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Title: Two Views on Women in Ministry by Craig Blomberg, Thomas R. Schreiner, James R. Beck, Ann L. Bowman, Linda L. Belleville, Craig Keener ISBN: 0-310-23195-7 Publisher: Zondervan Pub. Date: 01 June, 2001 Format: Paperback Volumes: 1 List Price(USD): $14.99 |
Average Customer Rating: 3.67 (6 reviews)
Rating: 3
Summary: Great writing (for the most part), poor editing
Comment: 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.
Rating: 5
Summary: Superb Work for Pastors and Teachers!
Comment: 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.
Rating: 3
Summary: Poor Editing
Comment: 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.
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Title: Women in the Church: A Biblical Theology of Women in Ministry by Stanley J. Grenz, Denise Muir Kjesbo ISBN: 0830818626 Publisher: Intervarsity Press Pub. Date: November, 1995 List Price(USD): $16.00 |
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Title: Recovering Biblical Manhood and Womanhood: A Response to Evangelical Feminism by John Piper, Wayne A. Grudem, Wayne Gruden ISBN: 0891075860 Publisher: Crossway Books Pub. Date: April, 1991 List Price(USD): $25.00 |
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Title: What Paul Really Said About Women: The Apostle's Liberating Views on Equality in Marriage, Leadership, and Love by John T. Bristow ISBN: 0060610638 Publisher: Harper SanFrancisco Pub. Date: 01 March, 1991 List Price(USD): $13.00 |
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Title: Paul, Women, and Wives: Marriage and Women's Ministry in the Letters of Paul by Craig S. Keener ISBN: 0943575966 Publisher: Hendrickson Publishers, Inc. Pub. Date: 01 November, 1992 List Price(USD): $14.95 |
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Title: Four Views on Eternal Security by J. Matthew Pinson, Stanley N. Gundry, Michael Horton, Steven Harper ISBN: 0310234395 Publisher: Zondervan Pub. Date: 01 May, 2002 List Price(USD): $14.99 |
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