Theology of women woven into personal narrative

Men and Women in the Church: Building Consensus on Christian Leadership Sarah Sumner. InterVarsity Press, 2003. 326 pages.

Sarah Sumner, associate professor of ministry and theology at Azusa (Cal.) Pacific University, presents Men and Women in the Church as “a theology of women woven into the narrative” of her own story. She attempts to challenge the underlying assumptions and cultural biases that cloud the discussion surrounding women in church leadership. For example, Sumner points out that until recently, the church assigned women “to subordinate roles because women themselves were thought to be essentially inferior . . . Today both sides of the current debate insist that women are not inferior to men. . . . What I am trying to say is that women’s equal worth is a novel idea in church history.”

Sumner shares her experience of wrestling with her own subtle prejudice against women. “I’ve never for a moment wished I were a man. But I have wished in a wordless way deep inside my heart that I could somehow transcend my female self whenever I perceive that my womanhood has become a liability.” She contends that the church can easily buy into cultural misperceptions in its explanation of what the difference between manhood and womanhood actually entails. “To claim that women by nature are ‘more relational’ than men is to tempt men to believe that they just don’t have what it takes to have a good relationship with God.”

Sumner examines several key passages in the New Testament. First, she explores how the reference to woman as a “weaker vessel” in 1 Peter 3:7 has often been associated with “inferiority.” She notes that the Greek word asthenes literally means “strengthless” and therefore is better understood as an indication of “physical vulnerability.” Sumner goes on to suggest that the word “head,” in 1 Corinthians 11:2 and Ephesians 5:23, is “a picture, not a definition.” Rather than argue about whether “head” could mean either “authority” or “source,” she proposes that as a metaphor it portrays the mystery of how “the head and body are vitally connected as one.” Finally, Sumner examines 1 Timothy 2:8–15 and contends it is misguided “for anyone to say that one side of the debate accepts a straightforward reading of 1 Timothy 2 while the other side flatly rejects it. In truth, neither side takes the text at face value.”

Sumner concludes with the recognition that “the heart of the debate pertains overall to the fundamental mystery of what it means to be a man or a woman.” She proposes that “if all of us could agree that men and women are ‘equal and distinct,’ then perhaps we could reach a broad consensus.” However, it is at this point that the two sides in the current debate continue to speak past one another due to differing definitions of “equality” and “distinction.”

Sumner contributes to the debate regarding women in church leadership with her innovative theological analysis. Her personal and easy-to-read approach offers many helpful insights on some very complex biblical texts. However, several issues detract from her argument and presentation. At times Sumner seeks to support her approach with questionable methods of interpretation. Rather than attempting to read different texts as a consistent whole, she casually encourages readers to identify a “boss verse” because “each one of us is responsible to discern which verse(s) should take priority over the others.”

Furthermore, despite Sumner’s attempt to locate herself between the poles of the debate, her view of consensus is essentially a call for only one side to reexamine its assumptions, reasoning, and biblical interpretation. This “artificial” posturing would not appear to encourage honest dialogue that is necessary for the promotion of consensus. Finally, while it is commendable to recognize that theological reflection takes place within the context of one’s own experience, Sumner’s interwoven story and interaction with people she has encountered seems to minimize the application of her reflection for the ministry of women in the church.

Doug Heidebrecht is academic dean at Bethany College, Hepburn, Sask.