I will keep adding to this list, but in the interest of getting this up sooner rather than later, here it is:
General:
- Kingdom Ethics: Following Jesus in Contemporary Context by Glen Stassen and David Gushee (link)
- Ethics & World Religions: Cross-Cultural Case Studies by Regina Wolfe & Christine Gudorf (link)
- God's Politics: Why the Right Gets It Wrong and the Left Doesn't Get It by Jim Wallis (link) & anything by Jim Wallis
- The Irresistible Revolution: Living as an Ordinary Radical by Shane Claiborne (link) & anything by Shane Claiborne
Gender/Sexuality:
- Sex and the Single Savior: Gender and Sexuality in Biblical Interpretation by Dale Martin (link)
Creation Care:
- Scripture, Culture, and Agriculture: An Agrarian Reading of the Bible by Ellen Davis (link)
Religious Pluralism:
- Encountering God: A Spiritual Journey from Bozeman to Banaras by Diana L. Eck (link)
- A New Religious America: How a "Christian Country" Has Become the World's Most Religiously Diverse Nation by Diana L. Eck (link)
Monday, August 10, 2009
Creation Care and Women in Ministry
Women in Ministry
Scripture:
- 1 Cor. 11.1-16
- 1 Cor. 14.33b-36
- 1 Tim. 2.11-15
Articles:
- An Introduction to the Gender Role and Women in Ministry Controversy
- Jimmy Carter Leaves Church Over Treatment of Women
Creation Care
Scripture:
- Genesis 2.15
- Leviticus 25.1-5
- Hosea 4.1-3
Articles:
- Excerpt from Ellen Davis's Getting Involved with God: Rediscovering the Old Testament
Just Consumption
Scripture:
- Luke 4.18-19 (Isaiah 61.1-2)
- Matthew 20.1-16
- Matthew 25.40
Articles:
- Case study and responses from Regina Wolfe & Christine Gudorf's Ethics & World Religions: Cross-Cultural Case Studies
Immigration
Scripture:
- Leviticus 19.33-34
- Numbers 15.13-16
- Hebrews 13.17
Articles:
- Iowa minister walks in illegal immigrants' shoe in Yakima Valley
- Biblical Principles on Immigration, Christianity Today (2006)
This week I assigned a grab bag of miscellaneous mini-topics. The group chose to talk first about creation care and then about women and ministry.
Creation care is not something often talked about in church. Environmentalism is labeled a secular phenomenon, and Christian environmental advocates are often dismissed as "tree huggers" and the like. Thankfully, this is beginning to change, but the church still lacks the scriptural basis for recognizing why this topic is important. Contrary to popular understanding, the covenantal relationship of the Old Testament was not merely between the people and God. Rather, it was a triangular relationship between the people, God, and the Land. This is reflected throughout the law and the prophets. Care of creation is crucial to the maintenance of the covenant, and if the people fail to obey the Law, the land will suffer as well. Ecology means relationships. The church, too, is all about relationships. So why have we lost sight of this?
One of the big reasons is our different relationship with the land. Thanks to industrialism, the land has lost its importance. At best, land is a commodity. At worst, it's disposable. The church has become distracted by the more attractive issues of gay marriage and abortion. Doctrinal disagreements seem more relevant than organic farming. The land is no longer a priority like it was in Biblical times. That's not to say that the land wasn't abused by Israel. However, the abuse of the land was connected with the disobedience of the people.
Creation care is yet another issue that is coming into the church from the mainstream rather than the other way around. Fundamentalists often still associate creation care with liberal secularism. Church leaders are attempting to Christianize environmentalism rather than recognizing its place in scripture and church tradition. Until Christians realize that creation care is God-mandated and relational in nature, the covenantal relationship between God, the land, and the people will continue to be neglected.
We then turned to the issue of women in ministry. Obviously, this is a topic near and dear to my heart. What are we to do with passages that condemn women having authority (or even speaking) in church? To dismiss them by demonstrating they are not Pauline does not change the fact that they are canonical. Lifting up other pro-women in ministry verses (e.g. Romans 16) can help, as can an understanding of cultural issues as well as knowledge of the original Hebrew/Greek (e.g. Ephesians 5.21-22).
We also took up the issue of the gender of God. Can we refer to God as "He"? What about referring to God as "She"? Can we be gender neutral without being awkward in our language (e.g. Godself)? Debate exists about whether God is one gender, both, or neither. It is my belief that God is beyond gender. We created a gender for God (in this case, the default of male) because we need a God we can relate to, and we cannot fathom a being without gender. A gendered pronoun allows God to seem personal. However, this is part and parcel of humanity making God in our image rather than the other way around. Genesis 1.27 states: "So God created humankind in his image, in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them." If God was male, why would his image be male and female? The baptismal formula of Galatians 3.28 picks up this language by proclaiming that in Christ "there is no longer Jew or Greek, there is no longer slave or free, there is no longer male and female."
Strong feelings surround this issue. Some Christians are greatly offended by the use of a female pronoun for God. For others, the idea of "Father God" is a stumbling block. What is often ignored is how much these gendered pronouns limit our understanding of God. The Bible is full of wonderful names for God, images that depict the myriad attributes of God's nature. Rather than attempting to be gender neutral, wouldn't it be more productive to make use of some of these descriptors provided by scripture?
Questions for further reflection:
- Does the covenanental relationship between God, the people, and the land still exist in modern times or is it just between God and the people now?
- If you are a supporter of women in ministry, how do you defend your stance in response to 1 Cor. 14.33b-36 or 1 Tim. 2.11-15?
- Knowing that God is beyond gender, is it OK to refer to the Almighty by gendered pronouns?
Scripture:
- 1 Cor. 11.1-16
- 1 Cor. 14.33b-36
- 1 Tim. 2.11-15
Articles:
- An Introduction to the Gender Role and Women in Ministry Controversy
- Jimmy Carter Leaves Church Over Treatment of Women
Creation Care
Scripture:
- Genesis 2.15
- Leviticus 25.1-5
- Hosea 4.1-3
Articles:
- Excerpt from Ellen Davis's Getting Involved with God: Rediscovering the Old Testament
Just Consumption
Scripture:
- Luke 4.18-19 (Isaiah 61.1-2)
- Matthew 20.1-16
- Matthew 25.40
Articles:
- Case study and responses from Regina Wolfe & Christine Gudorf's Ethics & World Religions: Cross-Cultural Case Studies
Immigration
Scripture:
- Leviticus 19.33-34
- Numbers 15.13-16
- Hebrews 13.17
Articles:
- Iowa minister walks in illegal immigrants' shoe in Yakima Valley
- Biblical Principles on Immigration, Christianity Today (2006)
This week I assigned a grab bag of miscellaneous mini-topics. The group chose to talk first about creation care and then about women and ministry.
Creation care is not something often talked about in church. Environmentalism is labeled a secular phenomenon, and Christian environmental advocates are often dismissed as "tree huggers" and the like. Thankfully, this is beginning to change, but the church still lacks the scriptural basis for recognizing why this topic is important. Contrary to popular understanding, the covenantal relationship of the Old Testament was not merely between the people and God. Rather, it was a triangular relationship between the people, God, and the Land. This is reflected throughout the law and the prophets. Care of creation is crucial to the maintenance of the covenant, and if the people fail to obey the Law, the land will suffer as well. Ecology means relationships. The church, too, is all about relationships. So why have we lost sight of this?
One of the big reasons is our different relationship with the land. Thanks to industrialism, the land has lost its importance. At best, land is a commodity. At worst, it's disposable. The church has become distracted by the more attractive issues of gay marriage and abortion. Doctrinal disagreements seem more relevant than organic farming. The land is no longer a priority like it was in Biblical times. That's not to say that the land wasn't abused by Israel. However, the abuse of the land was connected with the disobedience of the people.
Creation care is yet another issue that is coming into the church from the mainstream rather than the other way around. Fundamentalists often still associate creation care with liberal secularism. Church leaders are attempting to Christianize environmentalism rather than recognizing its place in scripture and church tradition. Until Christians realize that creation care is God-mandated and relational in nature, the covenantal relationship between God, the land, and the people will continue to be neglected.
We then turned to the issue of women in ministry. Obviously, this is a topic near and dear to my heart. What are we to do with passages that condemn women having authority (or even speaking) in church? To dismiss them by demonstrating they are not Pauline does not change the fact that they are canonical. Lifting up other pro-women in ministry verses (e.g. Romans 16) can help, as can an understanding of cultural issues as well as knowledge of the original Hebrew/Greek (e.g. Ephesians 5.21-22).
We also took up the issue of the gender of God. Can we refer to God as "He"? What about referring to God as "She"? Can we be gender neutral without being awkward in our language (e.g. Godself)? Debate exists about whether God is one gender, both, or neither. It is my belief that God is beyond gender. We created a gender for God (in this case, the default of male) because we need a God we can relate to, and we cannot fathom a being without gender. A gendered pronoun allows God to seem personal. However, this is part and parcel of humanity making God in our image rather than the other way around. Genesis 1.27 states: "So God created humankind in his image, in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them." If God was male, why would his image be male and female? The baptismal formula of Galatians 3.28 picks up this language by proclaiming that in Christ "there is no longer Jew or Greek, there is no longer slave or free, there is no longer male and female."
Strong feelings surround this issue. Some Christians are greatly offended by the use of a female pronoun for God. For others, the idea of "Father God" is a stumbling block. What is often ignored is how much these gendered pronouns limit our understanding of God. The Bible is full of wonderful names for God, images that depict the myriad attributes of God's nature. Rather than attempting to be gender neutral, wouldn't it be more productive to make use of some of these descriptors provided by scripture?
Questions for further reflection:
- Does the covenanental relationship between God, the people, and the land still exist in modern times or is it just between God and the people now?
- If you are a supporter of women in ministry, how do you defend your stance in response to 1 Cor. 14.33b-36 or 1 Tim. 2.11-15?
- Knowing that God is beyond gender, is it OK to refer to the Almighty by gendered pronouns?
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