Men and Women in Christ: Fresh Light From The Biblical Texts

by Andrew Bartlett

Overview

The debate about men and women in the church and in marriage continues to cause division among Christians. Most books on this issue are written from a firmly partisan point of view - complementarian or egalitarian.

This one is unique.

Andrew Bartlett draws on his theological learning and his skills as a judge and arbitrator to offer an even-handed assessment of the debate. His analysis is thorough but accessible. He engages with advocates of each view and all the key biblical texts, weighing the available evidence and offering fresh insights. He invites the reader to move beyond complementarian and egalitarian labels and seeks progress towards healing the division.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781783599172
Publisher:	IVP
Publication date:	03/21/2019
Pages:	464
Sales rank:	377,989
Product dimensions:	6.10(w) x 9.20(h) x 1.20(d)

About the Author

Andrew Bartlett QC is based in London and is a highly rated international arbitrator with a wide range of experience in dispute resolution in numerous locations. He has a BA in Theology (University of Gloucestershire) and has served as an elder and a churchwarden in various churches.

Table of Contents

Table of contents forthcoming

Editorial Reviews

A thorough engagement with exemplars of the main views and with the key biblical texts

Books on this topic can often be accompanied by the sound of an author steadily grinding an axe in the background. This work is refreshingly different. Meticulous research, careful argument, objective assessment and judicious evaluation make this a significant scholarly contribution to the discussion on the role of men and women in Christ’s church. It is essential reading for all in leadership.

This is a major contribution to the debate on the place of men and women in Christian ministry. It breaks new ground and is an important read whatever view you hold.

This is a must-read for anyone considering the Bible’s teaching on the roles of men and women. It has changed some of my thinking. Using his skills as an international arbitrator and his deep theological understanding, Andrew weighs up the biblical teaching on this often contentious issue. His conclusions are fresh, illuminating, and challenging to both egalitarian and complementarian alike. Every Christian leader and serious Bible student should read and digest this book. It will go a long way to bringing greater humility and unity on the subject, which is a great need in today’s church.

Although I lean more towards a fully complementarian position, I want to commend this book because of its recognition of the importance of Scripture in Christian belief and practice, its desire to explain Scripture in its biblical context, its scholarly quality, and its promotion of good relationships between Christians who have divergent views, with objective assessment and without personal criticism.

This book’s consideration of male and female relations according to Scripture is a model of clarity, scholarship and summary. It is in every sense a judicious work, which helps to resolve some contentious issues of biblical interpretation. Its aim is thoroughly constructive: to promote mutual understanding and unity among those who believe in and wish to be faithful to Holy Scripture.

In this remarkable book, Bartlett begins where any scholar and thinker should begin: in humility. He wisely stresses the biblical importance of unity amongst believers. He then follows the path of sound biblical exegesis, appropriate attention to the existing literature, and a fresh non-biased perspective to arrive at sound conclusions with strong supporting evidence. He admits where there are difficulties in interpretation (whether historical or textual), but also helps to ‘hack through’ some of these biblical and theological ‘thickets.’ This book is an excellent addition to the canon of literature on what the Bible says about men and women. The summaries and guiding questions at the end of each chapter make the text accessible to the average reader, as well as a great resource for group or academic discussion.

Global communications are driving social change in East and South Asia. This increases the danger of importing Western theories unchallenged. I hope the insightful exegesis in this book will help Asian theologians and church leaders to engage with the Scripture without getting caught in the tramlines of the complementarian/egalitarian debate.

From the Publisher