Malestrom

May 11, 2015
James (Half the Church), speaker and president of the Whitby Forum, a women’s ministry group, continues her exploration of the role of women in today’s evangelical Christian church, this time by examining how patriarchal models have shaped modern norms. Cultural constructions of manhood have led to a loss of connection with God’s original plan and his intentions for men and women to relate as equals in a “Blessed Alliance,” James asserts. She studies the motives of male biblical figures like Abraham, Jacob, Judah, and Matthew, making the examples easier to understand by providing a modern context: Judah and Julian Lennon, for example, have a lot in common; Tamar’s story resounds for women who still have no rights in certain countries. Wounds in the relationships with fathers are seen as frequent catalysts for a maelstrom—a term cleverly tweaked for the title—that sweeps men away from their true nature and diminishes the value of women. This is an insightful, Bible-based take on relations between women and men.