Paris on Piper

Jennel Williams Paris has her own take on John Piper. I like her writing, she has a good take on why women should study home ec. too. Or rather what women should study in home ec. This answers the question in the comment on my last post, so here goes Don't knock biblical home ec.,

First, teach money: thrifty shopping, of course, but also purchasing a home, doing taxes and investing. A financial course could also teach women how to guide their husbands gently toward wise financial stewardship, which would contribute to a good outcome without violating patriarchy. (Even if men took a course in finances, 50% of them would be in the bottom half of the class and could use their wives' support.) Finances and sex are two taboos insufficiently addressed in families or communities, and they warrant classroom instruction.

Second, the curriculum should include advanced topics related to the absence of men. "Cheating, Leaving, Dying: What To Do When He's Gone" would cover most of what I have in mind. Reserved for the 400-level is "On Your Own Two Feet or By Your Man: Where to Stand," in which women discuss strategies for coping with sexual addiction, gay husbands, straight affairs and financial scandal. Another is "Why the Bleep Am I Still Single?" Most homemaking students will be anticipating a future of mothering, wifing and home-schooling, but some will not marry, and some of those married will not parent.

Third, there ought to be study for men, beyond a course in the theology of patriarchy. A few essentials: "Basic Home Repair," "Achieving Financial Stability" and "Being a Song of Solomon Lover." Perhaps egalitarians and complementarians can agree that women deserve satisfaction in things financial, sexual and electrical.