[Updated] The Feminists

Last summer I had the opportunity to speak on the topic of Biblical Womanhood at Cornerstone. It's a subject I particularly enjoy, but one I hadn't really explored from all ends of the spectrum. And by that I mean, I was very familiar with complimentarian doctrine, but had little clue how the other camp tackled the topic. I wasn't sold on Piper and Grudem's definition of feminine identity—arguing that Eve's punishment in the Fall reveals essential traits about women (shouldn't we instead look at the design and pre-sin characteristics of Eve for God's intention for women?)—so I started hunting around for other perspectives. 

During my studies, I read several different books that were each useful in their own way to shape my perspective on God's design for women. For those interested in the intersection of Feminism and Christianity, they are a good place to start.

Jesus Feminist by Sarah Bessey
Sarah Bessey holds a special place in my heart. I think she's actually only a few years older than me, but has that air about her of a mama bear who will wrap you up in a quilt by the fire, then dish for hours over hot chocolate. Her tone is warm and lovely, and her theology weaves through personal narrative in a way that is delightful for a language lover to behold. Of all the books I've read, this is my favorite, and the most likely to reappear as inspiration for other blog posts. 

Finally Feminist by John G. Stackhouse, Jr.
This book is for the heady theological types. No campfires over here, this skinny little texbook is a point by point hashing out of the hot-button verses related to gender in the Bible. I appreciate Stackhouse's careful attention to responsible Biblical interpretation and how his conclusions find a wise balance on the spectrum between the far right and far left sides of the womanhood debate. 

The Accidental Feminist by Courtney Reissig
No joke, this book was kind of an accidental read. As the publisher probably counted on, I was duped into buying the book by the word "feminist" in the title. Reissig is actually trying to make the point that her slip into "accidental feminism" is contrary to God's design for women. However, she begins the book by defining feminism as "equality equals sameness," which any third wave feminist or Sandberg mentee will tell you is not at all what the movement is hip to these days. Yet, I discovered as I read that if I substitute "American individualism" every time Reissig writes "feminism" then it was actually a really useful read, especially her chapter on hospitality. What she critiques as feminism has much more to do with American culture than feminist ideas. In fact, many of the individualist ideas she explores are just as likely to be pitfalls for men as women.

A Woman's Place by Katelyn Beaty
Beaty beat me to the punch with her comprehensive dive into women in the workplace. As a working mom, I love talking with other Christians about how families split up work responsibilities, and this book nailed so many of my own musings in a nice succinct volume. Beaty looks at the history of "working at home" and how those ideas have evolved within Western culture, especially in the last century, to something altogether different than what it probably looked like during the days of Titus 2. It's a helpful resource for those wrestling with various professional and family callings.

Half the Church by Carolyn Custis James
I wrote a piece for Cornerstone that looks at this one a bit more closely, but I will just say, if you can only read one book on the topic of womanhood, this would be my top recommendation. James considers a global perspective, asking much bigger questions than "complimentarian or egalitarian?" to ground the conversation in a way that is relevant for women in all cultural contexts, not just white, middle-class America. Amen!