Customer Reviews

Two Views on Women in Ministry (Counterpoints: Bible and Theology)

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(6)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

As with previous "Counterpoints" books, this book is very technical, and the authors make much use of the original Greek and Hebrew biblical texts. The good parts of this book are very good -- meriting 5 stars easily for their coverage of the subject. Specifically, the essays by Keener and Belleville (promoting equality of roles in the church) and Schreiner (promoting male authority) are very well-researched and well-written. Anyone wanting a current understanding of the debate on gender roles in the church would do well to read the book for these essays alone.

I only give this book 3 stars, though, for 3 main reasons:
(1) The 4th essay, by Ann Bowman, really doesn't fit with the format of the book. She writes very compellingly on how women are equal to men before God, how women are equally called to serve in ministry, and how women are equally gifted with the same spiritual gifts. What she does NOT cover, though, is the specific roles that the Bible deems appropriate for women (which is what I thought the book was supposed to be about). In short, she spends all but about 7 pages writing on what everybody else would agree on anyway. She does a good job of establishing the equal value of women in the church, but contributes almost nothing to the discussion of what leadership roles they should occupy.

(2) The format of the book is different from earlier Counterpoints volumes, in that the authors do not respond to each other's articles. The editors simply ask each of the writers a series of questions after each essay, and then comment on each position. Gone are what I thought were some of the most insightful portions of previous Counterpoints books -- seeing writers POINT OUT THE WEAKNESSES of the other writers' positions. To resolve the controversy on women in ministry leadership, both sides need to interact with each other, rather than just each side stating its case.

(3) The final appendix, by editor Craig Blomberg, was well-intentioned but inappropriately placed. He states that his goal is to point out a 3rd alternative that combines the strengths of the other 2 views. But what ensues is an essay that is largely traditionalist / hierarchicalist in nature, and only in the last few pages briefly describes what may be a mediating view. Since this essay is presented last, and without any subsequent comment or review, it appears to the reader as "the definitive word" on the subject. But Blomberg's ideas are far from definitive. He summarily promotes some heriarchicalist positions, and summarily dismisses other egalitarian positions without always adequately defending why. It is a well-written essay, but I think it belongs more in the center of the book (or as a 3rd alternative of a book titled "Three Views of Women in Ministry"), so that those who might not agree with him could respond and comment. The structure of the book, as it is now, suggests that Blomberg has listened to both sides of the evidence and come up with the "correct" position. But I found myself questioning his conclusions numerous times because he did not adequately defend them.

My recommendation: Buy this book if you're interested in the topic of women in minsitry, but read it through and either take notes on it or underline the significant parts. Then go back later and re-read your notes or underlined parts, in a different order than how they are presented. (i.e., read the appendix first, then ch.3-4, then ch.1-2). This will keep the structure of the book from influencing you as much, enabling you to evaluate your own position on the basis of the biblical evidence alone.

The best introduction to the debate over women in ministry is by far and away Craig L. Blomberg's and James R. Beck's Two Views On Women In Ministry. Edited by two men, each conservative seminary professors (Denver Seminary) represent the opposing viewpoints, and call upon one man and one woman to each put forth an essay arguing for and against women in ministry. Craig Keener and Linda Belleville defend the Egalitarian position (allowing) while Tom Schreiner and Ann Bowman defend the Complementarian position (barring).

The most exegetically dense essay comes from Belleville in that she answers Wayne Grudem's "6 questions" in his Open Letter to Egalitarians satisfactorily. She also makes many key distinctions between being "pro-mutuality" and "pro-gay" that undermine the charge that accepting women as pastors will eventually lead to accepting practicing accepting homosexual persons as pastors (hence validating their lifestyles). Schreiner returns the favor with an equally strong essay-probably the most well written-building his prohibiting views off of a broader base of gender roles he believes are spelled out more clearly in the Genesis record and the teachings on marriage. He then finishes it off with cogent interpretations of the classic prohibiting texts such as 1 Timothy 2:11-15, 1 Corinthians 11:3-16, and 14:34-35. Keener, draws upon his voluminous wealth of extra-biblical historical literature showing how each instance of the prohibiting texts is plausibly culture bound, and the main point of his essay is establishing criteria that is able to determine what is culture-bound and what not. Though, he does not develop this in detail, he brings to light many women in the Bible that had influential ministry roles that transcend the idea that the Bible permits some ministry to women, but not all. Bowman's essay was the weakest in my view in that it did not put forth much of an exegetical argument (except an interpretation of 1 Timothy 2:11-13) pertaining to women in ministry, but mostly focused on the nature of ministry in general. She, however, argued that almost all ministries-even some pastoral positions-are open to women except for the nebulous concept of a "senior pastor."

Blomberg, perhaps sensing a misbalance in the essays, concludes with an attempt at a mediating position called "Neither Hierarchalist nor Egalitarian" which, though biased towards a complementarian view, takes a broad look at the issues and polarities in the controversy and admits that there is much ambiguity and unsolved problems left to explore. His essay finishes the book nicely showing holes that egalitarians often fail to recognize, yet he also fairly shows that they haven't been adequately filled by the Complementarians either.

All in all, I heartily recommend this very irenic and approachable book that generates much more light than heat on a very threatening and unapproachable issue. One will be left, after finishing the book, thinking that egalitarians do in fact argue biblically rather than culturally, and that complementarians do in fact love and cherish women and their ministries rather than denigrating them.

I applaud Beck and Blomberg and the four contributors to this well-researched, provocative, and honest discussion of the role of women in ministry. The high caliber scholarship combined with an irenic spirit on a volatile topic brings the discussion to a new level of openness and respect. The contributors help defuse the ugliness in the discussion that prevailed when this topic surfaced in earnest in the evangelical community. Neither view (egalitarian and complementarian) is "heretical" because scholars/pastors on both sides are seeking to honestly deal with the Scriptures, cultural realities, and contemporary applications. TWO VIEWS OF WOMEN IN MINISTRY presents the important and significant impact women have made in the unfolding of God's redemptive purposes. Yet, the central issue is whether the hotly debated texts from Paul (in 1 Corinthians 11 and 14, and 1 Timothy 2) are ad hoc directives, i.e., applicable only to the specific problems in Corinth and Ephesus at the time Paul wrote, or timeless directives that apply to all women in all cultures in all ages. I think this book compels the extremist proponents of each view to move to an honest, biblical middle where significant progress can be made. Zondervan is to be commended for this excellent presentation of a serious subject facing the evangelical community.

I have read a few of the other reviews on this book, and I must respectfully disagree with the idea of it being biased against the complementarian view. On the contrary, I feel the main text is very balanced, with the large appendix by Blomberg (a complementarian) tipping the scales towards the complementarian position.

I doubt if this work will change anyone's mind who already has a firm grasp of where he stands on this issue. It does, however, provide a fair and accurate presentation of both viewpoints so that they can be thoroughly examined. There are actually a total of five essays here; two essays by egalitarians, two essays by complementarians, and one large appendix by Blomberg, which is somewhat of a hybrid between the two positions.

As a complementarian, I have developed an even greater appreciation for the role of women in ministry as a result of reading this work. The spirit of Ann Bowman's remark (as a complementarian) is particularly memorable for me: "Rather than focusing on what women should not be doing, I believe it's important to focus on what they should be doing."

This work is the third title I have read in the Counterpoints series. Although the scholarly tone may be rather heavy for some laymen, pastors and teachers will be greatly benefited and enlightened by the presentations found here. I recommend it highly as a good, concise summary of today's viewpoints on the issue of women in ministry.

This book is one in Zondervan's "Counterpoints" series. Each book in this series deals with a discrete topic in theology with contributors from differing evangelical point of view. Although the book is certainly worth reading, it shares the poor editing that has plagued some of the other Counterpoints books.

The editors are both professors at Denver Seminary. Prof. Blomberg is an advocate of the "complementarian" approach to women in the ministry (against) and Prof. Beck advocates the "egalitarian" approach (in favor). This leads to my first complaint. It seems to me that people who are opposed to women in the ministry should be called "traditionalists" and those in favor "feminists." However, the editors tell us that these terms are "pejorative." Then they go on to refer to the traditionalist view as "hierarchalist." So much for not offending anyone. (Another Amazon reviewer noted this as well.)

Moving on to the substance of the book, the essays by Profs. Keener, Belleville and Schreiner are quite good. Most of the relevant biblical passages are discussed and the reader will get a good understand of why each side takes the position it does. The big disappointment is Prof. Ann Bowman's essay. Although she discusses the question of women in ministry, it is more focused on the concept of Christian ministry. In addition, it contains discussion of her days in seminary, her missionary work in Sierra Leone, her friend Londa, etc. Maybe the editors felt obligated to have a woman defend the "hierarchalist" approach, but this essay is a dud. (Moreover, she argues that women can be "pastors," just not "senior pastors," so how traditional she is is an open question.) Finally, we get to the closing essays (two by the editors) and one by Prof. Blomberg. These don't add much and it would have been better to follow the approach used in some of the other Counterpoints books - have the authors respond to each other's position. In addition, every effort is made to downplay the significance of the issue - it "is not one of orthodoxy versus liberalism . . . or truth versus heresy." And of course, the truth is somewhere in the middle, etc. Yet if women do not belong in the ministry, then the willingness of some churches to purport to ordain them is one of the biggest cave-ins to modern culture in recent memory.

I'm going to apply this commentary for the entire Counterpoint Series published by Zondervan Publishing Company. My compliments to that company for creating this series. I initially purchased "Four Views on the Book of Revelation" but soon realized it was only one in a series. I got so much out of that volume, that I decided to purchase the entire set to study and keep for reference. My spiritual growth has been remarkable as a result. Seminary students and professionals would probably enjoy this series, which seems geared for them. But this series is also excellent for those college-educated laypeople who feel inclined to enhance their understanding of Christian theology. That is, with one caveat: Buy a decent theological dictionary to refer to at first. It probably won't get used much after about the third book you choose to read, but initially you will be need it to be confident of some of the terms used among advanced theologians. Then, the Counterpoint series will give you a full understanding of many different concepts and concerns of the Christian faith which have been applicable from early on until the present. I've learned a lot, and the only way I think I could do better is if I were enrolled in Seminary. A list of all the titles I am aware of from this series is:

Are Miraculous Gifts for Today?
Five Views on Law and Gospel
Five Views on Sanctification
Four Views on Hell
Four Views on Salvation in a Pluralistic World
Four Views on the Book of Revelation
Three Views on Creation and Evolution
Three Views on the Millennium and Beyond
Three Views on the Rapture
Two Views on Women in Ministry

I picked this book up in a used book store, and it has been one of the greatest discoveries yet!
Very rarely do you find a book that presents both sides of the argument without bias--yes, there are some where the author tries to explain the other side, but generally they bring their presumptions and assumptions of what is right and wrong and therefore negatively portray the other side of the argument.

This has been the most fair, sensitive-to-the-issue book I've read, and I greatly admire each of the authors for how openly they discussed this issue. Someday soon I hope to get more of the Counterpoints Series because of my positive experience with this book.

This is one hot-button issue I have been the most confused on--and I'm not sure I've made up my mind on the subject, even after reading this book. It's fair to say that none of the 4 authors pressure anybody to make a decision, and yet they each did their very best to present all the evidence for their perspective, and to respond to one-another's perspectives where they disagree.

Some of the evidence is very high-leveled Theology that could be difficult for the layperson to understand, but generally the authors talk at a level that is readable, understandable, and most importantly, humble.

A great read for someone just exploring the subject of women in ministry (which is, perhaps, an incorrect title--they mostly deal with Women in Authority Positions in Ministry, but that doesn't quite roll off the tongue as easily!) who wants a polite discussion.

For the person who has already made up their mind, avoid this book as it will likely do nothing but waste your time if you're not honestly willing to look at all of what's presented.

~Ryan

Two Views on Women in Ministry is a collection of essays from prominent thinkers regarding the egalitarian/complementarian debate. Craig Keener and Linda Belleville each provide essays supporting egalitarianism, while Tom Schreiner and Ann Bowman present the complementarian point of view. Denver Seminary professors (and editors of the book) James Beck and Craig Blomberg provide commentary on each of the views, and Dr. Blomberg concludes the book with an essay attempting to posit a tertium quid, appropriately entitled "Neither Hierarchicalist [Complementarian] nor Egalitarian."

As someone who has struggled with coming to a concrete decision on this thorny theological topic, the book was of great help to me. Keener, Belleville and Schreiner all wrote exceptional essays, interacting with all of the relevant texts and providing (mostly) good and detailed arguments. I did not find Bowman's essay particularly useful, as she came at the topic from more of an experiential and general philosophy-of-ministry point of view. I was really looking for structured exegesis of key texts. Beck's and Blomberg's commentaries on each pair of essays were beneficial, though, in that they did an excellent job summing up each side's key points, strengths and weaknesses. Blomberg's final commentary provided yet another example of excellent interaction with Scripture, but in the end, I felt his idea of "women can do anything except be the senior pastor" was still essentially complementarian in nature. I'm not convinced he quite made it to that "third way."

In the end, the book allowed me to examine impartially the key arguments and biblical texts involved in the debate about the role of women in ministry, and this is exactly what I was hoping it would do. I do wish that the essayists would have been able to interact with or provide commentary on the other essays presented (I especially would like to see Schreiner's rebuttal to some of the ideas presented by Belleville), but this is the only qualm I have with the book. The editors also rightly noted that 1) this is an extremely complex issue wherein "one cannot legitimately maintain that a true believer in biblical inerrancy must land in one particular camp," and 2) this is not a primary tenet of the Christian faith; therefore, the two camps must agree to disagree in love. I felt this epitomized the manner in which Christians should come to the table on this important and--unfortunately--divisive issue.

I still have lingering questions about this debate, but after having read Two Views, I have been able to make significant headway on determining my own position. And for that, I owe the book's contributors many thanks.

Craig Keener and Linda Belleville defend the egalitarian view of women in ministry, namely, that they can do anything a man can do. Craig Blomberg defends the soft patriarchal view (a woman can do everything except be the senior pastor). Thomas Schreiner defends the complementarian view, that men and women complement each other, but do not have the same roles. Much of the discussion centers around texts such as Genesis 2, 1 Timothy 2:18-15,1 Corinthians 14:33-36, Romans 16, and Ephesians 5:21-33.

No one hits a home run, but the two Craigs (Keener and Blomberg)wrote articles that made the most sense to me. Schreiner came off on occasion sounding sort of sexist, but I think that his theology talking more than his actual heart, if that makes sense. Crisp discussion throughout, and the scholars show each other much respect throughout the book. The discussion is pitched at a level where the layperson can read with profit.

This book does a good job of balancing the two sides of the issue without getting ugly. It is obvious that while the four scholars disagree on what if any limitations there should be on women in ministry that they respect one another.