Out of the Ordinary: Women's Studies

Showing posts with label Women's Studies. Show all posts

Friday, September 29, 2017

Closer Than a Sister: Review and Giveaway

Closer Than a Sister: How Union with Christ Helps Friendships to Flourish by Christina Fox, Christian Focus, 2017, 191 pages. Release date: October 6, 2017.

The desire for real friendships is part of what it means to be human, made in the image of God, and something with which many of us struggle. I know I long for rich friendships, yet often I find the idea of having the closeness others enjoy elusive and disconnected from my own experience.

In Closer Than a Sister, Christina Fox tackles the topic of friendships for women in the church by emphasizing the local church (the body of Christ), union with Christ, and the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Divided into three sections, the book lays out theological, expository, and redemptive perspectives on Christian friendship.

In the first section, the author discusses the theological foundations for Christian friendship, the origins of Christian community, and how unity with Christ creates essential unity between believers. Specifically, for Christian women, our bonds go beyond mere secular notions of friendship, because we have been given a bond and unity in Christ intended to make us a heavenly family. On the one hand, we have been made to enjoy community with one another, but on the other hand, because of sin, community is still broken and still often falls short of meeting that desire or honoring the Lord.

As a competent guide and expositor of the relevant New Testament passages, the author then takes her readers on a journey in the second section through various scriptural examples and instructions that depict Christ-exalting Christian friendships between sisters in the Lord. Fox presents the text from a first person perspective as trained counselor and seasoned blogger on women's topics, speaking and engaging with the reader using a very personal approach. For some readers, this approach may seem intimidating; however, from my point of view, the approach was a welcome change from the sanitized, non-personal academic writing that I encounter regularly in my graduate research program.

Finally, in the third section, the author approaches some of the downfalls that Christian women often experience, including the loss of friendships that result from moving, changes of the season of life, or even conflict. Struggles with idolatry, unrealistic expectations, and gossip regularly seem to exacerbate our loneliness and longing for community. While not every woman in our local churches will become close friends, the author shows us how we can reach out to our sisters in Christ, in a spirit of love and sacrificial service. Ultimately, if we are in Christ, we're called to remember that he is our true Friend -- the One who will never leave us or forsake us and who will never let us down or reject us.

I would recommend this book for several purposes: (1) if like me, friendship is a struggle for you, this book will likely be a worthwhile read and (2) for anyone interested in cultivating a mentoring, Titus-2 type relationship, I would see this book as an invaluable resource for understanding the kind of relationships we might emulate. If you're already gifted in this area, the book is still a very good reminder of what Gospel friendships look like and of the One Friend Who we all are longing to meet face to face in that day.

The giveaway has ended - Thank you everyone who entered!

Thursday, July 13, 2017

Difficult Passages Series: Judges 19 and The Gospel

Identity & the Gospel in Judges 19
Difficult Passages for Women Series

 Whenever speakers or expositors read the passage in Judges 19:1-30, they invariably take great care to caution their listeners about the horrific events contained therein. Such is the depth of the concubine’s suffering, degradation, and circumstances of depravity. At the end of the chapter, even the author declares:

All who saw it said, “Nothing like this has ever happened or been seen from the day when the sons of Israel came up from the land of Egypt to this day. Consider it, take counsel and speak up!” (Judges 19:30, New American Standard Bible).

Placing the Judges 19 account within the larger context of the book of Judges brings out the doctrine of the depravity of man and the wretched state of the culture in those days, whereby everyone did what was right in his or her own eyes, because there was no king to rule (Judges 17:6, 19-1, 21-25).  

The story of the Judges 19 woman begins with a magnifying glass on her own sinful condition (v. 2), but quickly turns to the sinfulness of those around her and the culture at large. By the end of Judges 19, the concubine's story graphically depicts the reality that in a culture, given over to autonomous self-gratification, the death wages of sin typically pour out on its weakest members.

With that backdrop, I also hope that women will come to see how the truth of the Gospel of Christ can speak into even the dark, hopeless state of the Judges 19 woman. We can and should bring the Gospel message to bear even in these utterly hard passages.

 Covenantal Nature of Identity.

First, let’s consider the covenantal nature of our identity. Contrary to covenant, none of the characters in Judges 19 account are named. Each of the participants is essentially an anonymous entity, likely intended to convey meaning on several levels. For instance, the Levite, the stranger, the father, and the concubine are representatives, like the literary “everyman,” who in this case ties us back to the point at the time of the Judges, when everyone was doing what they saw as right in their own eyes. The collective identity of Israel was indistinguishable from the depraved, Gentile surrounding culture. In those days, Israel's depravity had become as bad -- or worse -- than that of Sodom and Gomorrah (Genesis 19:1-29)

In this way, the concubine represents the people of Israel as a whole, individually enslaved by sin, and collectively abandoned to wickedness by the very leaders (represented by the father and the Levite) who were responsible for their well-being. But other layers of meaning concerning the anonymity of the concubine apply here as well. For instance, concubines who were barren or who did not provide a male heir to their masters were not named in the Hebrew Scriptures. A concubine derived her identity in the covenant community from fulfilling the particular role of heir-bearing. Otherwise, she would typically not be remembered by name within the historical covenant narratives.

Individual Nature of Identity.

Similarly, today, women associated with the dehumanizing acts of sexual abuse, or perhaps enslaved to sexual sin, suffer greatly with issues of identity, due to inherent objectification in society, along with perhaps finding themselves defined by past sexual relations. The shame they bear, both spiritually and culturally, often causes women to become silent, hidden, and even go underground. They, like the Judges 19 concubine, become anonymous entities whose lives matter little to their depraved masters, or the culture around them.

 But…. these deep issues of identity as women in societies where illicit sexual circumstances anonymize and silence its victims are redeemable by our Lord Jesus, who is our true King.

True Identity.

Even in a land where people are selfishly and murderously doing only what they want to do, Jesus really is the true and better Israel. He stepped up as King, also took the place of the priest — and the concubine. He became the true Everyman, for those who believe on him.

He is the perfect Husband who protects his bride. He doesn’t treat her as a concubine, but rather as his cherished possession. Jesus, unlike the Levite and the stranger, doesn't give his bride over to the enemy to have his way with her and abuse her. Instead, our King Jesus leaves his Father's house to reverse the curse. He comes to his Bride and offers his own body to go out in the bride’s place — to be torn apart for the twelve tribes of Israel.

Instead of allowing her to be given over, without hope or any possibility for rescue and to forever have her name forgotten, Jesus gave himself up on the cross for his bride. Now, her name is written on his hands (Isaiah 49:16) and she is his eternally. His body, battered and bloodied, serves as a reminder to the Church, that we are his people, and that he is our true King, Redeemer, Priest, and Husband.  Jesus's broken body calls us to assemble together in unity and peace because of his blood sacrifice, much like the oxen Saul cut to pieces to call the Israelites together for war (1 Samuel 11:7).

Remembering and Reminding.

Likewise, the sacrament of the Lord’s Supper is a corporate reminder of the reality of Christ’s rescue. We need to remind one another and to be reminded of this Gospel truth. The prophet Hosea in chapters 9 and 10 looks back to the days of the Judges in order to warn Ephraim that they are behaving as those in Gibeah (Judges 19:15) by going after false gods and idols (Hosea 9:9). They had forgotten who they are; Whose they are; to Whom they belong. They were forgetting their husband, over and over and over.

Do we remind each other that we are his bride and that he has redeemed us as the prophet Hosea was called to redeem his bride, Gomer? That at one time we were not a people (Hosea 1:10; 1 Peter 2), but we too were delivered out of bondage and slavery (Exodus 20:2) and out of the kingdom of death and darkness (Col. 1:13) -- by the One who took our place and has called us by name?  

We are all prone to wander and forget our True King and Redeemer. He calls us to seek refuge in his Father's house; unlike the Levite, the strange, and the father in Judges 19, our Lord will never leave us or forsake us (Hebrews 13:5).

To be continued...

Tuesday, January 5, 2016

Why Women Should Study Church History

“How shall we labor with any effect to build up the church, if we have no thorough knowledge of her history, or fail to apprehend it from the proper point of observation? History is, and must ever continue to be, next to God’s Word, the richest foundation of wisdom, and the surest guide to all successful practical activity.” 1—Philip Schaff

It’s unfortunate that the average Evangelical Christian has so little knowledge of church history. This comes as no surprise since few churches engage their congregants in studies of our incredibly rich spiritual heritage.

Church history is not only relevant but it is extremely fascinating! It is a panoply of doctrinal and spiritual battles and victories showcasing God’s preservation of His beloved Bride. Discovering how the Lord emboldened men and women to remain true to Christ and the Scriptures throughout the ages will surely encourage believers facing the challenges of our day.

WHAT’S GENDER GOT TO DO WITH IT?

First, notwithstanding the Biblical mandate for male pastoral leadership in the church, women do happen to make up half of church history and have played a vital role in contending for the faith. But most church history courses won’t cover these contributions, which is too bad. Neglecting to teach such an important aspect of church history that provides godly examples of women who promoted sound doctrine, may inadvertently contribute to the rampant problem we have today with women who distort the Scriptures and assume leadership roles God intended only for men. Furthermore, the fascination with Medieval Romish mysticism reflected in many women's studies might lose luster if women understood the serious heresies attached to it.

Beginning with the New Testament and moving forward, we can learn from godly mothers like Lois and Eunice, and Monica of Hippo (331 AD) whose answered prayer for her son Augustine has blessed the church today. Influential scholars like Queen Katherine Parr, the last wife of Henry VIII, nearly lost her head promoting the Gospel during the Reformation. Amy Carmichael (b.1867), the single missionary to orphans in India, risked losing everything she had worked for when she boldly stood against an encroaching social gospel. And of course that old saying “Behind every great man stands a great woman” applies to many women throughout history such as Katie Luther, Idelette de Bure Calvin, Susannah Spurgeon, and Vera Pink.

I think we also need to take care not to allow current gender debates to color our understanding of the women who have made their mark on the history of the church. For example, one might view Anne Askew, the 16^th century martyr, as promoting egalitarianism—a charge that her interrogators wrongfully accused her of. Instead, this young mother died for refusing to comply with the Catholic teaching of transubstantiation. Her life has challenged me to continue contending for doctrinal purity and separation from apostasy amidst our growing ecumenical climate.

Becoming acquainted with the courageous women who left their footprints behind will do more than just satisfy a curiosity about the pink side of church history. These women were true champions of the faith and sparkle as jewels woven into the beautiful tapestry of the Church. Their examples demonstrate ways that we as contemporary women might continue fighting the good fight of faith in the midst of all sorts of adversity, regardless of our station in life. Sisters, to borrow a phrase, we are standing on the shoulders of “Giantesses”!

And second, women and men alike would benefit from a standard course in church history, whether done autodidactically, online, or on campus because it gives us a broad overview of the most critical points in church history. It will also help us to appreciate more fully those who have served the Church when we understand the context of the times in which they lived.

Nowadays the resources available to us are endless! Nate Busenitz, professor of Historical Theology at the Master’s Seminary has written a great three part blog series for TMS’ Preachers and Preaching giving 10 reasons why we should study church history. He begins by saying,

“One of the great blindspots in contemporary American evangelicalism is its lack of historical awareness. With his characteristic wit, Carl Trueman explained the problem like this:

‘I was asked last week why some evangelicals convert to Eastern Orthodoxy and Roman Catholicism. Reasons vary, I am sure, but I commented that one theme I have noticed over the years is the fact that evangelicalism lacks historical roots. That is not to say that it has no history; rather it is to say that a consciousness of history is not part of the package. Rock band worship, Beautiful People everywhere (miserable middle aged plain people need not apply), and history nowhere in sight unless it is a reference in the sermon to an early Coldplay album. On that level, I can understand why people looking for something serious, something with a sense of theological and historical gravitas, simply give up on evangelicalism and start looking elsewhere. Some adults want a faith that is similarly adult, after all.’ (Source)”

You can find the series here: Why Study Church History - Part 1, Part 2, Part 3. The Master’s Seminary has generously posted Professor Busenitz’ 24 video class lectures in Historical Theology HERE .

And here’s a few more resources you might like. PLEASE feel free to add your recommendations in the comments.

CHURCH HISTORY RESOURCES

Podcasts:

5 Minutes in Church History with Dr. Stephen Nichols (regular podcasts)
White Horse Inn - Conversation with Robert Godfrey on Lessons from Church History