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Catalyzing Conversations on Women & the Church

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Cynthia Hester

Anna the prophet

How Many Women Prophets Prophesied in the Bible?

December 16, 2020 by Cynthia Hester

What is a prophet? How many women prophets prophesied in the Bible? Prophets were God's authorized spokespersons. Both women and men communicated God's direct revelation to designated people.

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Ancient Bible, National Library in Athens, Greece

Genesis 1: Who is ‘adam and What Do They Rule?

December 2, 2020 by Cynthia Hester

Genesis 1 is the grand story of creation. Whenever I read it, I like to view this beautiful story like a child on a field trip to a planetarium—sitting in a circular room with my head tilted back, waiting in rapt anticipation. The lights dim and the “sky” changes from a black void to a star-studded panorama. Imagine with me, God at work transforming the dark, shapeless earth into an amazingly–ordered world surrounded by exquisite heavens.

Read moreGenesis 1: Who is ‘adam and What Do They Rule?

BOOK REVIEW: MAN AND WOMAN, ONE IN CHRIST

November 18, 2020 by Cynthia Hester

Philip Payne\'s wife promised in her marital vows to submit to her husband\'s leadership. But, then Philip Payne\'s assumption of the validity of male headship was deeply challenged. A New Testament scholar who emphatically stated that a proper, contextual understanding of the Bible uncovers no passage affirming the exclusion of women from any Christian ministry. This prompted Payne to embark on a years-long study and to write his book, Man and Woman, One in Christ.

Read moreBOOK REVIEW: MAN AND WOMAN, ONE IN CHRIST

BOOK REVIEW: THE WIDOWS: A MINISTRY IN THE EARLY CHURCH

November 16, 2020 by Cynthia Hester

Widows were not only a class of people in need of defending. Bonnie Thurston asserts that certain women in the early church were organized into a clerical order of widows—an order of women established in the church within the second century. Thurston\'s book was the first to focus exclusively on ancient widows in the Christian church, with scholarly research on the order of widows.

Read moreBOOK REVIEW: THE WIDOWS: A MINISTRY IN THE EARLY CHURCH

Jesus’ Interactions With Women

November 9, 2020 by Cynthia Hester

How does Jesus, the Son of God, view women? In his earthly ministry, did Jesus encourage, teach, and empower only men to carry on his work?

After his ascension into heaven, the Holy Spirit (comforter, intercessor, the presence of God) was given to all believers, women, as well as men (Acts 2:4). What can we learn from the scriptural accounts of Jesus’s interactions with women? To answer these questions, let's consider three Bible stories.

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Book Review: Should Women Be Pastors and Leaders in Church? My Journey to Discover What the Bible Says About Gender Roles

November 5, 2020 by Cynthia Hester

After fifty years of pastoring in conservative churches, Dr. William Rudd changed his view of women in the church. He rejected complementarianism and embraced egalitarianism. In his book, he recommends that his readers also complete a comprehensive study on women in the church and the home. Through his book, he guides his readers with a study roadmap to help them \"arrive at a consistent position regarding gender roles in the church.\"

Read moreBook Review: Should Women Be Pastors and Leaders in Church? My Journey to Discover What the Bible Says About Gender Roles

BOOK REVIEW: Rediscovering Scripture\’s Vision for WOMEN

November 3, 2020 by Cynthia Hester

Many are rethinking the belief that the Bible prescribes patriarchal order--rethinking that a Christian narrative prescribes male dominance in the church and in the home.

Read moreBOOK REVIEW: Rediscovering Scripture\’s Vision for WOMEN

BOOK REVIEW: A CASE FOR FEMALE DEACONS

October 2, 2020 by Cynthia Hester

Can a woman be a deacon? Will an in-depth survey of the biblical text and church history provide convincing evidence that the evangelical church rightly should install women as deacons, and perhaps ordain them too? Answering these questions in the affirmative is the premise of the book A Case for Female Deacons.

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BOOK REVIEW: RECOVERING FROM BIBLICAL MANHOOD & WOMANHOOD

September 30, 2020 by Cynthia Hester

I follow Aimee Byrd, speaker, and author, on Twitter. She tweeted an announcement about her newest book, Recovering from Biblical Manhood and Womanhood. Having twice read John Piper and Wayne Grudem\’s book, Recovering Biblical Manhood and Womanhood: A Response to Evangelical Feminism (1991), I was eager to read what Byrd had to say. Based on the book\’s provocative title, I expected Byrd to challenge Piper and Grudem\’s explanations of \”biblical manhood and womanhood\” head-to-head or Bible passage by Bible passage. Discipleship for Men and Women Unexpectedly, Byrd\’s book is primarily about discipleship, not manhood and womanhood. Currently trending on Amazon …

Read moreBOOK REVIEW: RECOVERING FROM BIBLICAL MANHOOD & WOMANHOOD

BOOK REVIEW: NEITHER COMPLEMENTARIAN NOR EGALITARIAN

September 9, 2020 by Cynthia Hester

Introduction An associate professor of biblical and theological studies at Biola University, Michelle Lee-Barnewall is the author of Neither Complementarian nor Egalitarian. She takes a fresh look at the theology of gender in Scripture. Barnewall challenges her readers not to merely align with the egalitarian’s focus on rights or the complementarian’s focus on authority. Rather consider the overarching theme of unity—signified by an other-centered orientation of love—as it relates to men and women. A second theme in the book is an in-depth look at “reversal” in the community of God. Barnewall noted, “We may gain more not from merely asking …

Read moreBOOK REVIEW: NEITHER COMPLEMENTARIAN NOR EGALITARIAN
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