Sexism

The portrayal of women in the Bible can be an emotive subject. Some feminist scholars take for granted the view that the Bible is essentially a sexist book. It was, they point out, written almost entirely by men, for men, using masculine language. These scholars view it as a ‘power tool' that has been used down the centuries by mostly male leaders to keep women ‘in their place'.

For most of Christian history, biblical interpretation has often been associated mostly with men rather than with women. Seeming statements that wives should submit to their husbands (Ephesians 5.22), women should not take the lead in church (1 Corinthians 14.33-35) and that bearing children seems to be their role in life (1 Timothy 5.11-14) can and do grate on the ears of many.

However, other feminist scholars look at the Bible with different eyes. They maintain that the Bible is made up of many texts and therefore to dismiss it all as sexist is simplistic. As far as they are concerned, when properly considered, the Bible outlines a positive view of women and their relationships with men. They point out that it is entirely possible that women may have had a hand in writing the Bible (Ezra 2.55 refers to someone with a surname of Hassophereth, which means ‘female scribe').

Feminist scholars have also emphasised the strong female voices in the books of Proverbs, Lamentations and Song of Songs. The liberating attitude of Jesus towards women is also often discussed. John 4.27, for example, shows that Jesus broke social conventions that discouraged conversations with women. Similarly, the gospel of Luke has long been referred to as the ‘gospel of women' for its strong positive portrayal of women in the life of Jesus.

In the light of such insights, apparently sexist texts within the Bible have come in for greater scrutiny. Against this backdrop, the issue of the ordination of women into leadership roles within Church organisations continues. Debates rage over whether texts that appear to exclude women from certain types of Church leadership roles actually do. Discussions over the roles played by women such as Phoebe (Romans 16.1), the context of Paul's statement of equality in Galatians 3.28 and why Jesus only chose male apostles are now well-worn.

The understanding of these verses depends, in the final analysis, on a deeper question about the role and interpretation of the Bible in the present day.