Journal: Eikon
Volume: EIKON 05:1 (Spring 2023)
Article: Neglecting The Whole Story: A Response To Mimi Haddad, “Human Flourishing”
Author: Sharon James

Eikon 5.1 (Spring 2023) p. 124

Neglecting The Whole Story: A Response To Mimi Haddad, “Human Flourishing”

Sharon James

Dr. Sharon James works as Social Policy Analyst for The Christian Institute, UK. She has written many books, including her latest, Gender Ideology: What do Christians Need to Know? For more information about her ministry, visit www.sharonjames.org.

Summary

The thirtieth chapter of Discovering Biblical Equality opens with the statement, “The face of poverty, illiteracy, disease, starvation, and abuse is predominantly female” (620). Mimi Haddad then comments on gender-based violence and asserts that “patriarchy is increasingly viewed as one of the most malicious and debilitating forces in history” (621). She offers a selection of evidence for this statement from a variety of locations across the world. She comments, variously, on gender pay gaps, abuse uncovered in the Southern Baptist Convention, abuses such as female genital mutilation and early marriage, lack of educational opportunities for females, sexual harassment, the #MeToo movement, and the violence associated with pornography. Haddad concludes that human flourishing is horribly diminished due to the authority and dominance of men, which has been

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reinforced by cultural and religious teaching. The “toxic force of patriarchy” (624) has prevailed throughout history and expresses itself in violence toward women across the globe today. The “ubiquitous presence of patriarchy . . . shields perpetrators, obstructs justice and demeans survivors.” God’s ideal is “shared governance of men and women,” which is also the “bedrock of human flourishing” (634).

Critical Evaluation

The presuppositions of modern feminism frame Haddad’s discussion throughout her chapter. Any role distinctions between men and women are viewed as evidence of oppression.

Since mankind’s fall into sin, too often men have used their superior physical strength to exploit women. Sadly,

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sometimes the Bible has been wrongly used to justify abuse. But God created men and women with equal dignity and significant differences. We only uphold the true interests of both sexes when both facts are respected. Any supposed “remedies” for injustice, however well-intentioned, that undermine the truth of God’s Word and the truths found in creation, always make things worse.

1. Haddad’s Chapter Fails To Deal With Global Perspectives On Human Flourishing From A Biblical Foundation.

A biblical discussion of human flourishing has to be based on the conviction that the Creator God prov...