mighty men, mighty woman, Biblical anthropology
April 22, 2008
OK, I’m not going to go into the mighty men conferenceat this stage. I wasn’t there, so yes, I know I cannot speak about something if I didn’t attend bla bla bla… but still, I’m uncomfortable with the whole idea. Also, my thoughts on Faith like Potatoes was published here, here and here, so I don’t care to say another thing on that either.
I come from a church tradition where the “woman’s ministry” has always been very prominent, however, we never saw many “men’s ministries” rising up. Maybe that was because everything was the “men’s ministry”, and the woman got the “woman’s ministry” and the “children’s ministry”, but even over these the men ruled. This idea haven’t disappeared yet, on our church council meeting last night we had one woman and about 15 men, guess who had to take the minutes…
But in many other areas of life, woman are now considered equal partners. Our theology classes at TUKS are about 50% woman and 50% men, the university itself is quite equally divided, in business woman are playing a more and more important role (while attending a meeting of all the most important business people in our area a while ago I was struck by the amount of woman attending, and also about the prominent role they play in the conversations). Maybe this is the reason why suddenly more and more “men’s ministries” or “men’s camps” are rising up, while the “woman’s ministries” are closing down.
I was trained to look at the New Testament through the lens of studies in Biblical Social Values, and although I’m haven’t opened a book to post this (so I’m open for corrections from others familiar with this approach, as well as from those not familiar with it) a few thoughts come to mind when thinking about men and woman. I’m gonna summarize it very shortly:
In new testament times we find very well defined role distinctions between men and woman. This concerns the terrain in which each must function, there roles in society, the privileges they have etc. (on a side note, this also included certain areas which was forbidden for men) The New Testament, although I still a mostly patriarchal document from a patriarchal time, make some very definite changes to this, opening up the church and it’s leadership to both men and woman (and yes, I am aware of what 1 Corinthians 14 say, please look beyond that one verse to all the richness of the New Testament tradition). It breaks down the definite role distinctions of the surrounding society.
I’ve been thinking about a biblical antrhopology very hard ever since watching Apocalypto, and again got thinking about this while listening to conversations regarding mighty men. So this is my thought on the whole think, not very systematic, and not quite well worked out yet: Maybe we miss a theological anthropology, a way of saying: “how do we consider the idea “human”, what is the meaning fo being human, looking at this from our thinking about God”. Therefore we go back to role-destinctions of men and woman to define who we are, and miss the fact that our theology make much more about our being human, both men and woman, than about the meaning of being part of a specific gender.
OK, so I’m quite a feminist (with respect to my female friends), but really, all this might men things and mighty woman talk bla bla bla really just gets me…
Filed in New Testament, Religion, South Africa, theology
Tags: angus buchan, anthropology, biblical social values, mighty men
April 23, 2008 at 12:49 pm
I had never heard of Angus Buchan, and have never read his books, so I probably have still less room to talk, but still I feel a bit uneasy about a mighty males conferences that seems to attract so many more people than other things that perhaps need more attention. Perhaps one of the results will be that these mighty males will give them a bit more attention, but I still have doubts.
April 28, 2008 at 2:11 pm
Ja ja, okay, ek ken jou en jy ken my, so hier kom my stuiwer vir die armbeurs:
Kyk verby die feit dat dit ‘n “Men’s Ministry” was en sien dit raak wat daar gebeur het. In ‘n Suid-Afrika met ons pragtige crime-rate en oulike politieke situasie is enige event waar MENSE (mans OF vrouens) bymekaarkom om te bid en in groot getalle optrek om saam die Here te loof ‘n regmerkie werd in my boekie. Loftus is al klaar uitverkoop vir 19 Julie se event en dit is beslis nie gelimit tot mans nie. Think about it.
En so op die vrouens-topic: nie dat ek self die inhoud daarvan ken nie, maar het jy al gehoor van die Haddassa-konferensie van Moreleta? Ek is banger vir dit wat hulle dáár verkondig as vir Angus Buchan wat sê jy mag nie water met ‘n waterstok uitwys nie…;-)
Peace out!
April 28, 2008 at 2:29 pm
Ek volg nie Moreleta nie, so nee, vertel my iewers meer. Maar jy behoort te weet ek sal nie opgewonde wees nie:-)
As ek verby die Men’s Ministry kyk sal ek waarskynlik steeds baie ongemaklik wees, maar siende dat ek nie daar was nie bly ek daar uit, en hou myself maar by die konsep.
June 19, 2008 at 1:35 pm
Dear Pastor, Thanks for your commitments and you endeavors in serving Him. Much Christian greetings to you and your family from Uganda. Iam Pastor Paul Mabonga of Healing Centre Chruch. I would love to open up a ministerial relationship with this your ministry. Even i would love you to come and visit my church and bless the body fo Christ.
Iam eagerly waitng to haer from you. Thanks and God Bless You Always.
Your’s in Him,
Pastor Paul Mabonga
June 19, 2008 at 3:36 pm
thanx for the comment, I’ve sent you a mail