of Liberalism" the Christians in the pews are defenseless. If they say something against another movement within Christianity that goes against the correct exegesis of Scripture, they are labeled divisive, unloving, and bigoted.

Well, so be it when you care about the Bible and the reputation of the truth. The author, Wayne Grudem, has presented to us answers to feminist claims, based on what the Bible says with the correct exegesis of the Scripture. It is an excellent work.

And by the way, every thinking Christian who is a member of Christians for Biblical Equality should read the documentation presented in this book about the outrage of CBE calling God "Mother", and how that blasphemy is promoted on their web site. I was especially revited to that bit of information.

Excellent research! I will be buying many copies to give away to others.

Dwayna Litz

This book by Dr. Grudem is simply the best one written on the topic of evangelical feminism available. No other theologian presents such an objective view of a topic that has been hijacked by feminists. Dr. Grudem examines each egalitarian claim, and then refutes it using logic, Greek and Hebrew language skills, and biblical truths. And throughout the book, Dr. Grudem is gracious to those whom he is proving wrong. I found there to be no malice anywhere in the book; just sincerely held, biblically correct complementarian beliefs.

This is some book! By that I mean that Evangelical Feminism & Biblical Truth is about as comprehensive a treatment of the issue of the proper biblical roles of men and women in the home and in the church as anyone could hope to find--856 pages, 80+ pages of which are bibliography and indexes, 8 appendices totaling over 200 pages, and 536 pages of text--all painstakingly documented and referenced.

Grudem argues for the complementarian viewpoint, which holds that the equal value and dignity of the sexes do not mean that men and women have the same God-given roles in marriage or the church. (I would consider myself a complementarian--although not necessarily a studied one--so I was not reading this book as someone whose bias is critical of this viewpoint.) However, no matter what your personal view is--complementarian or egalitarian--if you are interested in this issue, you will find this book invaluable for the careful documentation of the arguments for both sides. I wish everyone writing books arguing for a particular viewpoint were as fair as Grudem is in his representation of the arguments of the other side. In fact, he solicits comments from any egalitarian author who thinks he has unfairly quoted or summarized their arguments, giving an address for their complaints to be sent to.

In the first two chapters of this book, the positive case for the complementarian viewpoint is given. In the bulkiest section of the book, chapters 3-12, Grudem systematically answers the arguments made by egalitarians. If you've heard the argument made, you will undoubtedly find it set out for you in this section, right alongside Grudem's evaluation of the claim. There are 118 egalitarian claims examined in detail in this middle section of the book. Even if you don't read this section clear through from start to finish, you should find it handy to have as a reference, no matter where you hang your hat on this issue.

The two summary chapters of the book contain Grudem's argument that evangelical feminism tends to lead to other liberal positions within a church, and an overview of the viewpoints held by the various denominations and parachurch organizations. He ends the text with some of his personal observations and opinion as to how and why egalitarianism is advancing in the church and what complementarians ought to do about it.

Then there are the previously mentioned appendices, which are almost a book in themselves, and just as interesting and informative as the regular text of the book. They include, for instance, two lengthy works on the meaning of the Greek word translated head. If you've heard many egalitarian arguments, you know that the meaning of this word figures large in their arguments.

To sum up, if this is an issue you care about, then you'll want to read this book in order to make sure you have a full grasp of the arguments on both sides. And your library is lacking if you don't have this book as a reference to draw from. If you, like me, are not a scholar, you'll appreciate that while Wayne Grudem is a scholar--and this is a very scholarly piece--it is still quite readable and understandable for the nonscholar.

I am not a theologin, but DEEPLY appreciated this excellent book! It is long, but worth reading, even if that is done in bits and pieces. I loved the format with the claims and then the Biblical answers to the world's claims. VERY well done!

Excellent source for study. Like his Bible Doctorine, it can be used by looking up points of interest or study. Well written, easily understood and well referenced.

The homework is done. The research is remarkably clear and cuts through the jargon of the self-styled "egalitarian" or "evangelical feminist."

Grudem's credentials are difficult to touch. He has put a tremendous amount of time, effort and energy into debunking the statements of those who oppose the authority of God's Word and who have the mendacity to call themselves Christian.