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Here's a fascinating Gordian knot for complementarians:
Viewing the sermon as heraldic event that cannot be separated from exercising authority, thus disqualifying women from preaching, would also disqualify a great many men who are currently preaching in complementarian spaces.
Viewing the sermon as heraldic event that cannot be separated from exercising authority, thus disqualifying women from preaching, would also disqualify a great many men who are currently preaching in complementarian spaces.
I offer this as someone who is sensitive to & argues for distinguishing male/female roles in the church & communal life.
I also think DeYoung's reasoning is a viable & legitimate response to the question of what the Scripture means by "teaching" & "preaching"--he opts for a tight understanding, linking it to authoritative office.
This is all very well & good. The dilemma for complementarians, however, is that few actually practice this level of oversight over the public teaching of Scripture.
The Q, then, is not who is disqualified but who is *qualified*--who has been thru process of testing, vetting, oversight, etc. to be entrusted w/ public proclamation. W/out strong authority structure & clear process of ordination, this entire convo collapses in on itself.
As a woman in conservative spaces w/ teaching gifts, I've had to wrestle w/ this Q on a very personal level. The biggest hurdle I've found is that the "complementarian" label can obscure a whole host of differences re: authority, local church practice, etc.
When I'm operating in spaces that give particular attention to gender roles, I do everything in my power to be sensitive to how those differences are expressed via tradition & culture. What I find fascinating is how often folks w/in same space aren't paying attention to them.
Where I struggle is when a space restricts women from certain roles on basis of authoritative function but then turns those same roles over to men who do not have authoritative standing in that space: academics, politicians, teachers from other doctrinal traditions, etc.
Anyway, it's a Q that complementarians need to wrestle w/ in all its complexity. Honest conversation about nature of preaching is warranted, but if you chase that route, be prepared to take it all the way.
