Tomorrow is the beginning of a six week discussion on the book Discovering Biblical Equality: Complementarity Without Hierarchy. We will be looking at each of the 29 essays in the book, one weekday at a time over the next six weeks. I will give a brief summary and count on others who have read (or are reading) the book to add to the discussion. Chime in as often or as little as you like. Posts with no comments will not deter me from seeing this through to the end.
As we begin this discussion I want to make at least three things clear:
- This discussion is for those who want to know and understand more about the complementarity without hierarchy position. (It is the position I hold, just in case there is any doubt about where I am coming from.)
- Questions, doubts and observations are welcome. You need not agree with everything in the book, with me, or with what others have to say. However, issues and topics related to complementarity without hierarchy are the subject under discussion, not the suspected motives and character of the participants in this discussion.
- Finally, this is a discussion to discover what complementarity without hierarchy is, not an apocalyptic battle to settle the question for now and for eternity. If you are a hierarchicalist who is so thoroughly persuaded that a non-hierarchical position is apostasy that you can not engage in respectful discussion, then please consider yourself uninvited. If you are non-hierarchalist who is so committed to your view that the very questioning of it is a grievous insult, then please consider yourself uninvited as well. I am not interested in refereeing a boxing match between those for whom this issue is not a question.
I know this is a deeply emotional and personal issue for some. Some are deeply worried about the implications and others have been deeply wounded by some of the issues discussed in this book. Let us be in prayer for each other as the dialog progresses.
Grace and Peace!
