Resources on Women in Ministry

Interested in learning more about the evidence supporting women in ministry after Fr. Kevin’s sermon? Check out this list of resources:

Books

Sarah Bessey, Jesus Feminist. 2013.

• Rather than defend egalitarianism or feminism, in this book Bessey emphasizes the love and respect Jesus had for women during his earthly ministry and still has for women today.

Bilezikien, Gilbert. Beyond Sex Roles: What the Bible Says about Woman’s Place in Church and Family. Baker, 2006. 

• A thorough biblical survey and theological analysis of all the “tough passages” regarding women’s roles in scripture. Comes to a full equality view of women in ministry, advocating an interpretive method that sees God's revelation of himself and his will as progressive. 

Cohick, Lynn. Women in the World of the Earliest Christians: Illuminating Ancient Ways of Life. Baker, 2009. 

• This book is a deep historical look at the lives of women in the early church, dispelling misconceptions and oversimplifications. Women during this period were active at all levels within their religious communities. But their influence was not always identified by titles and their gender was not always a barrier. 

Johnson, Alan F. (ed)  How I Changed My Mind about Women in Leadership: Compelling Stories from Prominent Evangelicals. Grand Rapids:  Zondervan, 2010.

• Stories from all corners of evangelicalism about how people have changed their minds from being closed to women in leadership to being open or enthusiastically supportive of women in leadership in the church. Edited by a former Wheaton professor.

Keener, Craig. Paul, Women, and Wives: Marriage and Women’s Ministry in the Letters of Paul. Baker, 1992.

• Keener is a world class NT scholar and he gives a deep, contextual reading of the “problem passages” in Paul from an egalitarian perspective.  

Mathews, Alice. Gender Roles and the People of God: Rethinking What We Were Taught about Men and Women in the Church. 2017.

• A new book by an older woman who has been studying this issue for 40 years or more. She gives a compelling interpretation of the 1 Timothy passage on women not teaching in the church. (Read Sarah Lindsay’s review of the book for Christians for Biblical Equality here.)

McKnight, Scot. The Blue Parakeet: Rethinking How You Read the Bible. Zondervan, 2008. 

• A book about Bible interpretation, generally, but much of what he says has important relevance to the subject of women in ministry. The second half of the book contains a very valuable exploration of the difficult passages from Paul that seem to limit women.

Peppiatt, Lucy. Rediscovering Scripture’s Vision for Women: Fresh Perspectives on Disputed Texts. IVP Academic, 2019.

• Scholarly but accessible book with a foreword by Scot McKnight that offers a vision for women from scripture that is encouraging and empowering. 

Stackhouse, John G. Finally Feminist: A Pragmatic Christian Understanding of Gende. Baker, 2005. 

• A short earlier book from Stackhouse offering a pragmatic, mission-centered approach in support of women in ministry, which he bases on the approach of the Apostle Paul (as he understands it). 

Stackhouse, John G. Partners in Christ: A Conservative Case for Egalitarianism. 2015.

• Starts from the premise that solely from a study of Scripture the question of egalitarianism and women in leadership in the church will never be answered satisfactorily because the Scripture isn’t absolutely clear.  Dr. Stackhouse then approaches the topic pragmatically and thoughtfully.

Torjesen, Karen. When Women Were Priests: Women’s Leadership in the Early Church. Harper San Francisco, 1995. 

• Details the historical evidence that women were priests, bishops, and prophets in the early Christian church. Also explains the social, political, and cultural factors that eventually led to their suppression.  

Webb, William J. and Darrell L. Bock. Slaves, Women & Homosexuals: Exploring the Hermeneutics of Cultural Analysis. 2001.

• An excellent presentation of the concept of “redemptive movement” as it relates to these three difficult topics. Very compelling.

Online Resources

Bailey, Kenneth E. “Women in the New Testament: A Middle Eastern Cultural View.” https://godswordtowomen.org/women_new_testament.pdf

• Bailey draws on his decades as a professor of New Testament living in the Middle East to explain the cultural backgrounds.

Torrance, Thomas. “The Ministry of Women.“ http://www.newhumanityinstitute.org/pdf-articles/TF-Torrance-Ministry-of-Women.pdf

• Explores the topic from a biblical as well as a historical perspective.  A bit dense but worth the read.

Witt, William G. Essays about Women’s Ordination 

• Witt, the Associate Professor of Systematic Theology and Ethics at Trinity School for Ministry, offers 20 essays answering questions about women’s leadership in the church. Helpful in that it addresses both Protestant and Catholic concerns. Begin here. 

Christians for Biblical Equality

• CBE is an organization that promotes egalitarian theology and supports women in ministry. They have a website full of resources, a blog, a print magazine, and an academic journal, all with a range of information on every aspect of women in ministry.

The Junia Project

• Another website with a wealth of useful articles and resources on women in ministry; this site takes its name from a woman named Junia and called an apostle by Paul.

Resources on Justice

Below is a list of books and articles on various topics related to justice. These resources will help you learn more about a variety of issues and help frame our responses as Christians, connecting to Fr. Kevin’s sermon on praying for and seeking justice.. Updated 8/20 with YA fiction recommendations.

On Social Justice Generally:

Good News About Injustice: A Witness of Courage in a Hurting World, by Gary Haugen

• The founder of International Justice Mission gives the biblical foundation for God's heart for justice and shows how Christians can seek justice in the world.

Social Justice Handbook: Small Steps for a Better World, by Mae Elise Cannon

• A comprehensive reference that provides research, history, and practical steps on issues from domestic violence and sex trafficking to bioethics and global poverty.

Becoming a Just Church: Cultivating Communities of God's Shalom, by Adam Gustine

• Encourages local congregations to not outsource justice to outside organizations and to be just in how they interact with their communities.

On Immigration and Refugees:

Welcoming the Stranger: Justice, Compassion and Truth in the Immigration Debate, by Matt Soerens and Jenny Yang

• World Relief specialists explain the complexities of immigration policy, debunk misconceptions, and show how churches can care for immigrants and refugees.

You Welcomed Me: Loving Refugees and Immigrants Because God First Loved Us, by Kent Annan

• Director of Wheaton College’s Humanitarian and Disaster Institute suggests concrete and practical ways to live out the welcoming embrace of God without fear, to those around us.

Love Undocumented: Risking Trust in a Fearful World, by Sarah Quezada

The God Who Sees: Immigrants, the Bible, and the Journey to Belong, by Karen Gonzalez

Christians at the Border: Immigration, the Church, and the Bible, by Daniel Carroll

“Christians are on All Sides of the Immigration Debate,” Christianity Today

YA Fiction:

• A Long Walk to Water, by Linda Sue Park

• Inside Out and Back Again, by Thanhha Lai

• Cicada Moon, by Marilyn C. Hilton

• Refugee, by Alan Gratz

On Race in America:

Beyond Colorblind: Redeeming Our Ethnic Journey, by Sarah Shin

• Shows how racial conflict and brokenness requires ethnic identity formation and crosscultural competency.

White Awake: An Honest Look at What It Means to Be White, by Daniel Hill

• A white pastor unpacks issues of cultural identity and discomfort and how whites can be agents of reconciliation in a diverse world.

Black and White: Disrupting Racism One Friendship at a Time, by Teesha Hadra, John Hambrick

• C4SO pastor Hadra and her friend Hambrick show how racism can be disrupted by friendships that challenge our ways of viewing and living in the world.

Trouble I’ve Seen: Changing the Way the Church Views Racism, by Drew Hart

• Challenging both white and black Christians to reconsider ways we view race and the church, while offering practical suggestions for those committed to racial justice in society and the Church.

Rethinking Incarceration: Advocating for Justice That Restores, by Dominique Gilliard

• A focus on the ills of mass incarceration and how we can move from punitive models of justice to more restorative, redemptive ones.

“The American Church’s Complicity in Racism: A Conversation with Jemar Tisby,” Religion & Politics

YA Fiction:

• Brown Girl Dreaming, by Jacqueline Woodson

• Dear Martin, by Nic Stone

• One Crazy Summer, by Rita Williams-Garcia

On Disabilities:

Living Gently in a Violent World: The Prophetic Witness of Weakness, by Stanley Hauerwas and Jean Vanier

• An exploration of how Christian community that includes a recognition of our weakness can provide a counter-cultural witness to a violent world.

Riding on Faith: Keeping Your Balance When the Wheels Fall Off, by Alice Teisan

• Savior member Alice Teisan’s memoir about her spiritual journey with disability. Contact Alice for a free Kindle download between 8/17 and 8/24.

A Good and Perfect Gift: Faith, Expectations and A Little Girl Named Penny, by Amy Julia Becker

• Becker writes about her unexpected journey of hope and grace while walking alongside her daughter, Penny, who has Down’s-Syndrome.

We Need Each Other: Responding to God's Call to Live Together, by Jean Vanier

• Vanier, founder of the L’Arche communities, provides a vision for life lived together as broken children of a loving God, humbled and inspired to love one another, no matter our weakness.

“The Ministry of the Disabled,” Christianity Today

YA Fiction:

• Wonder, by R. J. Palacio

• Fish in a Tree, by Lynda Mullaly Hunt

• El Deafo, by Cece Bell

Blessed to Be a Blessing Resources: Embrace

Henri Nouwen writes, “We keep forgetting that we are being sent out two-by-two. We cannot bring good news on our own. We are called to proclaim the Gospel together, in community.” This week we are invited to examine what it means for us to go on our outward journey together.

Resources for further reflection:

• The Communal Imagination: Finding a Way to Share Life Together by Mark Votava

  • Votava encourages his readers to concentrate on our relationships and our particular place, instead of focusing on individual achievement. Our faith and spiritual practices are best undertaken together, so he emphasizes living our lives in close proximity to our local neighborhood and church and prioritizing building community and friendship with the people nearest to us.

• In the Name of Jesus: Reflections on Christian Leadership, Henri Nouwen

  • Nouwen exposes the temptations we often experience when ministering to others, and he dismisses our insistence on defining successful leadership in individualistic terms. Instead of focusing on ourselves and our effectiveness, Nouwen reminds us that we first and foremost work together as a “called people.” True ministry can only be accomplished together from a posture of humility and reflection.

• This week we offer two activities for you to practice. Choose the one that resonates with you more.

  • Spend some time reflecting on this question: What keeps me from understanding ministry and evangelism in communal terms? Talk to God about what comes up for you in this.

  • Is there someone in your life that you are seeking to bless with God’s love, but this is proving difficult for some reason? Ask a friend to pray with and for you and/or to join you in your time with this person.

Blessed to Be a Blessing Resources: Grace

Affirming how God is already at work

“The beginning of love is the will to let those we love be perfectly themselves, the resolution not to twist them to fit our own image. If in loving them we do not love what they are, but only their potential likeness to ourselves, then we do not love them: we only love the reflection of ourselves we find in them.” -- Thomas Merton

As we take the time to notice those around us, to listen to their story, how do we affirm the ways in which God is already at work in their lives? How do we allow our interactions to be a blessing?

Resources for further reflection:

• The Sacrament of Evangelism by Jerry Root and Stan Guthrie

  • These authors want to renew excitement for evangelism in the Church by focusing the reader on how God is already at work in the world, and reenvisioning the work of evangelism in sacramental terms.

• Ears to Speak podcast episodes https://www.stonecroft.org/earstospeak/

  • The goal of this podcast is to teach Christians how to be better listeners and friends as an essential element of evangelism. For the hosts, the key is cultivating solid communication skills, particularly learning how to listen well. Each episode they discuss a different aspect of evangelism, and encourage their listeners to reimagine evangelism for real relationships.

• Activity: When we pray for others, we often find our love and connection for them deepening. This week set aside time to pray for one or two people whom you would like to bless and affirm in your interactions. Maybe someone you saw only in passing, maybe a longtime friend, or perhaps a newer acquaintance whose story has stuck with you. As you pray, thank God for being at work in this person’s life, and ask God to illuminate ways you might join him in the work he is already doing.

Hear Father Kevin’s sermon on Grace by clicking here.

Blessed to Be a Blessing Resources: Face

Week Three: Face

Caring enough to learn their story:

“More and more, the desire grows in me simply to walk around, greet people, enter their homes, sit on their doorsteps, play ball, throw water, and be known as someone who wants to live with them. It is a privilege to have the time to practice this simple ministry of presence. Still, it is not as simple as it seems. My own desire to be useful, to do something significant, or to be part of some impressive project is so strong that soon my time is taken up by meetings, conferences, study groups, and workshops that prevent me from walking the streets. It is difficult not to have plans, not to organize people around an urgent cause, and not to feel that you are working directly for social progress. But I wonder more and more if the first thing shouldn’t be to know people by name, to eat and drink with them, to listen to their stories and tell your own, and to let them know with words, handshakes, and hugs that you do not simply like them, but truly love them.” —Henri Nouwen

This week, in the place God has placed us, as we slow our pace and notice those around us, we practice what Nouwen calls this “simple ministry of presence:” learning people’s stories, listening deeply, allowing God’s blessing to us to flow through to those around us.

Resources for further reflection:

• “Evangelism, Meet Soul Care,” Kimberly Penrod Pelletier: https://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/2018/january-web-only/evangelism-meet-soul-care.html

  • This article teaches us how we can love others better through our own experiences of Christ’s love for us. As we receive God’s love and become aware of the Holy Spirit speaking to us, we learn to be aware of how God is moving in the lives of those we encounter, and are moved to help them engage with his love.

• The Listening Life: Embracing Attentiveness in a World of Distraction, by Adam S. McHugh

  • This book emphasizes the importance of listening as a way of life. The author begins by focusing on how God listens to us and how learning to listen to him extends into a countercultural way of life, marked by listening to God and others.

• “The Power of a Dinner Table,” David Brooks: https://nyti.ms/2edd04H

  • This article shares the story of one family who opened up their home and table to teenagers living in poverty. This article shows how extending a listening ear to others can be the first step to opening your life to bless others in powerful, concrete ways.

Hear Father Kevin’s sermon on Face by clicking here.