Racism and Patriarchy—Twin Demons of Abuse

Last updated on: October 29, 2019 at 12:05 am by Scot McKnight

Racism and Patriarchy—Twin Demons of Abuse 2019-10-24T10:49:15-05:00 Scot McKnight

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

Source

By Mimi Haddad

On October 23, 2019

Women in Leadership

Abuse

Welcomed with handclapping and glee, the demeaning of women and people of color was celebrated on the platform and by attendees at the recent Truth Matters Conference. Leading the way was John MacArthur, a mega-church pastor, radio personality, and seminary teacher. His diatribe against women began as MacArthur offered two words that came to mind when he thought of Beth Moore. With impunity he said, “Go home!” His remarks provoked not silence from the audience but laughter and applause. The African American theologian, professor, and author, Dr. Voddie Baucham, was also criticized. In explaining Baucham’s absence on the panel, the moderator said he was too exhausted to participate, that “he’s not here because… he’s weak, is what it is. He’s weak.” Again, the audience laughed. It is deeply worrisome that bullying remarks from prominent Christians toward women and people of color would inspire amusement rather than remorse. Their reaction reflects a racist and patriarchal legacy too much a part of church life in America—a tradition that has denigrated the gospel for centuries.

While comments that belittled women and people of color were encouraged at the opening of MacArthur’s panel, there was more verbal abuse to come. Pastor Phil Johnson followed MacArthur’s lead by denouncing Beth Moore as a narcissist. Why? Because she said she attempts to see herself in the biblical text. To position ourselves as the subject of Scripture’s teachings means, of course, that we sit under the authority of Scripture. We allow God’s Word to shape and mold our lives. To see ourselves in the text is a discipline that has formed Christian life and service throughout history. Rather than vilify her words, it would have been charitable if Johnson had made an effort to understand her meaning. As a leader, we would hope Johnson would extend her the benefit of doubt, a courtesy that was strikingly absent.

Far from being a narcissist, Beth Moore’s candid vulnerability as an abuse survivor, coupled with her empathy for other survivors, proved a decisive force that challenged the Southern Baptist Convention (SBC) to examine their own #MeToo scandals. Her courage, humility, and wisdom explain why millions benefit from her leadership and credit her for nurturing their spiritual life. Moore’s character and her partnership with abused women should have earned her respect, but instead they provoked derision from MacArthur and Johnson. While both men sought to demean strong women by calling them feminists and malign their motives as lusting for power, the truth is Beth Moore has never, to my knowledge, defended women’s ordination.

Even so, the idea that the Bible affirms female leaders was not a product of secular feminism, nor a lust for power, as MacArthur and Johnson state. Instead, Christians have recognized for centuries that preaching and spiritual authority are based on character and giftedness, not on gender or race. But what troubles me most about the comments made by MacArthur and his panel is not their failure to charitably and ably defend male-only leaders. It is their egregious contempt for #MeToo survivors and blatant, brazen abuse of women and people of color which they and their audience view as entertainment.

Racism and sexism intensify as MacArthur accuses feminists of advancing critical theories of intersectionality and diversity. In MacArthur’s view, it is the fault of power-hungry feminists that a capitulated SBC now admits there should never be another Bible translation team that fails to include a Latino, an African American, and a woman. MacArthur chided this thinking with his retort, “How about someone who knows Greek and Hebrew?” The crowd erupted in a loud bout of laughter and applause.

The assumption implicit in MacArthur’s response is that Bible teams can prioritize racial and gender diversity only by compromising scholarly competence in the biblical languages. This is absurd. Worse, this is racism and patriarchy—twin demons inextricably part of America’s earliest and deadliest failings. It is “Christian” rhetoric distorted for harm. The truth is, studies show diverse teams are not only more ethical, they also outperform their competitors. For this reason, businesses and NGOs prioritize diversity. Yet the church does not, despite Paul’s teachings (Gal. 3:26-29) and practices (Rom. 16).

What is more, women have driven translations of Scripture since the fourth century: Paula (347- 404) and Jerome (347- 420) who, with other women, produced the unparalleled Latin Vulgate translation; India’s Pandita Ramabai (1858-1922) who translated Scripture from Greek and Hebrew into Marathi; and Helen Barrett Montgomery (1861-1934) who was the first woman to translate and publish the Greek New Testament in English. Barrett Montgomery was also the first woman to lead an American denomination—the Northern Baptist Convention. She is credited for pioneering tools for readers like subject headings, paragraphs, and footnotes for pertinent background information, making her New Testament translation a prototype Bible for those that would follow. Barrett Montgomery relied heavily on the work of Katherine Bushnell’s God’s Word to Women.

A medical doctor, missionary, anti-trafficking activist, and biblical scholar, Katharine Bushnell (1855-1946) exposed flawed Bible translations that devalued women and fueled their exploitation. Her concern for inferior translations grew as she continued to work with trafficked girls and women. She believed their fate was a result of cultural devaluation that better translations of Scripture could have corrected.

Bushnell linked arms with the prominent British evangelical and social activist, Josephine Butler (1828-1906). Together they challenged the systemic complicity of Christian leaders and inferior translations of Scripture that propped up policies and practices exploiting females and people of color. It was women leaders, like Ramabai, Bushnell, and Beth Moore, who challenged the abuse of girls and women by powerful men, even leaders in the church.

Despite opposition from political and religious leaders, these women held the course and remained faithful to their call, fearless in following Christ. They were not misguided by secular culture and most certainly denounced the church’s failed leaders and their flawed teachings. Consistently they challenged the dual demons of racism and patriarchy, realizing that to “pluck the mask of the pharisee, is not to raise an impious hand to the crown of thorns,” as Charlotte Brontë wrote.

While MacArthur et al. seek to marginalize the influence of women and people of color by defining their leadership as “feminist” or “weak,” Scripture supports their spiritual authority not because of gender or race, but because their character is aligned with the teachings of the Bible. To demean women as beguiled by a liberalism that cultivates inferior biblical scholars who are also people of color is racist and incompatible with the obligations of Christian charity and leadership.

Be clear on this: God will expose demons that work together to amass power in the hands of an abusive few. Our Lord included the Samaritan and Syrophoenician women as disciples just as the Apostle Paul asked Philemon to welcome Onesimus as a brother. Junia, a woman, was prominent among the apostles just as Onesimus became bishop of Ephesus. Against these the gates of hell will never triumph. The twin demons of racism and patriarchy will be defeated. The birth of Christ’s church was celebrated at Pentecost through many tribes and tongues, by old and young, by male and female. The bride of Christ remains glorious and vibrant through its ethnic and racial diversity and because of women leaders God has gifted and called. May we honor, rather than demean, their leadership and imitate their faith because truth matters!

Uncategorized

Previous Post

October 28, 2019

Women in the Seminary Classroom

Next Post

October 29, 2019 Doesn't Christianity Condone Slavery? (RJS)

Browse Our Archives

Select a Category Acts of the Apostles Adam Advent Anabaptism Angels Anglican Apologetics Atonement Baptism BCP Prayers Bible Biblical Studies Birds Blogging Bloglossary Bonhoeffer Books Calvinism Christianity Church Church History Coffee Colossians Commentary Recs Conversion Creation Creeds Culture Death Ecclesiastes Economics Education Embracing Grace Emergent Emerging Movement Eschatology Essays Ethics Eucharist Evangelicalism Family Fasting Fathers Fellowship of Differents Footsteps Tour Fun and Whimsical Gospel Grace Happiness Heaven Hell Holy Spirit Irenaeus James Jesus Jesus Creed Job Justification Kingdom of God Law Lectures Lent Liberalism Love and Marriage Mabanteneni Manhood Mary Miracles Missio Alliance MissioLife Missional Missional Jesus Movies and Film New Perspective Northern Seminary OneLife Origins Project Orthodox Parables Pastor's Spouse Pastoring and Leading Pastoring and Preaching Patristics Paul Paul-John Tour Pharisees Pietism Political Theology Prayer and Formation Preaching Problems for Faith Psalm 119 Psalms Public Issues Purgatory Religions Resurrection Revelation Romans Rule of JCreed Science and Faith Sermon on the Mount Sports Ten Commandments Theology Third Way Top Ten Lists Translations Uncategorized Universalism University Ministry Way Out Weekly Meanderings Wisdom Women and Ministry Work Worship Writing & Blogging Youth Ministry

Select a Month July 2021 January 2020 December 2019 November 2019 October 2019 September 2019 August 2019 July 2019 June 2019 May 2019 April 2019 March 2019 February 2019 January 2019 December 2018 November 2018 October 2018 September 2018 August 2018 July 2018 June 2018 May 2018 April 2018 March 2018 February 2018 January 2018 December 2017 November 2017 October 2017 September 2017 August 2017 July 2017 June 2017 May 2017 April 2017 March 2017 February 2017 January 2017 December 2016 November 2016 October 2016 September 2016 August 2016 July 2016 June 2016 May 2016 April 2016 March 2016 February 2016 January 2016 December 2015 November 2015 October 2015 September 2015 August 2015 July 2015 June 2015 May 2015 April 2015 March 2015 February 2015 January 2015 December 2014 November 2014 October 2014 September 2014 August 2014 July 2014 June 2014 May 2014 April 2014 March 2014 February 2014 January 2014 December 2013 November 2013 October 2013 September 2013 August 2013 July 2013 June 2013 May 2013 April 2013 March 2013 February 2013 January 2013 December 2012 November 2012 October 2012 September 2012 August 2012 July 2012 June 2012 May 2012 April 2012 March 2012 February 2012 January 2012 December 2011 November 2011 October 2011 September 2011 August 2011 July 2011 June 2011 May 2011 April 2011 March 2011 February 2011 January 2011 December 2010 November 2010 October 2010 September 2010 August 2010 July 2010 June 2010 May 2010 April 2010 March 2010 February 2010 January 2010 December 2009 November 2009 October 2009 September 2009 August 2009 July 2009 June 2009 May 2009 April 2009 March 2009 February 2009 January 2009 December 2008 November 2008 October 2008 September 2008 August 2008 July 2008 June 2008 May 2008 April 2008 March 2008 February 2008 January 2008 December 2007 November 2007 October 2007 September 2007 August 2007 July 2007 June 2007 May 2007 April 2007 March 2007 February 2007 January 2007 December 2006 November 2006 October 2006 September 2006 August 2006 July 2006 June 2006 May 2006 April 2006 March 2006 February 2006 January 2006 December 2005 November 2005 October 2005 September 2005 August 2005 July 2005 June 2005 May 2005 April 2005 0000

TAKE THE

Religious Wisdom Quiz

Who said, "Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life"?

Select your answer to see how you score.

Peter James Judas John