Wednesday, May 19, 2010

Responding to Adrian and Tim

Tim asks,
    I wonder if any women readers would be willing to give me some very brief (just a few sentences) soundbites about one or more of the strategies you use.
Adrian comments,
    I thought today I would highlight two blogs written by women, as Christian blogging especially is still something of a male domain. This surprises me a little as these days it is not a geeky activity, and since so many women are great communicators I would have expected there to be more.
Men continue to wonder about the voice of women. Which is very curious because women are speaking out all the time. Women are saying what they think about the way men interpret the Bible. Of course, every woman has a different opinion, we don't have a 'group think policy'. But some women do share a common view and they are getting together on it.

Shirley Taylor announces on her blog,
    There will be a conference in Orlando Florida on July 24 called Seneca Falls 2 Christian Conference – trying to find solutions and to offer a united front in favor of gender-equality for Christian women. This conference is led by Jocelyn Andersen, author of the new book Woman this is WAR. You can order this book on her website www.womansubmit.blogspot.com.
A few female bloggers I have read recently are -

Shirley Taylor
Jocelyn Anderson
Waneta Dawn
scratchpaperthoughts

Over and over again, women are blogging about the need to be treated as equals. I don't have much hope right now myself. In the bibliosphere, I often see that those who defend patriarchy are not only tolerated but praised. Dan Wallace, Peter Kreeft, Bruce Waltke, and many other names come to mind.

It is v ery painful for me to think about what these men teach about women. If men think of "tolerance" as purely the acceptance of both complementarian and egalitarian men in one happy community, then it's all fine and dandy. But they should not ponder the absence of women.

3 comments:

Lynne said...

Suzanne, i feel similarly. Here am I, a woman with a degree in theology equal to the ordained men, 'allowed' to preach in my church occasionally, but i stick mainly to creative writing in my blogging because I'm so tired and sickened by the put downs that come with daring to invade male territory. In the end i've been abused and demeaned too often n the past to play that game. I will stand up for my role as a woman in real life (not easy in the Sydney Anglican world)-- I don't have the energy to fight on the internet as well.

I am preparing to write an essay for my Master's (adult education) on ideology and hegemony in the subordination of women in the church -- I am mentally girding myself to read some of that stuff again in order to write about it. Do they not know how deeply they wound us, or do they simply never care?

Anonymous said...

I assume that 'they' do not care what I, or even an ordained woman, might think or feel. The facts demonstrate this. On the other hand, I do need to learn and am not an island. So, I do not want to waste my time as a member of their 'audience' possibly feeding their egos rather than growing and helping others grow. I am grateful for Biblically egalitarian writing and internet 'places' even though I'm mostly a lurker. I am grateful for the examples of commenting in unfriendly places with humility. Those are really 'bright' spots. I am taking note of names and thoughts and sharing with others as I can off the net. While you may not be 'moving' 'them' you and others have made a difference for me and I discuss this stuff with others and I try to be honest with my children who are moving into college years. The youth are great thinkers and challengers. If they get this information sooner rather than later, the 'sages' will be speaking in an empty theater. That's my dream anyway....I desire for my children to hope for marriages of mutual respect and joyful mutual learning.

ls

Anonymous said...

Thanks for linking my blog!

I too have sunk down in hopelessness in what seems like a losing battle for biblical equality. It seems especially dismal when we know that the default philosophy for gender roles in mainstream churches = complementarian role relegation. It irks me. I have been wounded many times over by those whose 'good intentions' for 'right' interpretations of the Scriptures have clamped handcuffs to my wrists and a muzzle to my mouth. And for a long while, I was so busy writhing in my hurt that I was too paralyzed to do anything. In the last 2 years, however, as my husband and I have switched to an egalitarian church, I have found HEALING... and at last, I am slowly finding my voice again. There is HOPE because biblical equality is the truth... it is the 'right' interpretation.