I just completed my six-week series summarizing the essays in Discovering Biblical Equality: Complementarity without Hierarchy. Today and tomorrow, I want to introduce you to two DVD series on the same topic.
The First DVD series is Women in Ministry: Silenced or Set Free. Here is the product description from Amazon:
Does God have a law that silences women in the church? Would God forbid all Christian women from teaching men in the body of Christ? Some Pastors answer "yes" to these questions and they say that scripture supports these restrictive rules. The passages that they point to in order to teach these prohibitions are also the passages that have been the hardest to interpret throughout church history. These passages on the surface appear to contradict other clear bible passages that free women to serve without restrictions. Because of these apparent contradictions many Christians have ignored these hard passages and chosen to stick to only the scriptures which are much easier to understand. But is this right? Can we just ignore passages of scripture because we don't like them or because they are difficult to understand? This DVD presentation will deal with each of these hard passages of scripture on the women's issue in order to help us understand God's intended meaning. "Women in Ministry Silenced or Set Free?" is a 4 DVD set covering 7 sections suitable for bible study groups or personal study. This unique DVD set is fast-paced and visually entertaining. Each disputed scripture is dealt with thoroughly and decisively to bring the viewer to an understanding of scripture which connects all relevant scripture together without contradiction. The 7 sections in this DVD are:
1. Genesis 1-3 The Designer Knows best.
2. Genesis 3 Who is to Blame?
3. 1 Cor. 11 Headcoverings and Authority
4. 1 Tim. 2 Women, Deception and the First Created
5. 1 Cor. 14 The Elusive Law
6. 1 Tim. 3 Follow the Leader
7. Gal. 3:28 Equal to Serve
Cheryl Schatz researched, wrote, and presented the series through MacGregor Ministries, "A Christian outreach to those involved in Cult Groups." I watched the entire series a few weeks ago and was impressed. The high quality of the research that went into this 3.5-hour presentation is evident. The presentations are filled with visuals, and the graphics draw you into the discussion. Schatz does a great job of breaking down and explaining complex ideas in ways most people can grasp.
The series targets people struggling with these issues from a fundamentalist or conservative Evangelical context. The presentations include audio recordings from people like John MacArthur, Bruce Ware, John Piper, and others from the Council on Biblical Manhood and Womanhood. Schatz goes out of her way to affirm these leaders and is about as nonbelligerent as one can be when challenging another's teaching.
I suspect this series will be highly effective for the targeted audience. I am unsure how the series would be received by unchurched folks or people coming to the issues outside the conservative Evangelical world. It would be a little like listening in on someone else's conversation, but the actual biblical research would still be beneficial.
Whenever I read or listen to someone's research about these topics, I learn something new. I found Shantz's presentation 1 Cor. 11 helpful in setting the cultural context. The 1 Tim. 2 presentation introduced the possibility that verses 11-12 may have been addressed to a specific woman engaged in false teaching, which is something I have not previously heard postulated. I will have to investigate that one more. Besides that, most of what was presented fits the reading and learning I have been doing over the years.
The series price is $35, and you can buy it at Amazon by clicking here. There is a sample video clip that you can view by clicking here. The clip will give you a flavor of what the series is like. If your context is men and women struggling with the teachings of groups like the Council on Biblical Manhood and Womanhood, then I highly recommend this series.
Tomorrow I will review some resources by Kenneth E. Bailey.
Update: Ryan pointed me to Cheryl's blog Women in Ministry.
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