In a recent Bare Marriage article, author and blogger Sheila Gregoire describes how complementarian Matt Chandler moved the goal posts to make egalitarianism sound extreme by putting it on one end of the spectrum, patriarchy at the other end, and complementarianism in the (allegedly reasonable) middle.
Image by Gerd Altmann from Pixabay
In truth, male rule (patriarchy) and female rule (gynarchy) occupy extreme ends of the spectrum, with equality between men and women smack dab in the middle. However, since complementarians consistently present their view as the only legitimately biblical one regarding the sexes, and since they’ve held the lion’s share of Christian publishing resources for decades, confusion abounds over this issue.
When I shared Gregoire’s article on social media, one reader asked how he could explain things to a woman who thinks liberal feminism and egalitarianism are the same. Great question!
Defining the Terms
“Egalitarian” is a term which originated in the social-political sphere. It means:
“One who advocates or practices social equality.”
In a Christian context, egalitarians believe the Bible teaches women should be treated as social equals to men. This means women may teach, preach, and lead in the church in accordance with their gifts and callings, just as men may do.
But here’s the thing: not all egalitarians approach the Bible the same way.
Some egalitarian churches and denominations teach the Bible is an important, sacred book for Christians, but they don’t necessarily believe it is inspired by the Holy Spirit. This allows them to ignore difficult Scripture passages which seem to limit women as being out of step with the times and even misogynist.
However, evangelical egalitarians (like me) hold to a high view of Scripture. We see the Bible as the Word of God, inspired by the Holy Spirit, the final authority for faith and practice. We believe the handful of difficult Bible passages which seem to limit women were written to navigate specific challenges faced by local churches at that time (while also protecting the reputation of the gospel).
Based on the overarching message of Scripture and the use of careful hermeneutics, we don’t believe passages like 1 Timothy 2:11-12 or 1 Corinthians 11:3-16 and 14:33-36 should be taken as prescriptive rules for all churches at all times. Sadly, the role of women has been obfuscated by poor translation and interpretive bias.
With that understanding, let’s look at similarities and differences between feminism and evangelical egalitarianism.
What does Feminism Mean?
Meriam-Websters defines it as:
“Belief in and advocacy of the political, economic, and social equality of the sexes expressed especially through organized activity on behalf of women’s rights and interests.”
In short, feminism is the belief that women should have the same rights as men in society. Egalitarians and feminists both believe in equal treatment for women, including in the church.
“First wave” feminism had reasonable and righteous demands, such as giving women the right to vote and shutting down saloon/brothels so men would stop squandering their paychecks and ruining their families. Early feminists were also staunchly against abortion.
However, evangelical egalitarians and liberal feminists differ greatly on significant issues.
That’s because these days, the term “feminism” is associated with far more than simply advocating for women’s equal rights and stopping their oppression.
Saying the “f” word today conjures up images of bra-burning rioters, hatred toward men, sexual promiscuity, pro-abortion protests, and alignment with transgender ideology. We now call these views “progressive” or “liberal” (also terms that have evolved) and they are often assumed with feminism.
So, no, evangelical egalitarians and liberal feminists are NOT the same.
The Slippery Slope
Still, some Christians fear that placing women in positions of church leadership inevitably leads to moral compromise and the destruction of biblical sexual ethics.
But the slippery slope argument is a logical fallacy.
First, it assumes people cannot hold a line based on principle.
Some would like us to believe women leading in church is a recent (progressive) development—yet numerous theologically conservative denominations have been ordaining women for over a hundred years without compromising on sexual ethics.
(Examples include Assemblies of God, Foursquare, Church of the Nazarene, Wesleyan, Brethren in Christ, and the Salvation Army, among others. How many Baptists realize their Ana-Baptist ancestors were egalitarian back in the Reformation?)
Second, it conflates the issue of whether women are biblically permitted to lead with the issue of sexual immorality. Conflating these two separate issues is misleading and offensive.
It is illogical to link egalitarianism with any other issue, progressive or not. For example, American Reformed denominations are engaged in major internal debates about social justice (considered progressive by some), distinct from concerns about gender roles in leadership.
In a nutshell, evangelical egalitarians are not liberal feminists. They don’t believe the same thing, and there is no “slippery slope.” The concerted effort to conflate the two by calling egalitarians “evangelical feminists” unfairly shames egalitarians and causes needless fear among evangelicals. However,
- Believing the Bible allows women to help lead the church does not bring about the church’s moral collapse; it frees women to do more for the kingdom of God.
- Believing men and women are created for mutual partnership and cooperation with one another does not open a gateway to evil; it gives the world a testimony of unity—something Jesus emphasized.
- Believing God gifts and calls women to serve the church in all the ways he calls men does not result in social mayhem; it allows the body of Christ to operate in full strength, without hindrance.
Equal treatment for women in the church is not an extreme position. Egalitarianism doesn’t place women in charge instead of men, but alongside them.
The full inclusion of women in every aspect of ministry is the REAL reasonable middle—and embracing the reasonable middle makes for a flourishing church.
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To learn more about the evangelical egalitarian perspective on women in leadership, grab my book Prophesying Daughters: How Prophetic Ministry and Women in Leadership Strengthen the Church, AND the study guide for under $20. Also available in audio book and eBook.
