Good News for Women: A Biblical Picture of Gender Equality

by Rebecca Merrill Groothuis

"Most evangelical discussion of the gender issue has been spent in feverish debate over the exegetical intricacies of the traditional prooftexts," writes Rebecca Merrill Groothuis. And though faithful exegesis is certainly crucial, a "myopic fixation on a handful of controversial biblical texts will not ultimately resolve the gender debate." In Good News for Women, Groothuis looks at the Big Picture, the overall outline of biblical teaching on relationships between men and women. This provides the foundation for examining the passages specifically relating to gender issues. Written with the razor-sharp insight that prompted critical acclaim for Groothuis' first book, Good News for Women shows * the broad sweep of biblical thought aligns more readily with gender equality than gender hierarchy * traditionalist prooftexts do not present an open and shut case in favor of universal male authority * the traditionalist agenda on gender issues is neither helpful nor healthy for Christian women today This book is a sequel to the author's first book, Women Caught in the Conflict, which Christianity Today selected as one of the top books of 1995.

Genres: Religion, Theology, Christian, Christianity, Gender

274 pages, Paperback

First published December 1, 1996

Reviews

[Keri Murcray · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very helpful.

• Pg. 211 “If 1 Timothy 2:11-15 can legitimately be understood as a prohibition relevant only for women in a historically specific circumstance (which it can), and if there is no other biblical text that explicitly forbids women to teach or have authority over men (which there is not), and if there are texts that assert the fundamental spiritual equality of women with men (which there are), then women who are not in the circumstance for which the 1 Timothy 2:12 prohibition was intended may safely follow whatever call they may have to ministry. In other words, it ought at least be acknowledged that the traditionalist interpretation is debatable on biblical grounds.”

[Leah · Rating 5 out of 5]

The best biblical feminist book I have ever read. Only How God Sees Women: The End of Patriarchy even comes close. Rebecca Merrill Groothuis has a cannon for a pen, and she demolishes the case for excluding women from ministry with sound reasoning and thorough biblical interpretation. This is a must read for Christian women.

[Eleanore · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a critically important read for everyone, men and women both, who long to live in light of the freedom Christ's death, resurrection, and ascension purchased for all believers. Groothuis understands intimately the obstacles too many women face in the church and at home, where even today, in the twenty-first century, too many traditionalists want to reinstate a utopian idealist 1950s-era "Leave It to Beaver" standard for men and women that is not only wildly unrealistic and historically inaccurate but also demeaning and diminishing to women, debilitating to the health of the church, and ultimately even unbiblical.

[Chenoa · Rating 5 out of 5]

I found this book rather fascinating. I appreciated the fact that she holds the bible in high authority and argues everything from a biblical perspective, with clarity and precision. I hadn't explored this topic much and this book was very eye-opening, to say the least.

[Allie · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book had some really compelling arguments regarding how gender roles are represented and perceived in the church, and argued that a lot of hierarchical gender roles are prescribed to the biblical texts instead of prescribed BY the biblical texts. It's just a shame that it's written so heavily in the style of a doctoral dissertation, and therefore it was so dense that it took me a long time to slog through.

[Sarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

Although a few years old, this examination of women and the church offers several solid arguments for an egalitarian viewpoint and was my first introduction to the topic. I would love to see a revised and updated version taking into account more recent views of the "emergent" church.

[Esther · Rating 2 out of 5]

It's a blessing to be a woman. Despite all odds we riegn even in the sight of other humans.

[Jake Baker · Rating 4 out of 5]

Probably as interesting as you can make feminist theology.

[Tate Daniels · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beautiful representation of egalitarianism, well worded and powerful.