BOOK CRITIQUE: TWO VIEWS OF WOMEN IN MINISTRY

Introduction3

Brief Summary3

Critical interaction with the author's work5

Conclusion9

Bibliography10

Book Critique of Two Views on Women in Ministry

Introduction

The role of women in the ministry has been a much debated topic over the years while no definitive conclusion has emerged in this regard. The two sides of the debate i.e. the egalitarian and the complementarian have held contrasting arguments that has led to heated discussions on this important issue. The book presents these two contrasting views in a clear and thorough manner so that a better understanding of the strengths, weaknesses and complexities of the two sides could be reached. For this purpose each view is represented by two contributors: Linda L. Belleville, Craig S. Keener for the egalitarian side who will advocate for the view that ministry opportunities are equal for both men and women, and Craig, L. Blomberg and Thomas R. Schreiner for the complementarian side who believe that ministry roles differ by gender. The purpose of the paper is to analyze and critique the book Two Views on Women in Ministry and the viewpoints that are presented and examine in detail the topic to make an attempt to show that women had a clear and equal role in God's ministry.

Brief Summary

The book is divided in four sections, each dealing with one of the two opposing views on the topic while three of the remaining authors present their response to the article. Adequate biblical and doctrinal support is provided in the scriptural justifications that each author concisely presents on the position they set forth. Egalitarian contributors Belleville and Keener present their views that women should not be denied the right to have equal representation in the ministry while complentarians Blomberg and Schreiner denies them of these rights stating that the leadership positions in the church of apostle, bishop/pastor or teacher are only restricted to men.

The authors' approaches are scholarly and focus on the exegesis of some biblical passages that have continued to be central to the arguments on the topic. These disputed passages include Genesis 1 - 2; 1 Corinthians 11:2-16; 14:33-35; and 1 Timothy 2:11-14 that the two sides base some of their arguments on. According to Linda Belleville, the debate can be concisely said to surround around four questions which are “Does the Bible teach a hierarchical structuring of male and female relationships? Do we find women in leadership positions in the Bible? Do women in the Bible assume the same leadership roles as men? Does the Bible limit women from filling certain leadership roles?” Taking a closer look at the essays, it can be found that the arguments and justifications primarily can be traced back to answering one of these questions.

The perceptions regarding the existence of a hierarchical position between men and women in church leadership by the complementarian side is refuted by the egalitarian side stating that there was no distinction between male and female leadership since both men and women have one thing in common and that 'sharing in ...