Stanley Grenz And Feminist Theology -- By: Stephen D. Kovach

Journal: Journal for Biblical Manhood and Womanhood
Volume: JBMW 02:5 (Dec 1997)
Article: Stanley Grenz And Feminist Theology
Author: Stephen D. Kovach


Stanley Grenz And Feminist Theology

Stephen D. Kovach

Feminist Ideology, Defective Theological Method Lead To Egalitarian Conclusions

Stanley J. Grenz, Professor Of Theology and ethics at Regent College in Vancouver, B.C., seeks to gain broad approval for his writings in both evangelical and non-evangelical circles by voicing his appreciation of others’ viewpoints and by stating his conclusions in ways that are less than entirely unambiguous. While his position on several issues, despite his numerous books and articles, can be gauged only with difficulty, his egalitarian views have recently been set forth quite clearly in Women in the Church (co-authored with Denise Muir Kjesbo, 1995). The publication of this work was followed by a journal article that explains the theological method by which Grenz arrives at his egalitarian conclusions. The article, entitled “Anticipating God’s New Community: Theological Foundations for Women in Ministry,” seeks to provide a theological foundation for Grenz’s belief that “women and men ought to be full partners at every level of Church life, including within the ordained ministry.”1

In the following essay, we will attempt to examine the theological foundation of Grenz’s egalitarian views. Some evangelicals judge Grenz’s approach to the role of women in the church to be irenic and helpful. However, as will be seen, Grenz frequently misrepresents the complementarian position on biblical manhood and womanhood. What is more, his argument in the above mentioned article can be shown to suffer from substantial leaps in logic that invalidate the egalitarian conclusions Grenz derives from his adduced evidence.

Specifically, the present article will expose the flaws of Grenz’s theological method in his effort to justify women’s functioning at all levels of ministry as it pertains to the doctrines of God, creation, and the church. In conclusion, we will provide observations on how Christians can identify the theological flaws frequently plaguing egalitarian arguments.

A Flawed Theological Method: Misrepresentations And Faulty Logic

At the outset of his article, Grenz refrains from any exegesis of the biblical texts regarding women in ministry, contending that an undue emphasis on interpreting the relevant biblical texts has led to an impasse in the current debate. Instead of focusing on Scripture directly, Grenz suggests that theology, more broadly defined, will help us come to proper (that is, egalitarian) conclusions. One may ask how theology can be done without looking at specific texts if the Bible is considered to be one’s sole and final authority of faith and practice. Apparently undaunted by such concerns, however, Grenz launches into a discussion of ...

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