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The Black Swan Effect: A response to gender hierarchy in the church
All it took was one. One black swan changed people's minds forever. The Black Swan Effect presents a vision for what can happen as men and women work together in the Kingdom of God. The authors (both male and female) encourage men to champion women as equal co-laborers and partners in the harvest. They give women permission and inspiration to follow the Lord—to reach their own full potential and encourage others to fulfill God's call. The Black Swan Effect equips both men and women to bring an informed and positive contribution to the increasingly crucial conversation on gender in the church. If you are like most Christians, one of three primary motivations propels you into this discussion about women in • Many Christians have come to the conclusion that there is no better way to increase the size of God's missions workforce than to fully deploy women to use their spiritual gifts and God-given capacities. • Some are asking theological questions. They are investigating how the Bible portrays women, especially women leaders. How did Jesus treat women? Were the New Testament writers—in particular, the apostle Paul—misogynists? Are there alternative interpretations for some of the really difficult passages of Scripture? • Others are drawn to this discussion because of issues related to justice and human dignity around the world as well as in the church. As they study Scripture, they are assured that God creates all men and women in his image, and they can't even imagine a God who would discriminate against women. Fourteen different authors contribute to these themes, each writing from their own area of passion and expertise, the whole being woven together into a single narrative. Encouraging stories of women who are doing marvelous things for God today accompany each chapter.Change is coming! Let's get ready.
281 pages, Kindle Edition
First published March 31, 2014
13 people are currently reading
62 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
May 15, 2021
Acknowledge gifting and leadership qualities of women
Great insight and perspective how women should be properly represented within the church community. The full expression of the women as gifted leaders and ministers of the Gospel.
Great insight and perspective how women should be properly represented within the church community. The full expression of the women as gifted leaders and ministers of the Gospel.
August 12, 2019
Very thought provoking. Insightful book on gender roles in the church.
August 17, 2016
Synopsis: Multiple authors challenge the traditional roles of women in the Evangelical church.
Read this if you: Belong to an Evangelical church. Really, you should read this no matter your gender or experiences.
A friend of mine went to a conference and brought back this beautiful book. It's taken me about a year to make my way through it, but I am now safely on the other side! Woo!
This collection of essays is, simply put, the most thorough and comprehensive review of the traditional role of women in the church that I have seen. Despite its many authorships, the book reads in a conversational style that easily understood, yet still challenging in content. I especially appreciate the wide variety of viewpoints. Men and women from all over the world and in all stages of life contribute, resulting in a book that does not feel skewed towards any one opinion. We get to hear from many different voices.
Be forewarned that the nature of the content is certainly challenging. It flies in the face of millenia of classical thinking on gender roles, particularly in an ecclesiastic context. These are well-researched essays, and it shows. I had to come up for air on occasion. But with a topic so critical, I am encouraged to see that each author put effort, time, and respect into each of their writings.
Probably the only issue I have with the book isn't really an issue with the book at all. It leaves you with the question, where to go from here? That is for each individual reader to decide, I suppose. But until we can get this book in more people's hands, and until we can all approach this topic with an open mind, we have a long way to go.
NO WAIT! One other issue: This needs to be sent back to the proofreader, ideally not the same one who proofread it in the first place. Hence, the four-star review. I do not like grammar errors in my books, it rapidly reduces credibility.
5 stars for the authors taking the time to put together such in-depth essays. The topic is worth the effort, for sure.
5 stars for the amazing title. I love, love, love it!
5 stars for finding more authors I want to read.
1 star for grammar errors.
1 star for sexism. Unless you're into that, in which case, high-five, bro!
Read this if you: Belong to an Evangelical church. Really, you should read this no matter your gender or experiences.
A friend of mine went to a conference and brought back this beautiful book. It's taken me about a year to make my way through it, but I am now safely on the other side! Woo!
This collection of essays is, simply put, the most thorough and comprehensive review of the traditional role of women in the church that I have seen. Despite its many authorships, the book reads in a conversational style that easily understood, yet still challenging in content. I especially appreciate the wide variety of viewpoints. Men and women from all over the world and in all stages of life contribute, resulting in a book that does not feel skewed towards any one opinion. We get to hear from many different voices.
Be forewarned that the nature of the content is certainly challenging. It flies in the face of millenia of classical thinking on gender roles, particularly in an ecclesiastic context. These are well-researched essays, and it shows. I had to come up for air on occasion. But with a topic so critical, I am encouraged to see that each author put effort, time, and respect into each of their writings.
Probably the only issue I have with the book isn't really an issue with the book at all. It leaves you with the question, where to go from here? That is for each individual reader to decide, I suppose. But until we can get this book in more people's hands, and until we can all approach this topic with an open mind, we have a long way to go.
NO WAIT! One other issue: This needs to be sent back to the proofreader, ideally not the same one who proofread it in the first place. Hence, the four-star review. I do not like grammar errors in my books, it rapidly reduces credibility.
5 stars for the authors taking the time to put together such in-depth essays. The topic is worth the effort, for sure.
5 stars for the amazing title. I love, love, love it!
5 stars for finding more authors I want to read.
1 star for grammar errors.
1 star for sexism. Unless you're into that, in which case, high-five, bro!
May 23, 2015
This was a great compilation of perspectives and thought on the question of women's role in the church. Written by men and women in the missional movement and interspersed with stories of women who followed Jesus into significant leadership, I appreciated the thoughts and encouragement offered. Hopefully a significant voice in the current evangelical and missional movement.
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews