Beyond Sex Roles: What the Bible Says about a Woman's Place in Church and Family

Reading this book was one of the STRANGEST experiences I have ever had as a born again Christian evangelical. I started out reading this book being a man who was taught to believe in benign patriarchy, breaking ties and such. I tossed out easily 2/3 of what the book said as not making much sense, at least to me where I was at at the time. But the remaining 1/3 I could not answer and it stewed in me. After wrestling with this 1/3 for a few weeks and praying a lot, it was like scales fell off my eyes and I jumped the fence and became a Biblical egalitarian. So my recommendation is to NOT stop reading this book, just because you come to something to disagree with, keep reading it and note the points you do NOT yet have answers for.

I do not lend this text as it will be permanently placed and available in my personal library. It is one of my highest reccommended books on the role of women. A complete scriptural guide with contrasting arguments, complete biography, appendix etc. This is college text material with a corresponding user friendly explaination. This truly is the very best book I have read on the subject. I believe it is part of the resources that God is using to launch me into ministry! This is credible and scriptural.

This book convincingly demonstrates that God NEVER INTENDED gender-specific roles in the family or church. Bilezikian righty spends a lot of space explaining how God created women and men to be equal in authority and opportunities, and how human sin changed that. He also illustrates how God used many, many women of the Bible in exactly the same way men were used. I especially appreciated his sections on the high visibility of women in Jesus' ministry and in the New Testament church.Especially if you believe that women and men have God-given roles, and consequently that women are excluded from some, then you should read this book. It's pervasive use of Scripture is it's strongest asset.

Dr. Bilezikian looks at all the passages of Scripture that deal with the issue of Women's roles. Starting with creation and the desired relationship men and women were intended to have. The results of the fall to that relationship. How Jesus and the New Testament Church are intended to restore the created order.Not only through the examination of the texts but through confronting actual current interpertations of those texts, Bilezikian provides a challenging and indicting examination of the current belief held by many conservative or fundemental Christians. Bilezikian remains Faithful to the orthodox Christian Faith and unwavering in the belief of the Authority of scripture, which make his book a must read no matter what you believe concerning this issue. But be forwarned this will challenge your beliefs and may cause you to change your outlook or confirm what in your heart you have known to be true.

When I first picked up this book, I expected a scholarly, thoughtful examination of the issue of women in the church. What I discovered was an incredible study of God's Word, sweeping me from the perfection of Creation, through the tragedy of the Fall, to the recovery of perfection for all of us ("...slave nor free, male nor female...") through the power of the Jesus Christ. More than a "good read," this book provides the open-hearted reader with a spiritual experience.