What the Bible Actually Teaches on Women

by Kevin Giles

Kevin Giles has been writing on women in the Bible for over forty years. In this book, What the Bible Actually Teaches on Women, he gives the most comprehensive account to date of the competing conclusions to this question and the issues surrounding it. To understand the bitter and divisive debate among evangelicals over the status and ministry of women, it needs to be understood that those who since 1990 have called themselves "complementarians" argue that in creation before the fall God set the man over the woman. Thus, the leadership of the man and the subordination of the woman in the home, the church, and wherever possible in the world (the whole creation) is the God-given ideal that is pleasing to God. It is this "theology" that Kevin Giles deconstructs and shows to be without a biblical foundation. Giles shows that he is fully conversant with the complementarian position and yet is unpersuaded by it. He sees it as an appeal to the Bible to preserve male privilege, similar to the appeals to the Bible to validate slavery and Apartheid; appeals to the Bible made by some of the best Reformed and evangelical biblical scholars, and now seen to be special pleading. Carefully studying the limited number of texts on which complementarians predicate their theology of the sexes, Giles finds not one of them actually teaches what complementarians claim. Furthermore, complementarians too often ignore the texts that are very difficult for them. In this book the ordination of women gets only passing mention. The constant focus is on whether or not the Bible subordinates women to men as an abiding theological principle. "At the end of a long faithfulness in the direction of the church, and at the end of one careful study after another, Kevin Giles has brought together his finest arguments for the full support of women in all levels of ministry in the local church . . . Running through the whole book is a graciousness of disagreement propped by a firmness of conviction. This book will be on my desk every time I think about church leadership." --Scot McKnight, Northern Seminary, Lisle, Illinois "As a 'soft-complementarian,' I heartily endorse Kevin Giles' masterful work, What the Bible Actually Teaches on Women. As an academic who has written and taught on gender for almost twenty-five years, I found this to be one of the best and most enriching books I've read on the subject . . . This book evidences a lifetime of extensive biblical study and real world pastoral ministry. I am very grateful this book is now available to the body of Christ." --Steve Tracy, Professor of Theology and Ethics, Phoenix Seminary "What the Bible Actually Teaches on Women, is nothing short of an egalitarian thesis hammered on the church's door . . . Giles exposes the theological abuses of Christian patriarchy while critiquing its heinous impact on human life globally . . . Few books are more comprehensive in tracing the river of destruction fueled by 'male headship' presented as God's ideal. This book is essential reading for ministry students and Christians concerned for the church's influence in our world today." --Mimi Haddad, president, CBE International Kevin Giles has studied in Australia, England, and Germany. He is an ordained Anglican minister who was in parish ministry for forty years. He has published on Luke-Acts, the doctrine of the church, leadership in the apostolic age, the equality of men and women, the Trinity, and on many practical aspects of congregational life. He is married to Lynley, a marriage counselor. They have four grown up children and eleven grandchildren. He lives in Melbourne, Australia.

Genres: Faith, Womens

284 pages, Kindle Edition

Published January 16, 2019

Reviews

[Chris]

This was an very comprehensive and accessible book on this debate. It includes the most recent research (notably Cynthia Westfall’s work). Kevin Giles critiques have to be taken seriously. I still think it suffers from what many egalitarian books neglect, if men and women are fully equal in essence and role, does anything beyond biology distinguish them? This is a complicated question because it varies based on cultural customs and individual ability.

But I found his arguments very compelling and the complementation argument seems weaker and weaker with every book I read on the subject.

[Lea Carswell]

Wow. I needed to read this to put words around what I've heard, observed, felt and understood deep in my bones. This feels a little like sitting at a wise grandparent's knee and hearing them unravel the history of hidden things. To be honest, the book is well-ordered but includes quite a bit of repetition.

However, given that I've been thoroughly schooled and immersed in complementarian thinking (without really knowing for most of my Christian life) there is a great deal of unlearning to do. Hearing the argument several ways was really helpful.

The comparison between complementarian fervour and how some passionate reformed evangelicals have justified slavery and apartheid in the past was like shining a light. Thank you brother.

[Kenneth Garrett]

This is an excellent presentation of the underlying biblical conclusions that an egalitarian comes to an approaching the scriptures regarding the significance of gender regarding of men and women in the church. The masterful biblical data presented by the author, however, is somewhat eclipsed by the polemic nature of the book. The author is responding primarily to a book written by complimentarians, and he devotes much effort to refuting, arguing, correcting their view. I find the egalitarian argument compelling, myself, and have adopted it. However, as a former complementarian, I don't think any data was presented that would too much overwhelm the settled complementarian.

[Andrew]

Good but repetitive

This is a well researched and illuminating study slightly spoiled by its repetitiveness and its tendency to make somewhat snide remarks about opponents. The argument would stand and be better received without these deficiencies

[Justin]

Giles makes a compelling and comprehensive case. There are moments when it can be a little dry or repetitive, but it's mostly engaging and convincing.