A Brief History of Gender Roles in the Church

This article was first published in French at TPSG.

“A woman without a man is like a fish without a bicycle,” declared the slogan popularized by feminist leader Gloria Steinam in the 1970s. With such a battle cry, the movement communicated a woman’s independence and superiority, along with men’s needlessness and redundancy.

First Wave Feminism

When we think of the word “feminist” today, it is perhaps, therefore, that posture towards men that comes to our minds. Yet at its genesis, the feminist movement advocated for rights 21st century men and women take for granted. Some of these include a woman’s right to vote, to gain access to higher education and better employment opportunities, to own property, and to divorce and retain custody of her children (especially in cases of abuse). Moreover, first wave feminists considered abortion murder, and would be horrified by what the movement has become.

Second Wave Feminism

Following World War II, second wave feminists went on to pursue just causes such as employment opportunities beyond entry level/secretarial, “equal pay for equal work,” and the right of married women to take out their own credit cards or loans. Yet along with these efforts, many also fought for female ordination, and many left Christianity altogether in favour of spiritualities that emphasized the feminine.[1] Moreover, in regards to sexual ethics, abortion, pornography, and prostitution rose to the forefront as rights the movement championed.

 

The Birth of Complementarianism

It was in the wake of the sexual revolution, second wave feminism, and the titanic cultural shift that accompanied them that complementarianism was born. In the face of mounting threats, a group of evangelical leaders sought to address these ills. Their solution was a return to proper definitions of femininity and masculinity and a carrying out of these distinctives in marriage, the church, and society.

 

Complementarianism’s Fundamental Tenets

At its outset, complementarianism espoused three core principles:

1. Husbands are called to servant leadership in their home (Ephesians 5:21-33).
2. The office of elder is reserved for qualified men (1 Timothy 3:1-7, Titus 1:5-9).
3. The Sunday morning preaching event (when the Church is gathered for corporate worship) is reserved for qualified men/elders (1 Timothy 2:12).

 To these tenets a wide spectrum of churches from various traditions readily adhered. We at TPSG ourselves hail from a number of church families and share these convictions, as we believe that they are the most consistent interpretation of what Scripture teaches on men and women. We don’t consider these distinctives as oppressive, nor as a result of the fall. Rather, they are part of God’s good design for humanity in general, and for his Church in particular.

 

The Theological Spectrum in the Gender Debate:

Evangelical Feminism

It's important, therefore, for us to understand the spectrum of interpretation on the question of gender in the Bible. On one end we find Christian feminism, which denies the inerrancy and authority of Scripture and in a lot of ways mirrors contemporary culture in how it addresses this subject. Beyond seeking complete equality (and even preeminence) for women in every sphere of society, it espouses unbiblical views on the nature of the Godhead (by using gender-neutral terms), the transgender movement, abortion, and more. (While some use the terms Christian feminist and egalitarian interchangeably, others reserve the former term for the movement in its extreme forms. In order to make a distinction between them, I do so as well in this article).

 

Christian Patriarchy

On the other end is Christian Patriarchy, which in many ways also mirrors the culture – not our own, however, but rather Aristotelian and Victorian era views of women. Among other tenets, the movement teaches that the man is the prophet, priest, and king of his home, and therefore his family’s representative before God. Women must not work outside the home, and must homeschool their children. Daughters are helpmates to their fathers until they marry, and should not seek a college education or employment outside the home.

 Both of these extremes pit women and men against one another and do violence to the Scripture, to the detriment of the Church and God’s good design for humanity.

 

Egalitarianism

In the middle of the spectrum we find egalitarians and complementarians. Both retain a high view of Scripture, yet come to different conclusions regarding gender in the home, church, and society. Egalitarians believe that God created men and women equal in every way, and that gender hierarchy is a result of the fall. Christ’s work of redemption, therefore, was designed by God to reverse these effects and to restore his intended equality between men and women.

 

Complementarianism

Complementarians also believe that God created men and women as equals, but with complimentary function. They believe that gender distinctions precede the fall, as the man was created first, and the woman was given to the man as a helper. As mentioned, the essential differences involve male leadership in the home and elder rule in the church. Beyond that, these differing functions vary depending on where one lands within the spectrum of complementarianism.

 

Hard Complementarianism

Within complementarianism itself, two distinct camps have developed: soft complementarians and hard complementarians. Hard complementarians believe that adversarial roles between men and women came as a result of the fall, so that men seek to dominate over women and women seek to usurp men’s God-given authority. Redemption restores men and women to their proper roles. It also espouses that men are to hold most (if not all) leadership positions in the church, and that women are not to teach mixed groups.

 

Soft Complementarianism

Soft complementarianism teaches that the fall brought discord to male-female relationships, but that the inbreaking of Christ’s kingdom empowers men and women to relate as equals, while maintaining certain distinctions in the home and church. It believes that a woman can do carry out any ministry role which is open to a non-ordained man, including teaching mixed groups.

 

Implications

Why do these questions matter? Because the way we understand gender in the Church will determine how we make disciples and establish communities of faith. This article may raise more questions than answers, and I intend to develop some of these ideas in future articles. If anything I’ve written troubles you, I’d encourage you to keep an open mind, be willing to search the Scriptures, and “test all things, hold on to what is good.” (1 Thess. 5:21).

To be continued…

[1] Rachel Green Miller, Beyond Authority and Submission: Women and Men in Marriage, Church, and Society.