Andrew Meredith reviewed Paul and Gender by Cynthia Long Westfall
An excellent exploration of non-traditional interpretations
5 stars
When I started this book, I wanted to find an open-and-shut case against the type of evangelical complementarianism I grew up with. I did not find that, but what I did find was even better. In this book, Dr. Westfall poses the plausibility of an interpretive grid that allows us to understand Paul as a champion for women's rights and a minister who highlights the Gospel's implication towards our understanding of the role of women. Westfall walks through each of the paradigmatic passages that underpin the complementarian perspective and demonstrates that there are at least equally compelling interpretations that preserve the full equality of women.
When taken together, the interpretations that Westfall puts forth form a picture of Paul as a minister who is primarily concerned with the spread of the Gospel as well as an instructor in the implications that the Gospel has on the social order within the …
When I started this book, I wanted to find an open-and-shut case against the type of evangelical complementarianism I grew up with. I did not find that, but what I did find was even better. In this book, Dr. Westfall poses the plausibility of an interpretive grid that allows us to understand Paul as a champion for women's rights and a minister who highlights the Gospel's implication towards our understanding of the role of women. Westfall walks through each of the paradigmatic passages that underpin the complementarian perspective and demonstrates that there are at least equally compelling interpretations that preserve the full equality of women.
When taken together, the interpretations that Westfall puts forth form a picture of Paul as a minister who is primarily concerned with the spread of the Gospel as well as an instructor in the implications that the Gospel has on the social order within the church. She convincingly demonstrates that Paul pushes against the patriarchal norms of the day to the extent that he can without compromising the mission of the Gospel. He was not primarily the leader of a social revolution, but he knew that his message must eventually bring about social evolution to align with the heart of Christ.4
Given Paul's focus, it is not surprising, asserts Westfall, that Paul still corrects cases of women who were engaging in disruptive behavior or were uniquely responsible for the spread of certain false doctrines. However, she also points out the passages where Paul's instructions to men and women are both distinct and parallel.
I especially appreciated how in the concluding chapter, Westfall makes the point that given the plausibility of egalitarian interpretations and the abuse that has become systematic under complementarianism, we should consider the fruits of our doctrines as an indicator of their faithfulness to Scripture and Scripture's God.
