Complementarianism

“…leaders like Jesus and Paul labored alongside women, affirmed their giftedness, and established structures that would maximize their contribution to the gospel’s effectiveness in the church and out into the world.” - TGC

“people often confuse what the doctrine is with other associations that have little or nothing to do with the teaching. In short, folks confuse the essence with the accidents… . You may bite into an apple that happens to have a worm in it, but you would be painfully mistaken if you were to conclude that worms are part of the essence of an apple.” - CBMW

Kristin Du Mez and Beth Allison Barr’s books have created a four-alarm firestorm among certain Christian theologians. 9Marks and CBMW have devoted considerable time to explaining why their books on (respectively) masculinity and gender roles in Christianity are allegedly “dangerous.” This is alarmist nonsense.

“…the view makes two claims: First, that men and women are equal image bearers worthy of equal honor and value; second, that men and women hold different roles, with men exercising a ‘headship’ that corresponds to a particular kind of authority in the church and the home.

The highlights of Barr’s book include a review of historical texts and stories representing women in the Church and issues of gender, a discussion of gendered language in Bible translation, how the Reformation flipped the Church Fathers’ perception of the sexuality of women, and the Trinitarian heresy of eternal subordination of the Son in relatio

“The word ‘complementarianism’ is indeed a relatively new term. But it is a new term coined to refer to an ancient teaching that is rooted in the text of scripture. On the contrary, Egalitarianism is the doctrinal innovation, not the biblical idea that men and women are created equally in God’s image with distinct and complementary differences.” - Denny Burk

“It unapologetically explains and defends the complementarian position, which insists that God has designed men and women to be complementary to one another in life, church, and family. Though few people love the word ‘complementarian,’ he believes it is an appropriate choice because ‘it’s hard to tell the story of the Bible without a word that communicates ‘different but fitting together.’” - Challies

“In an email to Religion News Service, Moore didn’t go quite so far as to say she has entirely abandoned complementarianism. But she no longer sees it as essential.” - RNS

“Karen Swallow Prior, a professor of English and Christianity and Culture at Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary…wrote a passionate article in February explaining why she remains Southern Baptist. Yet she is among a number of SBC women publicly sharing their dismay about sex abuse and the vitriol directed at Moore.” - C.Leaders