Evangelical Feminism –> Liberalism
Though it was written a few years ago now (2006), and though I don’t stand behind every argument he presents, this remains an important book. Grudem demonstrates that there is a historical connection between theological liberalism and the endorsement of women’s ordination in the church/women preaching. Although not all who promote the latter end up in the former, history witnesses that the next generation inevitably does. Moreover, the same kind of arguments that are used to support women on the pulpit/stage are also used to support acceptance and celebration of the sexual revolution. They have essentially the same hermeneutic (philosophy of Scripture interpretation). The logic of one fits with the logic of the other.
In chapters 3-18, Grudem outlines 15 ways in which evangelical feminists deny or undermine the authority of Scripture:
1. Denying the authority or truthfulness of Genesis 1-3.
2. Saying that Paul was wrong.
3. Saying that some verses that appear in every ancient manuscript are not part of the Bible.
4. Saying that our ultimate authority is not found in what is written in Scripture but in developments that came after the Bible.
5. Following a “redemptive-movement hermeneutic” that casts all the ethical commands of the New Testament into doubt.
6. Claiming that everyone’s position just depends on which Bible passages people choose to prioritize.
7. Silencing the most relevant Bible passages on men and women by saying they are ‘disputed.’
8. Saying that women can teach under the authority of pastors and elders.
9. Evading New Testament commands by saying ‘We are not a church.’
10. Putting church tradition above the Bible.
11. Putting experience above the Bible.
12. Putting a subjective sense of ‘calling’ above the Bible.
13. Putting contemporary prophecies above the Bible.
14. Putting unique circumstances above the Bible.
15. Nullifying the Bible’s statements by saying they were meant to be a joke.
Grudem provides all the sources and footnotes everything. I’ve checked some of these sources and he’s right.
Evangelical Feminism demonstrates why it’s not surprising when we see a historical development towards celebration of the sexual revolution amongst those who believe a woman can be on the pulpit/stage. We have seen it happen: “evangelical feminists” have a child who comes out as gay and then they pray for God to reveal to them the right way to respond. “God” then reveals to them that the Bible has been misinterpreted all along. How convenient. Because of their view of revelation, Pentecostal “evangelical feminists” are particularly susceptible to this regression. The issue of women’s ordination/preaching is the proverbial canary in the coalmine.