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jessypt's review against another edition
4.0
As a general rule I rarely read religious books, or non-fiction for that matter, but I gave myself a goal of reading 10 nonfiction books this year. This is the first.
I found this book surprisingly easy to read, and Keller's intellectual approach appealed to me. I'm personally still wrestling with this issue in some regard, although less so than in the past, but I really liked the second half of this book. I found that many of the truths I hold logically can extend to gender roles in the church (which as she says has long and continues to be misunderstood). I expect I'll continue wrestling with this issue but this was a nice, compact look at it.
I found this book surprisingly easy to read, and Keller's intellectual approach appealed to me. I'm personally still wrestling with this issue in some regard, although less so than in the past, but I really liked the second half of this book. I found that many of the truths I hold logically can extend to gender roles in the church (which as she says has long and continues to be misunderstood). I expect I'll continue wrestling with this issue but this was a nice, compact look at it.
alexisnphillips's review against another edition
5.0
I loved this quick and powerful read!
Kathy Keller does a great job encouraging the reader to challenge his or her apprehensions towards complementarianism and uses biblical backing for why we can ultimately trust in God’s design, not as an oppressor but as a good God who equips and qualifies and leads.
Kathy Keller does a great job encouraging the reader to challenge his or her apprehensions towards complementarianism and uses biblical backing for why we can ultimately trust in God’s design, not as an oppressor but as a good God who equips and qualifies and leads.
snix's review against another edition
4.0
A short little booklet - good and very thoughtful in regards to women's roles in ministry. Definitely a "give to others to reference" book.
esantelmann's review against another edition
3.0
I’ve read a lot on this topic and this one was meh. I didn’t feel like she touched even close to to basic issues of 1 Cor 14 to have a real conversation. She set up three things she thought people would take from it.
She also set up a church structure that I don’t think is mirrored in the modern church. It would be interesting to hear her flesh out what she thinks Biblical church should look like. Since she argues women should speak, teach, and prophesy but not be pastors or ordained. As of now the church doesn’t have many roles that include the first three but not the last two. Which could be a American cultural church error.
I did think she hit on the head that the church should not bar women from roles they are permitted in scripture. I’ve seen way too much that in “Bible teaching” churches.
She also set up a church structure that I don’t think is mirrored in the modern church. It would be interesting to hear her flesh out what she thinks Biblical church should look like. Since she argues women should speak, teach, and prophesy but not be pastors or ordained. As of now the church doesn’t have many roles that include the first three but not the last two. Which could be a American cultural church error.
I did think she hit on the head that the church should not bar women from roles they are permitted in scripture. I’ve seen way too much that in “Bible teaching” churches.
murfmonkey's review against another edition
5.0
This is my second time reading Kathy Kelley’s excellent little book on gender roles in the church. It should be assigned reading to both complementarians and egalitarians. I won’t bother summarizing it because you can read it yourself, but it’s a really good book that, better than any other on the subject, takes scripture seriously, but also affirms the roles that women can take in the church (a lot more than most complementarians think!)
baylordia's review against another edition
4.0
Started with a bang. Serious bang. Really good stuff. Then it moved into part two which became a whimper ... but was mercifully short. Read for the bang. It’s worth it.
ginaparrish's review against another edition
1.0
I read this booklet at a point in my faith when I wanted to solidify my beliefs about what God says about men and women in Bible. I read a lot of literature from both sides, hoping to gain a balanced understanding.
At the time, I would say I believed the things this booklet said about “roles” for different genders. Funnily enough though, it pushed me in the opposite direction as intended. This booklet, along with all of my other searching, lead me to the conclusion that these “roles” are not biblical, and certainly not God’s desire for us as Christians.
I also read Cathy Keller’s contributions to her husband’s books The Reason for God and The Meaning of Marriage. (The Kellers clearly believe that so long as a woman says it, people won’t find it sexist.) This booklet goes far beyond the other two, both in lacking evidence and lacking compassion.
The lack of compassion startled me the most. If I were to sum up Keller’s argument in my own words, it would be: “God clearly states women are not meant to lead. Why? Because He said so. You don’t like it? Tough. Stop crying about it.”
I am not someone who reads a lot of “fluffy” Christian literature. I do my best to stick to books and articles that are academic in nature, with lots of cited references. But, wow.
This theological debate about the sexes goes back thousands of years. It cannot be easily dismissed in a few dozen pages. The women seeking truth in this booklet, desperate to understand their place in this world and the next, deserve to be heard and treated with understanding.
Overall it left a bad impression. I want to say there is plenty of other great complimentarian literature out there, but not that I have found. So much of it stems from a few well-known figures of the evangelical movement of the 1970s (you know, during the sexual revolution). The words “gender roles” occur nowhere in the Bible and the idea that the Holy Spirit does not have completely equal power and authority as the Father and the Son conflicts with traditional accepted theology about the trinity.
At the time, I would say I believed the things this booklet said about “roles” for different genders. Funnily enough though, it pushed me in the opposite direction as intended. This booklet, along with all of my other searching, lead me to the conclusion that these “roles” are not biblical, and certainly not God’s desire for us as Christians.
I also read Cathy Keller’s contributions to her husband’s books The Reason for God and The Meaning of Marriage. (The Kellers clearly believe that so long as a woman says it, people won’t find it sexist.) This booklet goes far beyond the other two, both in lacking evidence and lacking compassion.
The lack of compassion startled me the most. If I were to sum up Keller’s argument in my own words, it would be: “God clearly states women are not meant to lead. Why? Because He said so. You don’t like it? Tough. Stop crying about it.”
I am not someone who reads a lot of “fluffy” Christian literature. I do my best to stick to books and articles that are academic in nature, with lots of cited references. But, wow.
This theological debate about the sexes goes back thousands of years. It cannot be easily dismissed in a few dozen pages. The women seeking truth in this booklet, desperate to understand their place in this world and the next, deserve to be heard and treated with understanding.
Overall it left a bad impression. I want to say there is plenty of other great complimentarian literature out there, but not that I have found. So much of it stems from a few well-known figures of the evangelical movement of the 1970s (you know, during the sexual revolution). The words “gender roles” occur nowhere in the Bible and the idea that the Holy Spirit does not have completely equal power and authority as the Father and the Son conflicts with traditional accepted theology about the trinity.
rliu793's review against another edition
5.0
4.5 stars rounded up
There were a few spots (particularly in confronting the concerns of more theologically liberal Christians) where Kathy comes across to me as a bit harsh even though I generally agreed with her viewpoint.
Besides that though, Kathy draws on Scripture and the perspectives of other faithful theologians like Elisabeth Elliot and C.S. Lewis to make a case for encouraging the God-given gifts of women in the church — outside of ordained ministry roles allowing for authoritative teaching, which she believes should be limited to men (and I would say her reasoning made sense biblically). Overall, this short booklet helped clarify some of the confusion I had regarding what roles Scripture permits women to take on in the local church.
There were a few spots (particularly in confronting the concerns of more theologically liberal Christians) where Kathy comes across to me as a bit harsh even though I generally agreed with her viewpoint.
Besides that though, Kathy draws on Scripture and the perspectives of other faithful theologians like Elisabeth Elliot and C.S. Lewis to make a case for encouraging the God-given gifts of women in the church — outside of ordained ministry roles allowing for authoritative teaching, which she believes should be limited to men (and I would say her reasoning made sense biblically). Overall, this short booklet helped clarify some of the confusion I had regarding what roles Scripture permits women to take on in the local church.
cammedham's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
slow-paced
5.0
Very good argument for women exercising their God-given gifts in a biblical context.