Review: "40 Questions about Women in Ministry"

 

I have read another volume in Kregel’s “40 Questions” series:  40 Questions about Women in Ministry by Sue Edwards and Kelley Mathews.

Like the other volumes in the series – the 40 questions are divided into smaller components of consideration.  Here we find:

Introductory Issues

Questions related to the Old Testament

Questions related to the New Testament and beyond

Current Issues

The authors put effort into presenting both major sides of the debate:  the side that says women are limited in the ministry they can participate in, and the side that says there is no intrinsic limitation in the ministry women can participate in.

Reflection on who the questions were answered historically and what ought to be done to protect women and not make them to be less than God’s Image-bearers – equal with men in this – are worthwhile investigations, but the primary issue is understanding what the Scripture actually says.

It is rightly argued that the Scripture must be understood in context – and there may be occasions where a question is being asked where the reader only hears and answer – and so forth – possibility making understanding the text more difficult.

After examining the Scripture rightly, then I would argue history comes into the discussion – not merely what was done historically, but how the texts were understood historically.

This books is useful in understanding the arguments of the two major interpretations of the issue of women in ministry, which is seems to be the goal of the volume, but I would find a volume that argues one way or another – drawing conclusions from the Scripture against other views – maybe several books – to be able to better see the arguments played out.

[I received this book for free in exchange for an honest review.]