The Resignation of Eve: What If Adams Rib Is No Longer Willing to Be the Churchs Backbone? [Paperback]

Jim Henderson (Author), George Barna (Preface), Lynne Hybels (Foreword)

Book Description

Publication Date: February 14, 2012

In talking with women around the country, Jim Henderson has come to believe that there is an epidemic of quiet, even sad resignation among dedicated Christian women who are feeling overworked and undervalued in the church. As a result, many women are discouraged. Some, particularly young women, respond by leaving the organized church . . . or walking away from the faith altogether.

Containing personal interviews with women and new research from George Barna, The Resignation of Eve is a field report on what women have to say about how they’ve been affected by their experiences within the church. It is crucially important because, across the board, the research shows that women are driving changes in the church . . . so what will happen if they resign?

Inviting women to speak for themselves, The Resignation of Eve is a must-read, life-changing book for women who have been engaged in the Christian church as well as their pastors and ministry leaders.

Editorial Reviews

From Booklist

Henderson is a self-described “spiritual anthropologist,” who probes into people’s spiritual lives. In this intriguing book, he examines the role, or lack thereof, that women play in the Christian church. He points out that research indicates that women tend to form the backbone of churchgoing even as many churches restrict the roles available to women. Consider: the majority of weekly churchgoers and church volunteers are women. Still, he notes, an increasing number of women are reevaluating their “spiritual options”: some resign themselves to their church, some join a different faith, others practice their faith in new ways, and still others leave the church altogether. In The Resignation of Eve, Henderson shares stories of the women he interviewed, followed by his own commentary—he doesn’t always agree with the conclusions of the women he profiles. In addition, he shares statistics on how women feel about their spiritual experiences. He concludes that, for many women, the church is not a safe place “to be yourself.” A provocative look at the often overlooked role that women play in the church. --June Sawyers

Review

Henderson (Jim and Casper Go to Church: Frank Conversation about Faith, Churches, and Well-Meaning Christians) tells the stories here of many women who, despite their predominance in the life, membership, and mission of most churches and denominations, are routinely rebuked and squashed, if not worse. Henderson’s crucial insight is that the central feature of Christianity is – ought to be – “giving power away, particular to those who lack it,” not craving or needing power or keeping it from women. VERDICT: Insightful and moving, Henderson’s book is a mirror of what Christian spirituality ought to be; good for church groups and pastors as well as individual readers. (Library Journal )

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Product Details

• Paperback: 320 pages
• Publisher: Tyndale Momentum (February 14, 2012)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1414337302
• ISBN-13: 978-1414337302
• Product Dimensions: 8.2 x 5.4 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 13.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (59 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #594,214 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Jim Henderson is acclaimed by USA Today for having "blazed a new path as an innovator, author, church evaluator, self-professed subversive, and leader in the creation of new ways to be publicly and persuasively Christian in the twenty-first century."

Jim is a speaker, author, and producer. His most subversive act to date was buying an atheist's soul on eBay and then sending him to attend and review several churches. On the heels of that project, Jim hired another atheist (Matt Casper) to join him at various church services and share his feedback. Together, they recount their unique findings in a book titled Jim and Casper Go to Church (Tyndale, 2007).

After twenty-five years as a pastor, Jim formed Off the Map, an organization that produced live events designed to help people recover the lost art of being "unusually interested" in others, especially Outsiders.

Today, Jim's company, Jim Henderson Presents, produces live events and television projects that look at the important role of religious spirituality in our lives. Jim is known for asking the questions others skip.

Jim holds a Doctorate in transformational leadership and has been featured in the Wall Street Journal, USA Today, Fox News and This American Life with Ira Glass.

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

15 of 17 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars Are Women Prepared to Bolt From Christianity? January 24, 2012

By Kevin L. Nenstiel TOP 1000 REVIEWERVINE™ VOICE

Format:Paperback

I once visited a Protestant church on the Sunday of their congregational business meeting. After the service, all the women filed dutifully into the kitchen to prepare the pot luck, while the men, who were few in number, stayed in the sanctuary to vote. In other words, while the scarce men undertook church "business," the copious women actually got stuff done. I couldn't help remembering this incident while reading Jim Henderson's "The Resignation of Eve."

Though Jesus called twelve men into his inner circle, he spent far more time around women than the Hebrews around him. He gave secrets to Mary Magdalene and the Samaritan woman at the well which he never entrusted to men. Though the world he lived in openly favored men, Jesus showed women a level of favor that, in his day, must have seemed downright scandalous. Henderson thinks this sets a standard for Christian gifts being distributed regardless of gender.

We run aground, however, in Paul's epistles. 1 Timothy 2:12 says: "I do not permit a woman to teach or to assume authority over a man; she must be quiet." This contradicts Paul's own ordination of Priscilla and Aquila, but never mind; churches have used this scripture for centuries to keep women out of pulpits. This despite the fact that women outnumber men in pews, classrooms, liturgical programs, and--by a ratio of two to one--volunteer church jobs.

Backed by researcher George Barna, Henderson exposes a remarkable split among church women. While stats indicate that most women feel they have adequate influence in their congregations, the organized church is bleeding those most eager to teach and lead for Christ. This creates a two-tiered culture for women: those who accept their lot, to a greater or lesser degree, and those who bolt for more egalitarian denominations, or leave church altogether.

Even denominations like mine, which has ordained women for decades, don't distribute authority equally. Most women pastors get relegated to subordinate positions or small rural congregations. My congregation has two women pastors, both under a male "senior" pastor. At various times in my life, I've been a member of three denominations that ordain women, yet never seen a woman holding the senior pulpit in a large urban congregation.

Henderson compiles fifteen interviews with women who react to the church's power dynamic in different ways. Some agree with the idea that women should take a back seat; others balk at restrictions. Some choose to stick with their churches regardless of their quandaries; others rebel in overt or subtle ways. Some leave church, or even the Christian faith, altogether.

Henderson highlights that Evangelical Christian voters who propelled Sarah Palin to national prominence overwhelmingly attend congregations that don't ordain women. Why would a woman make an acceptable President, but not a pastor? In fairness, one woman Henderson interviews wouldn't vote for a woman. But overall, these congregations support a woman's bid for secular authority, but not her more important bid to save souls and transfigure the world for Christ.

I have some problems with this book. Most stem from unbilled coauthor George Barna, whom I've questioned before. His stats and Henderson's anecdotes clash, suggesting that one or the other is wrong--or, more likely, they conceal an unexamined subtext. This book could sustain more thorough, nuanced analysis. It makes a good introduction, and stakes out good territory, but I hope Henderson or another author has more work in the pipeline.

In my experience, unlike Henderson, I doubt American Christianity faces a mass female exodus. In my church, women overwhelmingly dominate positions of authority, although the pastor dubbed "senior" is a dude. If women are leaving the church, as Henderson (via Barna) asserts, it's because people are leaving the church. Christians have failed to provide a viable counter-narrative for our fraught and tumultuous world.

Reading this book, I recalled David Murrow's "Why Men Hate Going to Church," which I have reviewed previously. Henderson and Murrow consider the same problem with the American church today, that while men occupy a thin veneer of nominal leadership, women actually make the place run. But by viewing this reality from different gendered standpoints, they draw very different conclusions.

I strongly recommend Henderson's and Murrow's books side by side. Gender in today's church, like race and wealth, define how we relate to one another, and how we communicate Christ to the unchurched world. While these two books alone don't resolve every difference, they stake out a debate I hope Christians consider well worth having.

17 of 21 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars Open Heart Surgery January 17, 2012

By William Dahl VINE™ VOICE

Format:Paperback

In Her most recent book, Sara Miles has said: "Sharing our real stories, unvarnished and unfinished, not only provide helpful tips or sympathetic laughs: it's the thing that allows us to become whole." There are unvarnished, unfinished stories coming from certain sectors of Christendom in the U.S. -- Jim Henderson's The Resignation of Eve - What if Adam's Rib is No Longer Willing to be the Backbone of the Church? -- is filled with them. More about Henderson's book in a moment. When one listen's closely to the stories - a common narrative continues to emerge, based upon social research and socio-cultural observations. Allow me to explain. Listen to the narrative that seems to coalesce from the following:

Theologian Eugene Peterson has written: "We've been at this for two thousand years now, and people are not clamoring to join us." [i] Alan Hirsch says, "I simply do not believe that we can continue to try to think our way into a new way of acting, but rather, we need to act our way into a new way of thinking." [ii] Gabe Lyons and David Kinnaman have said in their book unChristian: "We are at a turning point for Christianity in America. If we do not wake up to these realities and respond in appropriate, godly ways, we risk being increasingly marginalized and losing further credibility with millions of people." [iii] George Barna has said that we have 340,000 Christian churches in America. The median age of women who attend, give money to, and volunteer in churches is between 56 and 59 years old. Read that sentence again...consider the implications. Barna goes on to say: "If you consider yourself a Christian, then you are called to follow His example and create the future." [iv] The research underpinning David Kinnaman's most recent book, You Lost Me - Why Young Christians Are Leaving Church and Redefining Faith emphatically points out that young Christians are leaving the Church in unprecedented numbers. Marcia Pally of NYU declares the following in her new book, The New Evangelicals: "The Divine may be omniscient and infallible, but religion as practiced in this world is a human institution....Religion, as it is practiced, is both adaptable and corruptible, as are all (human) social, political and economic systems."......[v] Hmmmm...hear a narrative? A theme?

Cuz God Said So...?

Former British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher once said: "In politics if you want anything said, ask a man. If you want anything done, ask a woman." [vi] Blogger/Author/Writer/Creative Thinker...and activist - Pam Hogeweide of Portland Oregon writes:

"Most of my readership are disenchanted Christians who are sorting out what's really real to them in their faith and what's dogmatic conditioning from religious rhetoric and traditionalism. The perspective of women in the church by their men, and particularly the perspective of women of themselves is still in the grip of an archaic, hierarchical mindset that keeps women quietly busy serving in the kitchen or the nursery. But not the pulpit or the lecterns where only men can teach the faithful. It is unfathomable to the people I know here in Portland who are not Christ followers when they learn of the gender inequity that is alive and well in the halls of Christendom. "Really?" they ask, "In this day and age?" [vii]

Even in Islam, the role of the full participation of Muslim women is a lightening rod, as Irshad Manji points out in her book, The Trouble with Islam - A Muslim Calls For Reform in Her Faith:

"Girl's can't lead prayer."

"What do you mean?"

"Girls aren't permitted."

"Why not?"

"Allah says so."

"What's His reason?"

"Read the Koran."

Really? In this day and age?

Enter Jim Henderson and his new book The Resignation of Eve - What if Adam's Rib is No Longer Willing to be the Backbone of the Church? This book is filled with riveting interviews with Christian women, whom (as a whole) George Barna refers to as the backbone of the church. (p. xvi). According to Barna, between 1991 and 2011:

1) Adult women attending church during any week has declined by 20%.
2) Women attending Sunday School has plummeted by 29%.
3) The percentage of remain who are characterized as "unchurched" has risen by 94% during this period.
4) More than a third of all women are now unconnected from the church.
5) Most weekly church attenders are women (53%) - and they bring their families.
6) Most church volunteers are women (57%).
7) Women are the majority in terms of attendance of adult Sunday school programs (59%).
8) 60% of those who attend small groups or Bible study are women.
9) Due to the demographic data compiled (Barna 2000 study) about the median age (56-59) of women contributing (in every sense) to the Church - women's active participation in the future of the Church has been characterized as a "dying breed." (p.252).

Henderson goes onto characterize what he identifies as The Three Faces of Resignation - resigned to, resigned from, re-signed. For Henderson, he makes a well-informed observation: "leaving doesn't mean walking away; more often it means showing up without being present." (p.7).

The interviews and summaries of the same by the author are superbly crafted. They represent women who live or have lived at least one of the "Three Faces of Resignation" denoted above. (truth be told, one may exist in one of Henderson's stages in degrees, if you will. In one's lifetime, one may live through multiple stages). These interviews will make you think, shift in your seat, squirm, spontaneously blurt out "What" at least twice during your reading - and require you to contemplate the clear opportunity/necessity for change. Finally, the women whose interviews are contained in the book are precious children of God, just like you and I, whose lives are being shaped by the tenets of their respective faith persuasion. Some are "fine with it," - others - not so much. Henderson does a splendid job of integrating interviews that flow with his evolving thesis throughout the book.

If the Apostle Paul happened to be Mary in The Bible, I sincerely doubt that The Resignation of Eve would have been written. We would likely be faced with another book -- perhaps a few books with titles like: "The Anomie of Adam," "Adam's Angst," "The Flight of Fred," or "The Plight of Peter."
The Heart of The Matter

Lyons and Kinnaman say "We are at a turning point for Christianity in America. If we do not wake up to these realities...." Kinnaman's most recent book clearly raises the warning that young Christians are leaving the Church in unprecedented numbers. Barna's research points out the fundamental, strategic importance of women as the backbone of the church. The demographic data alert us to the dying breed characterization. Unfathomable, as Hogeweide recounts?

Henderson ends the book with three questions that truly must cause one to pause:

What if our perception of God's heart is far too narrow? What if His heart is wider and higher than we've been taught to imagine? What if God's ways really aren't our ways." (p.276).

After reading this book, I couldn't help but respond aloud to the author's three questions, "Yes! Yes! Yes!"

The challenge that The Resignation of Eve presents is, to use the words of Eugene Peterson, "akin to skillfully setting a compound fracture "sets" this belief in God into our behavior before God so that the bones -- belief and behavior - knit together and heal." [viii]

After all, "the energy of reconciliation is the dynamo at the heart of the universe." [ix]

Buy this book. Discuss it with friends. Use it as a staple or supplement in your small group. Ask your pastor to recommend it to your church family. This book is timely, terribly important and was not created to sit on a shelf after a thorough reading - you can't simply devour this book, leave it and walk away. Showing up without being present just ain't gonna cut it anymore. This book should have a warning label: "NOTICE: The consumption of this book will cause the reader to act upon the heartfelt reflex to reflect upon reconciliation. Side Effects: May cause enlargement of your heart, stir your redemptive imagination, identify a fracture between your beliefs and behavior, and promote the onset of healing an enduring malady that continues to infect the hearts and minds of His Church."

Reconcile your heart to that...this book is spiritual open heart surgery...

NOTES

[i] Peterson, Eugene H. Practice Resurrection - a conversation on growing up in Christ, William B. Eerdsman Publishing Company Grand Rapids, MI and Cambridge, U.K. Copyright © 2010 by Eugene H. Peterson - P. 14.

[ii] Hirsch, Alan The Forgotten Ways - Reactivating The Missional Church Brazos Press, Grand Rapids, MI Copyright © 2006 by Alan Hirsch p. 122

[iii] http://www.billdahl.net/book-reviews/unchristian-what-a-new-generation-really-thinks-about-christianity-by-david-kinnaman-and-gabe-lyons/

[iv] Barna, George FUTURECAST - What Today's Trends Mean for Tomorrow's World, p.220.

[v] The New Evangelicals - Expanding The Vision of the Common Good by Marcia Pally -- William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company Grand Rapids, MI and Cambridge U.K. Released: November 2011 - p.244.

[vi] http://womenshistory.about.com/od/quotes/a/m_thatcher.htm

[vii] http://godmessedmeup.blogspot.com/2010/07/too-hot-to-handle-women-in-church-today.html

[viii] Peterson, Eugene H. Practice Resurrection - a conversation on growing up in Christ, William B. Eerdsman Publishing Company Grand Rapids, MI and Cambridge, U.K. Copyright © 2010 by Eugene H. Peterson - p.31. Read more ›

8 of 10 people found the following review helpful

3.0 out of 5 stars The Resignation of Eve by Jim Henderson March 30, 2012

By Paula Ebert

Format:Paperback

When I chose to review this book I thought I was going to be reading about the various reasons women are leaving the church and what we, as Christians, can do about it. Because I have a passion for women's ministry (one of the reasons I started my blog), I was intrigued by this topic... what's going on in the hearts of women and why some are bolting from the doors of the church. However, this book is not about a topic that general. It comes across as a collection of women's stories, specifically selected by the author... some who already supported his viewpoint, and some who he was hoping to persuade into supporting his viewpoint.

This book leads us to believe that the reason women are leaving the church is that they are not granted power. The same point kept surfacing... women can't become senior pastors. Never mind all of the other leadership positions that women ARE allowed to have... women need to be allowed the grand pulpit. I'm really trying not to be judgmental, because I struggle with selfish motives just as much as the next girl. That understood, let me say this... if you care more about standing behind the pulpit (or attaining the highest position you can) than about filling whatever role God gives you in ministry, you're doing it for the wrong reason(s). I'm not saying that this is what motivates all women who want to be in upper leadership... I'm really speaking to myself as much as anyone else. I just think we all need to check our motives when pursuing any leadership positions.

This book has brought out an incredible range of emotions in me. As I began to read, I literally threw the book down in anger a couple of times. Anger at the author for his very clear biases. Anger for the way he came across... particularly about the conservative women. He explained that it was their past experiences that led them to believe the way they do about women's roles in the church. My question is why did this same tone not seem to come across as he described "his take" on the more moderate and liberal interviewees?

Now I must say that the women's stories did touch me... well most of them touched me. There were a couple that made me mad (and sad at the same time). I related mostly with the first group of women and the last group of women. I related with the first group (the resigned TO) because they interpret the scriptures in the same way that I do. Not only that, they see this "power for women" issue as a NON-issue. Why? Probably because they are more concerned about serving people and leading them to Jesus than they are about their own fame. I also related with the last group (the re-signed) because I have a lot of D in my own personality. My husband could tell you that. The blog is my main outlet for sharing what God has placed on my heart... in the hopes that it encourages others to cling to Christ in this messed-up world. Mostly women read it, but if men read it I don't believe that makes my blog writing a sin. However, in my home church, I follow a man (who follows Christ). And in my home, I follow a man (who follows Christ). I believe that is the way God has ordained it.

The middle group (the resigned FROM) really made me sad. They have left the church... and some have left their faith completely. It's one thing to leave a church because of flawed church leaders. It's another thing to leave Jesus because of them. I would so love for each one of those ladies to get a copy of the last book I reviewed (Healing Your Church Hurt by Stephen Mansfield). Men are flawed. We can't find Jesus through them. I tried that for years and years. Now I know that we are ALL going to make mistakes and we ALL need to find our hope and trust in one... Jesus. We can't turn away from Him because we have bad experiences with His people.

My main issue with this book goes back to the recurring theme... it's a problem if a woman can't hold the senior pastor position at a local church. So we're talking about a VERY specific position. It's basically implying that even if a woman leads a Jesus-centered homeless shelter, a small group in her home, any other Christ-centered organization outside of the church... or even if she leads in various capacities within the church, it's not enough. If a woman cannot be senior pastor, it's not enough. To me that's a power trip. I mean, not every man at the church is going to be allowed to step up to the pulpit either. The one who is called to be in the pulpit is there. And saying that a woman is not given the amount of influence she deserves if she can't be the senior pastor... this is a stretch at the very least. Women have a TREMENDOUS influence in churches. Probably more than we even realize. Again... is it really about influence? Or power?

Anyway, to summarize, when I first started reading, I almost quit several times. I believe there is a ton of obvious bias, and an interpretation of scripture that is not the same as my own, but I have to say I'm thankful for the thinking process this book brought out in me. I was able to reach in and figure out why I believe what I believe. It made me want to learn my Bible more. It also made me even more passionate about getting to the heart of why women are feeling lost and alone and hurting within the walls (and outside of the walls) of our church buildings.

And for the record, I don't believe there will ever be a mass exodus of women from the church. We may struggle with people-pleasing, and serving for selfish motives or out of obligation, but ultimately we serve because we love Jesus. And that's why the real "backbone" of the church is never going to go away.

I received a free review copy of The Resignation of Eve from Tyndale Blog Network in exchange for this review.