Thanks, everyone, for the beautiful messages and checking on me. People have reached out from all over, including one of my favorite churches in England (although she didn’t know it).

Just pray that those in the SBC who still have the capacity to hear will listen: What they have done in creating a hit list on women pastors and banning women from pastoral roles so broadly isn’t treating complementarianism as a secondary issue. It is making it gospel truth (which is adding to the gospel btw), and it has made women a target …

I deleted my thread. I had no idea it would go as far as it did, which meant highlighting Law’s list even more. Here are screenshots of my tweets without links if you want to see. I wouldn’t have deleted except I was getting nervous about the list link. And here is the link to the story about impact of Law’s list on women. baptistnews.com/article/im-one…

I was alerted that some pastor out there is demanding I answer for why abuse occurs in egalitarian spaces too (instead of just complementarian). I must have the guy muted bc I don't have any notifications from him (I was just sent the screenshot).

But I'll answer. Because this is easy.

First, you should read @lweaverswartz #StainedGlassCeilings. It is brilliant (as I have said before). Drawing on her substantial study of Asbury Seminary (egalitarian) and Southern Seminary (complementarian),

There is a difference between understanding the good news of the Bible and understanding the socio-cultural context that frames the biblical world which informs the historical interpretation of text. Everyone can do the first.
Everyone cannot do the second—at least not in an equally responsible way.

The second requires an openness to learning, a reputable education, intellectual humility, and significant time invested in study.

I have a great deal of understanding toward everyday Christians who believe patriarchy (male servant hood or whatever you want to call it) bc I know this is what they have been taught.

I find I have less understanding towards the pastors and leaders who teach it. It is true that most of these leaders were taught the same way. I get that. It is also true that as leaders we carry more responsibility—which means we should be esp humble about interrogating our positions on issues that involve power dynamics.

One of my very astute students yesterday made the observation that scholars who are challenging the grand narrative are often accused of being “presentist”(which is mostly used as a negative slur)….. whereas folk who are *actually* doing presentist scholarship (ie uncritical application of modern values to the past) are usually not labeled as such bc their work supports the status quo…..

To be clear:
1) I understand why people believe patriarchy is God-ordained
2) I think marriages often function egalitarian even if they claim male headship
3) For those who ascribe to complementarianism--I do not question their faith & I'm willing to work with them

However 4) I think patriarchy is wrong. I cannot say otherwise.
5) Even though many folk who ascribe to Xian patriarchy never experience its dark underbelly, that doesn't mean it isn't there.
6) Good people can still be complicit in harmful systems of oppression.

Hey, y'all, remember my promise to engage @MikeWingerii's videos on women? I am really excited to be sharing next week @anxious_bench about a fantastic new resource that will address Wingerii's discussions by Andrew Bartlett and @TerranWilliams4. So look for it next Tuesday :)

https://twitter.com/bethallisonbarr/status/1583439285486641155

Don't worry. I haven't forgotten about patriarchal bargain post. Hang in there--lots of great stuff coming up.

Just so you know I know:

1. It is some SBC pastors who have tried to restore Johnny Hunt. Not the official SBC stance (@bartbarber made this clear).

2. It is also 1250 SBC pastors who signed statement calling for disfellowship of churches who hire female pastors... It is not official SBC stance.

3. It is also an SBC pastor who confirmed Hunt’s speaking at a conference in February 2023. This pastor is also one of signatures on list of 1250 calling for disfellowship of churches with female pastors.

4. All this is close on heels of

Sometimes I wonder how much more evidence the SBC needs to understand the danger of a gender theology that teaches women belong under male authority; that God created men to have power over women.

To put so much stock in a theology built on translation of 1 word is gutsy. (whatever you say, I’ve been reading tons of complementarian sources lately, and the crux seems to be 1 Timothy 2:12…oh, and of course, the backdrop of old-fashioned-human-patriarchy)

I really appreciate Rachael’s correction here. This has been a hard issue for me to grapple with.

https://twitter.com/rachaelstarke/status/1567551818665959424

I do believe most women in these systems have been raised to believe it is true. That is why I stayed too. But I think it is important for us to recognize that these systems also help women who support them, which makes it harder for us to leave too.

Want to know a secret? I love Tolkien. Much more than Lewis. Maybe not quite as much
as Sayers, but close. I read The Hobbit every year for about 10 years, and the LOTR series almost as much. Now Tolkien’s translation of Beowulf gets read frequently too. I liked the Jackson movies, not as much as the books, but I still liked them.

The Hobbit movies were not my favorite, although I love Martin Freeman as Bilbo.

Bear with me:
I'm struggling with the stated reason for TVC disciplining Matt Chandler: "frequency and familiarity" of conversations with a woman "who was not his wife."

I suspect this isn't the whole story. But that doesn't matter for my concern: My concern is this Harry-Met-Sally mentality that women & men cannot be friends without a cloud of suspicion over the "frequency and familiarity" of their conversations. My concern is that evangelical hyper-focus on sexual purity has warped our ability to have normal friendships.

It is good for me to remember that I am in the public eye.

But it is good for you to know that the whole reason I stay in the public eye is to fight against patriarchy, especially patriarchy within the evangelical church that damages both women & the Gospel. I am an evangelical (Baptist), I know & believe the Bible, I know & understand the history of patriarchy & the church, I recognize patterns within churches that are indicative of both unhealthy attitudes & as well as the treatment of women, & I know how to interpret evidence.

This is History that Matters @AHAhistorians and this is History that Matters too @AHAhistorians

As a medieval historian, I understand concerns about presentism. My dissertation advisor, Judith Bennett, argued convincingly for how much history today needs the distant past in her History Matters: Patriarchy and the Challenge of Feminism. historians.org/publications-a… My public facing #MakingBiblicalWomanhood clearly shows how much the modern world has forgotten the distant past and how much remembering history matters.

But is my scholarship "presentist" because it uses history to explain systemic patriarchy to modern evangelicals

I haven’t welcomed new folk in a while, so welcome! I’m your typical medieval historian (professor, pastor’s wife, etc) who mostly uses twitter to fight patriarchy and enlighten folk about medieval history.

A 🧵: Complementarianism is a harmful structure that teaches gender hierarchy is ordained by God. It claims a beautiful vision of different but equal while teaching there is something innate to masculinity that makes men leaders and women followers. This is not equality. It claims submission is a loving choice by women yet if women disagree they are living contrary to God’s design. So there is no choice. Women shld not have a seat at the leadership table in the same way as men, & if they ask for it they are power grasping. This is not equality.

I’m thankful for SBC executive committee acknowledging their willingness to cooperate w/the Department of Justice investigation as well as admitting need for further reform.

But their use of the word “mistakes” to describe what happened to the victims of abuse seems telling.

https://twitter.com/aimeebyrdpyw/status/1558212650722639873

So much of the abuse happened and continued bc the voices of those less powerful (women, children, young men) than the male leaders at the helm of so many churches as well as the denomination were minimized, dismissed, and ignored.

I just read a thread arguing that birth control gives women options they 'naturally' shouldn't have, throwing Christian families into "artificial confusion."

I don't know enough about author to quote tweet him; nor do I want to drive folk to him. But I can't stay silent either. His point--that women today have choices btw career & family, about education, etc., afforded them only by the "artificial" introduction of birth control that has disrupted the natural rhythms of marriage & motherhood--doesn't have the historical footing that he thinks it does.

Y’all need to learn about precarity. I just saw an article saying we should stop claiming abortion is the cure for poverty, health, etc. of Black women. For sure it isn’t, bc… instead of helping alleviate the systemic issues that contribute to greater hardships for pregnant women, esp Black pregnant women, we have chosen instead to FIGHT agst what could help…