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John G. Stackhouse, Jr.

Autor von Four Views on the Spectrum of Evangelicalism

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Über den Autor

John G. Stackhouse, Jr. is the Sangwoo Youtong Chee Professor of Theology and Culture at Regent College, Vancouver, Canada.
Bildnachweis: Used by permission of Baker Publishing Group, copyright © 2008. All rights to this material are reserved. Materials are not to be distributed to other web locations for retrieval, published(see © info.)

Werke von John G. Stackhouse, Jr.

Four Views on the Spectrum of Evangelicalism (2011) — Mitwirkender — 190 Exemplare
Evangelical Futures: A Conversation on Theological Method (2000) — Herausgeber — 138 Exemplare
Evangelical Ecclesiology: Reality or Illusion? (2003) — Herausgeber — 96 Exemplare

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Stackhouse, John G., Jr.
Geburtstag
1960
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male
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Canada

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Despite the academic publisher, this book is essentially a defense of (a conservative version of the) Christian faith to skeptics. Stackhouse deals with defending religion in general, but he obviously addresses Christianity in the most detail. Despite his expertise in teaching world religions, these other religions receive only superficial treatment.

I take issue with Stackhouse’s description of Christianity in chapter 2. It contains a description of conservative Western Christianity. He does not describe progressive and global Christianity with a great deal of respect, nor does he deal with the many varied expressions of Christianity in world history. It’s as if he believes that Christianity has achieved its best expression in the (culturally conservative) modern West. He frankly needs to read more widely and experience Christianity more widely.

The author excels when describing the Christian ethic of Shalom and when addressing common objections to faith and belief of any kind. In doing so, he talks about Christian beliefs through the lens of his personally held experience. While he does not base such descriptions on anecdote, he has obviously wrestled with these issues deeply. I only wish he would extend such depth to wrestling with his fellow Christians who may not embrace Western privilege so highly.

This well-written book is organized for those interested in a conceptual understanding of this huge global religion. The author does not come off as folksy and, outside of chapter 2, he avoids a preacher’s tone in favor of a more humanizing one. Despite the superficiality, he treats other religions with respect. He does not become a “Bible thumper” nor a heaven-or-hell evangelist.

If anything, Stackhouse’s attempt is too broad. He tries to do too much in his exposition of Christianity. The whole waterfront need not be defended in one book. Instead, it would have been more interesting to address skeptics of religious faith/belief (in Chapter 4) in an entire book. The topic warrants the depth, and I believe he would gain a larger audience, much as St. Paul did in Athens on Mars Hill as described in the Bible. Philosophers of life, who are the expressly intended audience, deal with understanding life, not presenting systematic Biblical theology.

Nonetheless, this, overall, maintains a decent attempt at addressing those skeptical of religion in general. Stackhouse clearly speaks from a Western (and dare I say, male) mindset. Like all of us, he is a prisoner to his own experiences and cannot speak with the voice of transcendence. But who can? Christians have been attempting to unite Jerusalem (home of the monotheistic religions) and Athens (home of the university movement and reason) for almost two millennia. The addition of Stackhouse’s voice to this attempt may not blow away the conversation, but it will provide some necessary reverberating echo in our time and day.
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scottjpearson | Aug 7, 2020 |
An insightful and refreshingly irenic book on the subject of patriarchy in the home and church. Stackhouse takes a third interpretive route on most of the relevant passages, while acknowledging what most know but few say--that neither side has the best interpretation of every single passage. He emphasizes that the New Testament writers generally believed they were living in the last generation before the second coming of Christ and so didn't attempt to overturn social institutions, because of the priority of evangelism--while the pointers toward a better Kingdom way are there. The second point of interest to me was Stackhouse's description of how God uses Israelites' understanding of patriachical culture to convey truth about his nature.… (mehr)
 
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LauraBee00 | 1 weitere Rezension | Mar 7, 2018 |
Summary: A case by a convert to egalitarianism for why both complementarians and egalitarians find scriptural foundations for their views with a proposal for what can make the best sense of the diverse testimony of scripture.

There may be some of you who read this review who may wonder, "what's the big deal--of course women should be able to do anything men do in the home and the church--and perhaps more because they are also able to bear and nurse children." But in certain circles within evangelicalism, this is a live issue and subject of both popular and theological writing. John G. Stackhouse, Jr., who once held a "complementarian" position (one that recognizes role distinctions between men and women in marriage and limits the roles women may exercise in leading and teaching in the church), describes his own movement to an "egalitarian" position (that there are no fixed role distinctions for men and women in marriage, nor limits as to the role of women in leadership and teaching in the church) and the theological method that led to his conclusions, amid the diverse biblical texts and conflicting interpretations:

"We should not wait to come to a theological conclusion for the happy day in which we have perfectly arranged all of the relevant texts. Instead, we should look at all of the texts as open-mindedly as possible, and see whether among the various competing interpretations there is one that makes the most sense of the most texts and especially the most important ones. We should look, in basic epistemological terms, for the preponderance of warrants or grounds to believe p instead of q. If no such preponderance is evident, of course, then we should suspend making a decision. But if we do conclude that a preponderance is discernible, then we should acknowledge it--indeed be grateful for it--and proceed to act on that basis" (p. 31).

Stackhouse recognizes a preponderance in what would be considered "control texts" for an egalitarian view--from Genesis 1 to Galatians 3:28. He would understand the rise of gender role distinctions and patriarchy as a consequence, not of creation, but the Fall of humanity. Yet he also recognizes a certain "doubleness" in scriptures, sometimes within the same passage (as in Ephesians 5:21-33, where verse 21 commends mutual submission, and then the following verses commend distinctive role behaviors for husbands and wives) that serves as foundation for the concerns of complementarians. Is there a way to understand this "doubleness" that does not involve scripture contradicting scripture and that addresses the concerns of both egalitarians and complementarians for biblical integrity? Stackhouse thinks there is.

He finds this in the recognition of the church's missional priorities of proclaiming the gospel within Roman culture, and their expectation of the imminent return of the Lord. This is a culture with clearly defined role distinctions for men and women along patriarchal lines, as well as for masters and slaves. Stackhouse writes,

"So it would make sense—given gospel priorities, holy pragmatism and eschatological expectations—for the apostles to teach a policy of cultural conservatism (“Get along as best you can with the political powers and social structures that be”) in the interest of accomplishing the one crucial task: spreading the gospel as far and as fast as possible. And they do" (p, 56).

He would contend that, while we find in Paul and others the seeds of egalitarian relationships in marriage, and roles for women in teaching and leading, even in his own missionary teams, the presence of scriptures that recognize role distinctions reflect a kind of holy pragmatism that realizes that the advance of the gotspel is of higher priority than leading a revolution in gender roles, or upending slavery. However this also brings him to the conclusion that in a society that upholds egalitarianism, the opportunity is to practice the full liberty found in germ form in the testimony of scripture. Perpetuating gender role distinctions now may hinder the gospel, even as promoting egalitarianism would have New Testament times.

Stackhouse deals thoughtfully with counterarguments that may be posed from theology, church history, and contemporary experience and practice. He addresses fears about inclusive language in translations, and boundaries in terms of language used of God. One of his most thoughtful chapters is on why women do not lead. He concludes with a plea for women to continue to speak into his life about his "enduring sexism" while still assuming personal responsibility for it.

I suspect Stackhouse's book satisfies neither committed egalitarians nor complementarians. Egalitarians may feel the book opens the door to those who would advocate patient waiting, even in our present day. Complementarians may still be unconvinced that gender role distinctions exist prior to the fall. The book is silent on implications for parallel discussions within Catholic and Orthodox circles. Yet for others, who consider the impasse between the two sides in this evangelical discussion a scandal, Stackhouse's irenic and biblically grounded approach offers at least a meeting ground for those no longer interested in battling over gender roles. His tone of humility, both in matters of interpretation, and in coming to terms with the implications of his understanding of scripture for how he partners with women in ministry, is an example other men may wish to heed.

There may be some who wish to argue with the author in comments on this review. First of all, please realize that this is my summary of the author's argument, which I hope is an adequate reflection in much abbreviated form. Second, if you really care about this, I urge you to read his book and engage with him directly. Above all, I hope that wherever we come down in this discussion, we will practice the humility and openness to change modeled by this author.
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BobonBooks | 1 weitere Rezension | Jan 3, 2018 |
I've been in pastoral ministry just long enough to see real damage done to women by views of submission which kept them locked in abusive situations. Friends who are female colleagues have had their search for a ministry placement frustrated by the so-called stained-glass-ceiling. Other women I know who are hurt by the imposition of narrowly defined roles for them in the home or the church. Yes, there are winds of change for the evangelical futures, but complementarianism remains the default position for many churches across evangelical landscapes.

John G. Stackhouse, Jr.'s most recent book, Partners in Christ presents, as its subtitle suggests, 'A Conservative Case for Egalitarianism.' Stackhouse is professor of Religious Studies at Crandall University and somewhat of a polymath. He is a humble apologist, historian and one of the foremost experts on Canadian Evangelicalism in the 20th Century, a theologian and religious scholar, and a public speaker and educator. He also plays a mean jazz bass. He brings all this to bear (with the exception of bass playing) on presenting a model of egalitarianism which draws on Scripture, experience, tradition, and general revelation.

Partners in Christ is a major revision of Stackhouse's earlier book, Finally Feminist (Baker Academic 2005). He uses the terms feminism and egalitarianism interchangeably, but a significant portion of conservative evangelicals regard 'feminism' as a man-hating attack on traditional (Christian) values. Jettisoning the old title makes this less off-putting for the complementarian evangelicals he hopes to convince through his argument

He begins with an overview of the contours of the debate (chapter 1) and the fuzzy way some people choose their side (chapter 2) Next, he share his move from his Brethren-roots-complementarianism to egalitarianism (chapter 3). In chapter 4, he describes his method of working back from a general hermeneutic of scripture back to particular texts. In chapters 5-9 he unfolds the principles guiding his model (chapters 5-9), which in turn suggests the interpretive grid he uses to makes sense of both the complementarian and egalitarian 'go to' passages (chapers 10 and 11). Chapter 12 provides a summation of hi position before he turns to tackling counterarguments (chapters 13-16).Finally he addresses issues that are pertinent to the contemporary gender discussion (chapters 17-20). Below is a somewhat more detailed walk through some of his argument:

The Case for Egalitarianism:

Stackhouse strives to listen well and incorporate insights from both sides of the complementarian/egalitarian debate. He dismisses un-thoughtful reasons for holding one position or the other: biblicism (saying 'the Bible tells me so' without acknowledging one's own interpretive grid) (22), the complementarian tendency to double-down on traditionalism when culture is moving in a different direction (or an egalitarian vice-versa) (23-24) and saying 'the Spirit says so' with no more than wooly-minded reasoning to back it up (24-5). Instead Stackhouse points to principles you need to know as you think through the gender issue theologically. These principles give Stackhouse a way to affirm the best arguments of both complementarians and egalitarians.

His first principle is equality. Women and men are of equal dignity before God (47). Stackhouse points to the co-equality of male in females in creation (Genesis 1:26-27; 2:18-24), the inclusion of women in Jesus followers, the pride of place of Mary Magdalene in being the resurrected Christs first witness, the Spirit's being poured out on all flesh at Pentecost, and evidence of prominent women ministers in Paul's letters. There is a push towards egalitarianism in the text.

However he also acknowledges overwhelming patriarchy throughout the entirety of the Bible. The imaging of God and Israel's relationship is depicted as 'a patriarchal marriage of non-equals,' Jesus' failed to include women among his inner circle, and Paul's occasionally silenced women's voices (48-49). This leads Stackhouse to his second principle: accommodation, "since somethings matter more than others, lesser things sometimes must be sacrificed in the interest of the greater" (50). Stackhouse argues that the impetus toward egalitarianism is blunted by the greater goal of the salvation of Israel and the nations. Because the Bible was written in and to a patriarchal culture, there is divine accomodation in the text toward patriarchy of the day. Jesus is not some a proto-feminist; yet the gospel of his kingdom paved the way for egalitarianism to blossom, in much the same manner in which the Bible didn't repudiate slavery wholesale but sowed the seeds of its demise.

The third principle Stackhouse suggests is eschatology. He acknowledges we live in a time where the Kingdom has come, though not fully. Stackhouse asks, "What would our understanding of gender look like, however, if we took the 'already, but not yet' principle seriously? What if we were to expect, instead of one extreme or the other, an appropriately paradoxical situation: a slow and partial realization of gospel values here and there, as God patiently and carefully works his mysterious ways along the multiple fronts of kingdom advance?" (54). This means inside Christian churches and homes as:
those institutions over which Christians would have the most immediate and extensive control--one would expect to see kingdom values at work: overcoming oppression, eliminating inequality, sharing resources, binding disparate people together in love and mutual respect, liberating gifts and the like. We would expect to hear teaching that envisioned the day when all such barriers to human fellowship are removed and everyone can flourish together. We would expect, in short to catch glimpses of the kingdom and to feel its unstoppable momentum toward universal shalom, even while we also appreciate the way the Holy Spirit skillfully and patiently guides the church to make the most of whatever opportunities it has in this or that situation. (58)

This provides space for a prophetic embodiment of egalitarianism as a sign of the Kingdom.

The final principle guiding Stackhouse's model is liberty. The gospel does set people free; however passages like 1 Cor. 8:12-13, 1 Cor 10:23-24; 1 Peter 2:16 make clear there are instances when Christian freedom is curtailed if it impedes the spread of the gospel. Thus Stackhouse concludes that in our culture, the emancipation of women is beneficial to all and worth striving for, but in other parts of the world (or other parts of our history) the 'social-disruption of feminism would come at too high a price. Disturbed families, churches, and societies might become more hostile toward the Christian religion--and likely with little or no actual gain in freedom for women"(63). Christians and missionaries in these cultures advocate where they can, but because patriarchy persists, they simple have to make the best of it.

These principles (equality, accommodation, eschatology, liberty) give Stackhouse a hermeneutic grid for reading the Bible. He writes:
I suggest that Paul means just what he says about gender. But I make this suggestion in a radical way: I think he means everything he says about gender, not just the favorite passages cited by one side or another. The fascinating question here is this: How can Paul sound so egalitarian sometimes and complementarian--even simply patriarchal--at other times?" (66-67).

Stackhouse answers this question by arguing that Paul, under the guidance of the Spirit, did two things simultaneously: (1) he set down prudent instructions for the church on how to survive in a patriarchal culture and to (2) promote the egalitarian message running throughout all of scripture. Stackhouse calls this 'the pattern of doubleness' and with it he sets the complementarian and egalitarian 'control texts' within a larger frame (for brevity sake, I won't walk through individual texts). This allows him to talk about the cultural constraints underlying head coverings and silent women, but also shine a light on places where Paul (and other biblical authors) extol mutuality.

Next Stackhouse tackles various counterarguments to his schema. He eschews appeals to the inner life of the Trinity as a model for either side (96-7), he addresses the complementarian appeal to the patriarchal images of God in scripture, and dismisses the idea that masculinity is an essential characteristic of priests or pastors(102). In discussing history, Stackhouse tackles the common arguments against women in spiritual leadership (i.e. women leaders arise in cultic and schismatic groups or their leadership was merely permissible because of the lack of strong male leadership) and the idea that Christian feminism is a capitulation to its secular counterpart (Christian egalitarianism predates its secular counterpart!).

Counterarguments from contemporary experience include the notion that egalitarianism legitimizes homosexuality and it causes the neglect of children. For the former claim, Stackhouse points out that there is no 'doubleness pattern' in the Bible regarding sexual diversity as there is with women and slaves. In the case of the latter, Stackhouse points out the lack of sociological evidence to support the claim of child neglect. But while Stackhouse is a card-carrying egalitarian, his principle of accommodation also chastens the egalitarian urge to fight patriarchy everywhere (i.e. traditional patriarchal cultures in the two-thirds world are beyond our scope of influence and mandating egalitarian values would frustrate the spread of the gospel in those cultures).

The rest of the book deals with various contemporary issues in the gender debate: inclusive language; the contribution of women to theology, the feminization of the church, the 'new machismo' backlash and what to do about it; the reasons why women are not leading as much as they should be.



 

I appreciate how Stackhouse affirms , where he can, both sides of the debate. Complementarians and egalitarians both read the same scripture, both have adherents which read it well. By incorporating insights from both sides means his position is somewhat of a mediating position. Some egalitarians would find his conclusions insufficiently radical (i.e. he doesn't interpret Paul and Jesus as protofeminist saints). Conversely, committed complementarians will find his conclusions rankling. Stackhouse does listen well but he can also be dismissive of viewpoints he finds insufficiently rigorous. If you aren't at least somewhat sympathetic with his aims, his tone may bother you in places.

Stackhouse was one of my teachers and I am an egalitarian by conviction, even choosing my denomination based on its openness to women in ministry. I agree with most of what he says here and and think 'the pattern of doubleness' he identifies in scripture is a way to read the relevant passages well. This distinguishes his approach from other egalitarians. He doesn't see a straight, upward movement towards egalatarian principles in scripture. He see both patriarchy and egalitarianism in the text form beginning to end.

I tend to demur from Stackhouse's larger project. He is an ethical realist (Making the Best of It!). I am more of an idealist with my overrealized eschatology, emphasizing the Kingdom come and the implications for life now. What I found refreshing was how Stackhouse demonstates his approach isn't just accommodationist, settling for the way things are. The is space he allows for eschatology in his schema means he is also pressing towards seeing the kingdom embodied more fully, even advocating prophetic stances. Egalitarianism is an example of a kingdom value which he thinks we should champion and work towards wherever we can. But if we can't, or working towards egalitarianism would wreak havoc on society, we shouldn't do it. That doesn't mean it doesn't remain an important goal to strive toward but in the larger scheme somethings matter more (i.e. the reign of Christ, salvation through him, the spread of the gospel, etc). I think egalitarianism provides a nice case study of Stackhouse's ethics, showcasing what his approach looks like in the real world.

I recommend this book for anyone wanting to think through their position on women in ministry. Soft complementarians may be convinced (hardliners likely won't). Egalitarians may also learn from Stackhouse a humble apologetics which seeks to listen to the other side. But regardless of whether you find Stackhouse compelling, he does a superb job of naming the contours of the complementarian/egalitarian debate. I give this book four and a half stars.

Note: I received this book from IVP in exchange for my honest review.

 
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Jamichuk | 1 weitere Rezension | May 22, 2017 |

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