WOMEN IN MINISTRY, VOLUME TWENTY-SIX

The Historic Attempt to Silence the Feminine Voice in the Church

Under an arch in a Roman Basilica is a mosaic portraying four female characters: two female saints, Mary (the mother of Jesus), and a fourth woman. An inscription identifies the fourth woman as Theodora Episcopa. The masculine form for Bishop in Latin is episcopus; the feminine form is episcopa. Both the mosaic’s visual and grammatical […]

bishop theodora

WOMEN IN MINISTRY, VOLUME TWENTY-FIVE

The Meaning of "Head," Ontological Equality and Functional Inequality

Words change meaning over time. In Old English, “pretty” meant “crafty and cunning.” A century ago, “nice,” meant “naive or ignorant.” And as recent as when I was a kid “gay,” meant “happy and carefree.” So, two thousand years ago, when Paul used the word “head,” what did it mean? It’s quite possible that it […]

husband and wife

WOMEN IN MINISTRY, VOLUME TWENTY-FOUR

Reading Paul Through Corinthian Sociological-Cultural Eyes

As a professional communicator, I’ve spent decades perfecting my craft and still fall short on a regular basis. It never ceases to amaze me that I can compose my message as clearly as possible and still encounter those who misunderstand. That’s because everyone listens and reads, through unique cultural lenses. Culture impacts every line of […]

husband-wife relationship

WOMEN IN MINISTRY, VOLUME TWENTY-THREE

Head Coverings, Hairstyles, and the Fight to Understand Paul's Words

There are four Pauline Scripture passages that are most often used in the debate over women in ministry. Three are used to limit the role of women in the life of the church. These are 1 Corinthians 11:2-16; 14:34-37; and 1 Timothy 2:11-15. The fourth, Galatians 3:26-29, is used to advocate for the complete freedom […]

women in ministry

WOMEN IN MINISTRY, VOLUME TWENTY-TWO

The Female Witnesses to Paul's Radical Inclusionary Practices

In 1888, Annie Armstrong led in the creation of the Woman’s Missionary Union of the Southern Baptist Convention, helping draft the constitution and serving as its first “executive director.” During her tenure, Armstrong refused a salary and traveled extensively at her own expense as a tireless advocate for missionaries, rallying the churches to support mission […]

women in ministry

WOMEN IN MINISTRY, VOLUME EIGHTEEN

Jesus, His Most Loyal Disciples, and the Witnesses to the Resurrection

The thing I love about Jesus is that he treated everyone with equal respect and value, and didn’t see any of the limitations society places on certain groups. He came to set us free from the chains that keep us in our assigned boxes. As a father and grandfather to some beautiful and brilliant young […]

Women in ministry

WOMEN IN MINISTRY, VOLUME SEVENTEEN

Jesus and His Egalitarian Interaction with Women

I have shown that Jesus’ teachings elevated women. Jesus also held women in the highest regard in the way he interacted with them. [198] In fact, his treatment of women was so antithetical to the patriarchal culture of his day that he could only be characterized as egalitarian. [199]   There are four specific cases […]

Jesus and Women

WOMEN IN MINISTRY, VOLUME SIXTEEN

The Revolutionary, Counter-Cultural Teachings of Jesus

I grew up in a very small Spanish-speaking Baptist Church. The people were mostly poor or on the underside of the middle class. As I grew into my teenage years, the church grew as well. Over time we drew people from all over the Spanish-speaking world. At one point, there were 21 countries represented in […]

women in ministry

WOMEN IN MINISTRY, VOLUME FIFTEEN

The Plight of Women in the Era of the New Testament

The role of women in American society changed dramatically in the 1960s. In 1963, the President’s Commission on the Status of Women issued a report entitled American Women, which recommended that women be granted equality in employment and educational opportunities, as well as wages. In the same year, Congress passed the Equal Pay Act, the […]

women in ministry

WOMEN IN MINISTRY, VOLUME THIRTEEN

Were Women Prophets with All the Rights and Authority Therein?

The duck test – “If it looks like a duck, swims like a duck, and quacks like a duck, then it probably is a duck” – suggests that something can be identified by its habitual characteristics. I would apply this age-old principle to the biblical text and say, “If she’s called a prophet, talks like […]

women in ministry