I became interested in pursuing the topic when I began to realize that the two current positions, while helpful in their own ways, were nevertheless leaving me with the sense that something was still missing. I was also concerned with what I saw were some unintended consequences of each position, from women sometimes feeling undervalued in the complementarian position to the combativeness and divisiveness that could emerge from the egalitarian side. I wanted to explore whether there could be another way to examine the issue that could also help address some of these problems.

Michelle Lee-Barnewall (Associate Professor of Biblical and Theological Studies at Talbot School of Theology) recently wrote and published Neither Complementarian nor Egalitarian: A Kingdom Corrective to the Gender Debate. We wanted to learn more about this book, so we had Michelle respond to some questions:

Michelle, we hear you have a new book out. What is the title, and what is the book about?

The book is called Neither Complementarian nor Egalitarian: A Kingdom Corrective to the Gender Debate (Baker Academic, 2016). The debate is currently presented as a choice between complementarianism and egalitarianism with their respective themes of authority/leadership and equality. I argue that this presents significant limitations and that we need to do more to integrate themes such as unity, love, sacrifice, humility, holiness, and a theology of “reversal,” which you see in verses such as “the last will be first, and the first last” (Matt. 20:16).

Who is your target audience and how will they benefit from reading the book?

It’s primarily aimed at anyone interested in the gender debate, whether at the academic, pastoral, or lay level, particularly those who would like to explore options beyond the current complementarian/egalitarian divide. In addition, I hope it would be helpful to anyone with questions about gender (specifically the relationships between men and women) and its relevance to the body of Christ.

What led you to write the book?

I became interested in pursuing the topic when I began to realize that the two current positions, while helpful in their own ways, were nevertheless leaving me with the sense that something was still missing. I was also concerned with what I saw were some unintended consequences of each position, from women sometimes feeling undervalued in the complementarian position to the combativeness and divisiveness that could emerge from the egalitarian side. I wanted to explore whether there could be another way to examine the issue that could also help address some of these problems.

Read More