Comments on: Eastertide: Women and Men in Transforming Community

By: Ruth Barton

Ruth Barton — Mon, 17 May 2021 14:18:26 +0000

In reply to Randy Millwood. Thank you for this honest sharing, Randy. "The change I long to weave into the fabric of my life is thwarted by the company I still keep." That is a very significant admission and it reminds me of the kind of honesty that prompts Jesus to draw near. Let's listen for what Jesus might have to say to you as the two of you walk this road between the now and not-yet together.

By: Randy Millwood

Randy Millwood — Mon, 10 May 2021 14:56:53 +0000

Convincing, convicting and ... counter [my] culture. In the TC7 community, I was moved by similar teachings, by your own example, and by additional readings. Yet here I find myself surrounded by those 'other' often angry voices. The change I long to weave into the fabric of my life is thwarted by the company I still keep. Why? A part of me hoped I might be a voice to change the community. But the fact is, unless I discover this new community, I remain silenced. -faithfully frustrated

By: Ruth Barton

Ruth Barton — Wed, 21 Apr 2021 12:27:38 +0000

In reply to Reinhold. Ha! Sounds like a great conversation!

By: Ruth Barton

Ruth Barton — Wed, 21 Apr 2021 12:26:59 +0000

In reply to David Hughes. Thank you, David. I appreciate your comment about no one label being able to fully capture the essence of who Jesus is. I agree and have never been comfortable reducing Jesus to a one-word label--or reducing each other to one-word labels either, for that matter! :)

By: Ruth Barton

Ruth Barton — Wed, 21 Apr 2021 12:16:30 +0000

In reply to Laura Greiving. I'm so glad! Nothing like fresh insights this far along on the spiritual journey! For a more thorough discussion of the New Testament passages you are referring to, please see Equal to the Task: Men and Women in Partnership at Work, at Church and at Home; Longing for More: A Woman's Path to Transformation in Christ (chap. 3); Paul and Gender (Cynthia Westfall); I Suffer Not a Woman (Richard and Catherine Clark Kroeger).

By: Reinhold

Reinhold — Wed, 21 Apr 2021 08:01:21 +0000

Thank you for laying this out so well, Ruth! In a recent conversation our leadership team had with Mary Lederleitner, author of “Women in God’s Mission”, she said the following that has stayed with me as a man;
“So much can change if guys care”!

By: Vicki Gatchell

Vicki Gatchell — Wed, 21 Apr 2021 01:19:20 +0000

Thank you so much for this. It is so freeing to be able to be who I am in community with others.

By: David Hughes

David Hughes — Tue, 20 Apr 2021 18:39:41 +0000

Thank-you Ruth for reminding us of the role of women in the resurrection story, and the implications for the roles women can and should play in the Christian church today. No one label, including “feminist”, can fully capture the essence of Jesus. But his behavior towards women was revolutionary in all the ways you describe. The Apostle Paul’s writings have been endlessly debated where women are concerned. My own reading of scripture is that Paul’s admonitions re: women leading and speaking were focused on particular problems, and limited to a particular time and place. But in general, following Jesus’ lead, Paul understood the “new creation” (2 Cor. 5:17) to include a mutual partnership between men and women, lost after the Fall, but now restored by the teachings, example, death, and resurrection of Jesus (Gal. 3:28). To overlook this dimension of Easter is to miss a vital piece of the story that animates and defines the church to this day!

By: Jeffery James

Jeffery James — Tue, 20 Apr 2021 16:16:48 +0000

In reply to Linda Evans.

What we do know is that Jesus’ interaction with women was culturally different. The role they played is truly astounding in the context of the first century. Using a label is so limiting to the discussion of what the text clearly communicates. On a personal note, what I have witnessed in Transforming Community experience is a wonderful partnership between men and woman that is life giving to men and women. I think if you were looking for more clarity from Ruth, I would suggest reading Ruth’s book https://transformingcenter.christianbook.com/longing-more-womans-path-transformation-christ/ruth-barton/9780830835065/pd/835065?event=TCG|1015361

By: Jeni Johnson

Jeni Johnson — Tue, 20 Apr 2021 15:17:23 +0000

In reply to Linda Evans. Linda, I think this depends on how you define feminism. Certainly, Jesus treated people equally. If you define feminism as equality, then you can say yes, Jesus was for the equal rights of women. If you define it as male bashing, shaming and it's time for women to step on men; women are better than men, then no, Jesus is not a feminist. The word feminism has a lot of connotations attached to it depending on how it's defined. We see the same when we use the terms conservative and liberal in our culture. We all seem to have our very own definitions of these words so it makes it difficult to have a conversation about them if we cannot even agree on the definition of the word we are using. So if I stood in a group and said, "Jesus is a feminist," or "Jesus is not a feminist," a wild discussion and misunderstandings among one another would ensue? How do you define feminism? We might could agree there are layers of feminism and some we might accept and others not accept?