Gender roles and the Bible: Creation, the Fall, and Redemption : a critique of feminist Biblical interpretation

by Jack W. Cottrell

What does the Bible teach about gender roles? Is there a difference as seen in Scripture? Understanding the debate over biblical feminism is essential to answering the questions about the role of women in the church. In this book, Dr. Cottrell "stands squarely in the path of the evangelical feminists who want to prove that the Bible agrees with their egalitarian views" (Clark H. Pinock, Ph.D., McMaster Divinity College). Lightning Print On Demand Title.

319 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1994

Reviews

[SJ]

i found most of Jack Cottrell's anti-feminist stances in this book completely unconvincing. though he does quote some specific feminist theologians, he also persistently employs a "feminists say..." strawman throughout. he accuses feminists of inconsistent hermeneutics and of isogesis, yet does the same thing himself. i think his misogyny is so internalized he isn't even aware of it, and likely never will be having convinced himself through the writing of this book that the bible prescribes it. it is utterly unconvincing when he insists he has "no personal agenda" against egalitarianism and that he is offended at "the constant accusations that the 'patriarchal powers that be' continue to resist feminism from selfish motives, especially the desire to preserve male power structures in home, church, and society. I will state unequivocally that this is not an issue for me." perhaps his most ridiculous counter-argument is his claim that the passage about mary sitting at jesus' feet learning his teachings, and Jesus saying she was right to do so, is NOT meant to be Jesus asserting that women should be allowed access to theological training/education (??) but was "a unique situation" and that "Mary saw her opportunity the way a devout Catholic in a remote part of the earth would regard a visit from the Pope, i.e., as a once-in-a-lifetime event. There would be plenty of time for cooking and sewing later..." I mean come on, there is no way such an approach is not motivated by the author's preconceived notions about gender. And meanwhile he goes on for pages and pages earlier about how the very unique situation of Adam being created from dust and Eve from Adam's rib is supposed to be proof that all women are subject to the domination of all men everywhere for all time.

completely lacking in this book is any thought to how women should in practice be treated. if male headship is biblical, as Cottrell asserts, what does that look like in real life? he spends all of the section on Christ breathlessly arguing that Jesus' interactions with and teachings about women do NOT prove biblical support for egalitarianism, but there is zero application for how these scriptural recorded interactions model behavior. I disagree with his conclusions about the passages anyway, but he is so convinced that male headship/hierarchy is truth, he should explain what a biblical model of those dynamics looks like according to scripture. the fact that he doesn't even bother shows just how much he has absorbed his socialized understanding of misogynistic gender roles as "normal" and is not actually trying to engage with the question of what the Bible says about them.

it's often very useful to read something you end up disagreeing with because it helps solidify your own positions more clearly. this was the case with this book.