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Gender: Biblical Womanhood

Biblical Womanhood

This page addresses the topic of biblical womanhood and provides resources and varying perspectives on the ideas. The material provided is intended for academic research and discussion. 

Biblical Verses About Women

Genesis 3:16

Eve’s punishment for eating the forbidden fruit: “In pain you shall bring forth children, yet your desire shall be for your husband, and he shall rule over you.”

Exodus 20:17

In the Ten Commandments, the wife as property: “Thou shalt not covet thy neighbor’s house, thou shalt not covet thy neighbor’s wife, nor his manservant, nor his maidservant, nor his ox, nor his ass, nor anything that is thy neighbor’s.”

Numbers 5:12-28

A test for women suspected of adultery: “If any man’s wife goes astray and is unfaithful to him…and there is no witness against her since she was not caught in the act…then the man shall bring his wife to the priest…[who] shall make her take an oath, saying, ‘If no man has lain with you, if you have not turned aside to uncleanness while under your husband’s authority, be immune to this water of bitterness’… When he has made her drink the water, then, if she has defiled herself…[the water] shall enter into her and cause bitter pain, and her womb shall discharge, her uterus drop, and the woman shall become an execration among her people. But if the woman has not defiled herself and is clean, then she shall be immune and be able to conceive children.”

Deuteronomy 22:23-24

A rape victim’s rights, Old Testament style: “If there is a young woman, a virgin already engaged to be married, and a man meets her in the town and lies with her, you shall…stone them to death, the young woman because she did not cry for help…and the man because he violated his neighbor’s wife.” [If the woman is not engaged] “the man who lay with her shall give 50 shekels of silver to the young woman’s father, and she shall become his wife.”

Ephesians 5:22-23

The apostle Paul on husbands and wives: “Wives, be subject to your husbands as you are to the Lord. For the husband is the head of the wife just as Christ is the head of the church.”

1 Corinthians 14:34-35

Paul on women’s conduct in church: “Let your women keep silence in the churches: for it is not permitted unto them to speak… And if they will learn any thing, let them ask their husbands at home.”

1 Timothy 2:13-15

Paul on why women should be silent in church: “For Adam was formed first, then Eve; and Adam was not deceived, but the woman was deceived and became a transgressor. Yet she will be saved through childbearing, provided [she] continue in faith and love and holiness, with modesty.”

Titus 2:3-5

Paul on how to instruct women: “Likewise, tell the older women to be reverent in behavior, not to be slanderers or slaves to drink; they are to teach what is good, so that they may encourage the young women to love their husbands, to love their children, to be self-controlled, chaste, good managers of the household, kind, being submissive to their husbands, so that the word of God may not be discredited.”

1 Peter 3:1-7

The apostle Peter on women’s conduct and status: “Wives…do not adorn yourselves outwardly by braiding your hair, and by wearing gold ornaments or fine clothing; rather, let your adornment be the inner self with the lasting beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit… It was in this way long ago that the holy women who hoped in God used to adorn themselves by accepting the authority of their husbands. Thus Sarah obeyed Abraham and called him lord.”

Revelation 14:1-4

The 144,000 who will be chosen at the Second Coming: “Then I looked, and there was the Lamb, standing on Mount Zion! And with him were 144,000 who had his name and his Father’s name written on their foreheads…It is these who have not defiled themselves with women, for they are virgins.”

In Praise of a Wife of Noble Character

Prov 31:10-Prov 31:31

10 Who can find a wife of noble character?  She is far more precious than jewels.
11 The heart of her husband trusts in her, and he will not lack anything good.
12 She rewards him with good, not evil, all the days of her life.
13 She selects wool and flax and works with willing hands.
14 She is like the merchant ships, bringing her food from far away.
15 She rises while it is still night and provides food for her household and portions for her female servants.
16 She evaluates a field and buys it; she plants a vineyard with her earnings.
17 She draws on her strength and reveals that her arms are strong.
18 She sees that her profits are good, and her lamp never goes out at night.
19 She extends her hands to the spinning staff, and her hands hold the spindle.
20 Her hands reach out to the poor, and she extends her hands to the needy.
21 She is not afraid for her household when it snows, for all in her household are doubly clothed.
22 She makes her own bed coverings; her clothing is fine linen and purple.
23 Her husband is known at the city gates, where he sits among the elders of the land.
24 She makes and sells linen garments; she delivers belts to the merchants.
25 Strength and honor are her clothing, and she can laugh at the time to come.
26 Her mouth speaks wisdom, and loving instruction is on her tongue.
27 She watches over the activities of her household and is never idle.
28 Her children rise up and call her blessed; her husband also praises her:
29 “Many women have done noble deeds, but you surpass them all!”
30 Charm is deceptive and beauty is fleeting, but a woman who fears the Lord will be praised.
31 Give her the reward of her labor, and let her works praise her at the city gates.

Resources and Links

Perspectives

The Making of Biblical Womanhood

"A powerful work of skillful research and personal insight."--Publishers WeeklyBiblical womanhood--the belief that God designed women to be submissive wives, virtuous mothers, and joyful homemakers--pervades North American Christianity. From choices about careers to roles in local churches to relationship dynamics, this belief shapes the everyday lives of evangelical women. Yet biblical womanhood isn't biblical, says Baylor University historian Beth Allison Barr. It arose from a series of clearly definable historical moments.This book moves the conversation about biblical womanhood beyond Greek grammar and into the realm of church history--ancient, medieval, and modern--to show that this belief is not divinely ordained but a product of human civilization that continues to creep into the church. Barr's historical insights provide context for contemporary teachings about women's roles in the church and help move the conversation forward.Interweaving her story as a Baptist pastor's wife, Barr sheds light on the #ChurchToo movement and abuse scandals in Southern Baptist circles and the broader evangelical world, helping readers understand why biblical womanhood is more about human power structures than the message of Christ.

Women's Lives in Biblical Times

This volume describes the lifecycle events and daily life activities experienced by girls and women in ancient Israel examining recent biblical scholarship and other textual evidence from the ancient Near East and Egypt including archaeological, iconographic and ethnographic data. From this Ebeling creates a detailed, accessible description of the lives of women living in the central highland villages of Iron Age I (ca. 1200-1000 BCE) Israel. The book opens with an introduction that provides a brief historical survey of Iron Age (ca. 1200-586 BCE) Israel, a discussion of the problems involved in using the Hebrew Bible as a source, a rationale for the project and a brief narrative of one woman's life in ancient Israel to put the events described in the book into context. It continues with seven thematic chapters that chronicle her life, focusing on the specific events, customs, crafts, technologies and other activities in which an Israelite female would have participated on a daily basis.

A Year of Biblical Womanhood

New York Times Bestseller What is "biblical womanhood" . . . really  Strong-willed and independent, Rachel Held Evans couldn't sew a button on a blouse before she embarked on a radical life experiment--a year of biblical womanhood. Intrigued by the traditionalist resurgence that led many of her friends to abandon their careers to assume traditional gender roles in the home, Evans decides to try it for herself, vowing to take all of the Bible's instructions for women as literally as possible for a year.   Pursuing a different virtue each month, Evans learns the hard way that her quest for biblical womanhood requires more than a "gentle and quiet spirit" (1 Peter 3:4). It means growing out her hair, making her own clothes, covering her head, obeying her husband, rising before dawn, abstaining from gossip, remaining silent in church, and even camping out in the front yard during her period.  See what happens when a thoroughly modern woman starts referring to her husband as "master" and "praises him at the city gate" with a homemade sign. Learn the insights she receives from an ongoing correspondence with an Orthodox Jewish woman, and find out what she discovers from her exchanges with a polygamist wife.  Join her as she wrestles with difficult passages of scripture that portray misogyny and violence against women.  With just the right mixture of humor and insight, compassion and incredulity, A Year of Biblical Womanhood is an exercise in scriptural exploration and spiritual contemplation. What does God truly expect of women, and is there really a prescription for biblical womanhood Come along with Evans as she looks for answers in the rich heritage of biblical heroines, models of grace, and all-around women of valor. 

Women in Scripture

Since the 1960s many biblical scholars have studied the Bible with a focus on gender. Yet such research is only slowly reaching a wide audience beyond the academy. Seven years in the making, centuries overdue, Women in Scripture is the groundbreaking work that will finally open this field to readers of all backgrounds -- Jews, Christians, and everyone fascinated by a body of literature that has exerted a singular influence on Western civilization. The editors have taken on the ambitious task of identifying every woman and group of women mentioned in the Bible, whether named or unnamed, well known or heretofore not known at all. The result is more than eight hundred articles, written by the finest scholars in the field, that examine the numerous women who have often been obscured by the androcentric nature of the biblical record and by centuries of translation and interpretation that have paid little or no attention to them. At last, Women in Scripture gives these women their due. They are remarkably varied -- from prophets to prostitutes, military heroines to musicians, deacons to dancers, widows to wet nurses, rulers to slaves. There are familiar faces, such as Eve, Judith, and Mary, seen anew with the full benefit of the most up-to-date results of biblical scholarship. But the most innovative aspect of this book is the section devoted to the many women who in the scriptures do not even have names. Both in scope and accessibility, Women in Scripture is an exceptional work. Combining rigorous scholarship with engaging prose, each of these articles on women in the Hebrew Bible, the Apocryphal/Deuterocanonical Books, and the New Testament will inform, delight, and challenge readers interested in the Bible, scholars and laypeople alike. Together, these articles create a volume that takes the study of women in the Bible to a new level.

Portraits of Bible Women

A perfect resource for personal devotions or group study, Portraits of Bible Women gives timeless insight into the personalities and motivations of biblical women. Book jacket.

Beyond Sex Roles

This first-rate biblical and theological study offers an accessible examination of the key texts of Scripture pertinent to understanding female roles, affirming full equality of the sexes in family and church. The third edition has been revised throughout. Gilbert Bilezikian avoids using scholarly jargon and complex argumentation in the main text of the book to encourage readers to interact with the biblical research. The aim is for nonspecialized readers to be able to follow his discussion step-by-step, evaluate arguments, consider alternative views, and arrive at independent conclusions. The study guide format of the book is designed for either individual investigation or group work. Pastors, church leaders, students, and those interested in issues relating to gender and church life will value this classic work on the egalitarian viewpoint.

Women in Christ: Toward a New Feminism

The challenge of promoting the "new feminism" has barely been addressed since it was first launched by Pope John Paul II in his 1995 encyclical Evangelium vitae. The thirteen contributors in this book, all outstanding international scholars, take up this task, together laying the necessary theoretical foundation for the new feminism. These chapters articulate an integral philosophical and theological understanding of persons that moves beyond patriarchy on the one hand and traditional feminism on the other. Central to the new perspective offered here is the biblical revelation of the human person - man and woman - in Christ, a vision that directs women beyond the "male" standard against which they have too often been measured. Far from constraining women to an "eternal essence," the dynamic view presented here encourages each woman to realize herself in perfect Christian freedom.

All of the Women of the Bible

All the women of the Bible offers a rich biographical perspective on evey female figure in scripture -- including the famous, the little-known, and even the unnamed. In more that 300 engaging and insightful portraits, Edith Deen brings alive the saints and sorceresses, queens and servants, mothers and daughters, wives and widows whose profound influence is felt through-out the Bible. "You can almost trace light and darkness in the Bible by the women themselves,"she writes. "Hannah, praying mother of Samuel, gave birth to a son who became the first great Hebrew prophet. And, of course, there was the mother of Jesus. On the other hand, Jezebel and Herodias were vile influences, the first tearing apart the northern kingdom of Israel, the second causing John the Baptist to be beheaded." Combining thorough detail with a lively and dramatic narrative, All of the Women of the Bible portrays the real women behind the Biblical stories and shows how, in their human struggles and triumphs, they are very much like the women of today. With each major biography identified by Bible chapter and verse and prefaced by a key passage of scripture, this is an ideal resources for teachers, Bible students, preachers, and writers, as well as anyone who wants to learn what it was really like to be a woman in Biblical times.

Feminist Interpretation

In the hundred years since The Women's Bible, giant strides have been made in feminist interpretation of the Bible. Now comes the first comprehensive overview of the whole field. The authors systematicallyrecount those efforts to describe the story of women in both testaments, to uncover tendencies not supportive of women, and to describe biblical traditions that empower women. The book unfolds in three parts: Historical, Hermeneutical, and Methodological Foundations Toward a Feminist Reconstruction of the History of Israel Toward a Feminist Reconstruction of Early Christianity