Category: Criticisms of enGendered

Most of the reviews of enGendered are complimentary–you can read about them on the book page of this site. But some are critical or issue challenges. This is a good thing if the reviewers are thoughtful, because it means that people are engaging the critical issue of gender. I always make the request to respond to the good pieces (ones I am aware of) in the venue of the review. If denied, I respond here.

How Does This Gender Talk Square with the Westminster Confession of Faith?

0

A thoughtful pastor recently asked me, where is this gender teaching of yours in the Westminster Confession of Faith? As a Presbyterian minister, isn’t that your doctrinal standard?  So shouldn’t you be deriving your doctrine with reference to it? It is a good question. It might be re-phrased: Where is gender in the confessional standards of the Christian Church?   …

Looking at The Trinity Without Diverting Our Eyes: Reply to Claire Smith, PART V

0

One of the most interesting conversations the book, enGendered, seems to spawn concerns the nature of things between the Members of the Triune God. Whereas this topic is often avoided for fear of speaking heresy, I suggest that there is too much in the Scriptures that encourage us to find the ground of our relationships in the Persons of God–even …

We Need Gender Motivation–Emotional intimacy: Reply to Claire Smith, PART IV

1

I make a lot about emotional intimacy in marriage in the book, enGendered, calling it the key to a successful marriage. That is because passages like Ephesians 5:22-33, the quintessential marriage passage in the New Testament,  describe marriage in those terms (his wife is as close as the husband’s own body, he washes her by word, he who loves his wife …

What are Our Real Differences?: Reply to Claire Smith, Part III

1

Onward to answer more of Claire Smith’s criticisms of enGendered (politely dressed as questions—thank you kindly, Dr. Smith!).   Dr. Smith questions what I’ve said the asymmetries of gender are. So let’s revisit whence masculinity and femininity, enGendered style, arise. When we listen to how the Bible distinguishes men and women in their callings to one another, we hear very …

Where to See Our Genders –Reply to Claire Smith, Part II

2

In the first part of this rejoinder to Claire Smith’s thoughtful questioning of enGendered¸ I talked about being careful in using the label, “complementarian.” One had better define it to use it. But it is clear that Dr. Smith understood how I was defining gender in terms of relationship. That I do do, saying that close relationships are where gender …

Speaking of Gender without Ignoring Our Complexities: Reply to Claire Smith in The Gospel Coalition review, Part I

2

The book, enGendered has something in it to offend just about everyone, so it is a wonder that some people actually like it. While surprised by how well the book has been received, and that in some unlikely corners, the questions it has raised in others were more of what I expected. I am happy at the response of questioning …

Rattlesnakes on the Path of enGendered: Reply to Aimee Byrd, Part 3

3

As I’ve been saying, Aimee Byrd, aka the Housewife Theologian, in a book review of enGendered on the Alliance of Confessing Evangelicals website, raises some good questions, which I have tried to address here.   But Ms. Byrd’s most serious concern is over whether I have erred in finding the deep meaning of our genders in the revealed acts of …

Sticking to Paul’s Categories: Reply to Aimee Byrd, Part 2

1

Aimee Byrd, aka the Housewife Theologian, gave my book a review in 2017 on the Alliance of Confessing Evangelicals website. I must say, Ms. Byrd asks good questions that deserve answers.   I responded to some concerns she raised in a previous post (Part 1), and continue that walk in the woods here, hopefully helping us through some thickets. One …

Grudging or Celebrating? : Reply to Aimee Byrd, Part 1

6

Aimee Byrd, aka Housewife Theologian, read my book and gave it a thoughtful review in a 2017 column on the Alliance of Confessing Evangelicals website. She picked up my metaphor of relationship as a walk in the woods and, by her interaction with the text, walked with me a little while. Her concerns deserve a reply. So now, to these …