The Standing Theological Committee of ECO presents an eschatological account of gender and sexuality: not a backward-looking standard, but the new creation Christ is making. Rooted in Revelation 21, the document calls women and men forward into the kingdom rather than into longing or regret.
Bruce Metzger's previously unpublished 1984 Princeton address on the theological stakes of inclusive language in Bible translation, published here for the first time. Translation always trades against itself, Metzger argues, and the trades around gender language are no exception.
1 Corinthians 11 has supplied 'regimental colors' for centuries of arguments about women in worship. Bailey reads the passage in its larger literary context (1 Cor 11-14 as a single essay) and offers a careful answer to what Paul actually meant when he addressed women's prayer and prophecy.
Does the proposed new Form of Government protect the ordination of women as plainly as the current one does? Sylvia Dooling compares the existing constitution with the new Foundations and Ordered Ministry chapters and finds the clear “shall” language missing.
Is virginity a leftover of patriarchy, or a form of strength that feminism has overlooked? Sarah Hinlicky Wilson, writing at twenty-two, argues that the language of power and choice leaves women exploited and that chastity offers a freedom the sexual revolution cannot.
Why does the church baptize in the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit and not in titles we might prefer? Alvin Kimel argues from Basil, Athanasius, Barth and Jenson that the triune name is God’s own, and that feminist substitutes give up the gospel.
Does it matter if the church stops naming the first person of the Trinity? Gerrit Dawson traces the pastoral, feminist, pro-abortion and pro-gay pressures behind the loss of “Father,” and argues from Scripture and the fathers that the name is a gift to keep.
What happens when a presbytery tells a congregation it must elect a woman as elder? Richard White, an associate pastor in Montreat, recounts how his church complied, what it cost, and what the experience says about discipline in the PCUSA.
Does the New Testament say yes or no to women in the church’s ministry? Kenneth Bailey reads the Gospels and Paul against their Middle Eastern setting, finds women as disciples, teachers, prophets and deacons, and argues that the texts urging silence can be read in harmony with them.
What was Paul asking of the women who prayed and prophesied in Corinth? Kenneth Bailey takes the passage on head coverings apart line by line, argues that Paul affirms women’s leadership in worship, and shows how the key words change meaning when they are translated differently.
What does worship look like when the self takes God’s place? Donna Hailson and Karelynne Gerber compare biblical worship with the rituals of radical spiritual feminism, from Church Women United to the Re-Imagining Community, and find a faith that has turned inward.
What happens when women in the church trade the biblical God for a goddess of their own making? Berit Kjos traces how feminist spirituality, from the Re-Imagining conference to the classroom, recasts sin and sexuality, and calls readers from tolerance back to truth.