Any interpretation of the Bible taken out of the time and context in which is written can leave a pretty dark mark on human rights. Perhaps none more so than the pervasive role of patriarchy. For example, consider what the Bible has to say about marriage, because it offers a great lesson on why we must take time and place into account before we apply scripture to modern society:
Marriage is between a man and a woman of the same faith [Genesis 27:46-28:2], always arranged [Genesis 24:37-38], and the bride-to-be needs to prove her virginity or be stoned [Deuteronomy 22:20-21]. Not only is a wife be subordinate [Ephesians 5:22], if her husband dies and she hasn’t had a son, she must marry his brother and have intercourse with him until she has a son [Mark 12:18-27]. Sometimes one wife is good, and sometimes many wives are better (Esau, Jacob, Gideon, David, Solomon, Belshazzar). Sometimes concubines are better still (Abraham, Caleb, Solomon).
Despite the prevailing patriarchy, throughout the Bible we also find many examples of women in leadership. Jesus, in particular, subverted many norms and women were among his most active followers; they tended to him on the cross [Matthew 27:55-56, John 19:25], and were the first to recognize his resurrection [John 20:11-18; Matthew 28: 8-10].
Jesus turned the tables on patriarchy.
Jesus spoke directly to women in public [Luke 7:12-13; 8:45; 13:10-16]. He engaged the lowly Samaritan woman at the well who became his first evangelist [John 4:1-26]. He affirmed learning theology as a priority for women over daily chores when he encouraged Martha to listen [Luke 10:38-42]. When a trap was laid for Jesus to condemn a woman to death for adultery, he instead forgave her as he famously turned to the crowd, “Let the one among you who is without sin be the first to throw a stone at her” [John 8:1-11].
Hebrew scripture also offers many examples of women in practically every imaginable post: prophet, judge, negotiator; even a leader of a famous Exodus. Women are named throughout the New Testament as leaders in the early church, too. Phoebe was a deacon [Romans 16:1-2]; Priscilla evangelized and trained converts [Romans 16:3; Acts 18:26]; Phillip’s four daughters were prophets [Acts 21:9]; Euodia and Syntyche were pioneering evangelists [Phil. 4:2,3]; Junia was a likely apostle [Romans 16:7].
Even Paul’s characterization as a misogynist is refuted as he preached his first message to women in Macedonia [Acts 16:11-15]. He affirmed Priscilla as a friend and teacher [Romans 16:3] and endorsed women in powerful positions of leadership [Romans 16:1-2; Romans16:7]. Women were co-workers with Paul and appear to have been leaders of house churches—like Lydia [Acts 15:40], Chloe [I Corinthians 16:19], and Nympha [Col. 4:15]. Even his command that women be silent in church, taken in context, instructs how women were to pray and prophesy. [I Corinthians 14:34]
As women continued to be active in the life of the early Church, their standing posed a considerable threat to the old guard system which soon reasserted itself. Patriarchy took its firm hold in Christianity, which it maintains to this day.
Women are biologically inferior and their primary function is propagation. God created women for man’s pleasure and entertainment and her sexuality is a source of temptation and evil. When women forgo their natural role as the submissive helper of a male leader, society falls apart. The through line of patriarchy is this: the husband is superior and the wife is subordinate and that’s the way God means it to be.
There’s often-quoted scripture to back that up: “Let a woman learn in silence with all submissiveness I permit no woman to teach or have authority over a man; rather, she is to remain silent.” [1 Timothy 2: 11-12] “Wives, submit yourselves to your own husbands as you do to the Lord. For the husband is the head of the wife as Christ is the head of the church.” [Ephesians 5:22-24] Even though the preceding sentence calling for mutual respect gets left out—”Submit to one another out of reverence for Christ”— there’s no doubt, plenty of biblical themes uphold a system of oppressing women.
Patriarchy in Christianity seems to have gotten worse with time. St. Augustine taught the early church, that in a God-ordained Divine Order of Things, women are to be governed by men. Centuries later, St. Thomas Aquinas agreed and identified women as “defective and misbegotten.”
Fast-forward to contemporary theology and patriarchy remains widely asserted. In the early 1990s, for example, a Christian concept called complementarianism was popularized as a counterweight to patriarchy. This theological interpretation says men and women are equal in value, but they have different roles and responsibilities, particularly within the church and family. The result remains an accepted social order called patriarchy.
Concerns about today’s subordination of women in Christianity include physical and psychological abuse. In a firestorm of a finding, evangelical Christian men who never or sporadically attend church (it’s important to emphasize) are the most likely group—more than regular church-goers, secular men, or men in other religious groups—to abuse their wives. There are even some fringe Christian sects that believe beating and spanking their wives is a Christian duty.
More broadly, researchers who focus on wife abuse are extremely critical of the church for its “biblical principle” that compels women to obedience with biblical scripture and without question; and calls for men to dominate women and use guilt and shame as enforcement. Certainly by perpetuating the idea that women are innately evil or inferior, women are being set up for mental, emotional, and even physical harm.
Christians are told, “There is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus” [Galatians 3:28]. Yet half the world’s population is female and they remain second class citizens, exploited, trafficked, denied equal access to jobs, pay, and healthcare. Patriarchy is a long-established system but perpetuating it is a choice. Christianity has the power to choose better. We can choose to stop holding back women and girls around the world with biblical justifications.
Voting is everyone's civic right and responsibility and our voting rights under attack. So make sure your voting rights have not been suspended without your knowledge and your voter registration is current. Check your state's registration deadline, and how to register, confirm, or update your voter registration here.
