Recommended books

Finally, a comprehensive scholarly book from the egalitarian position! I have been in academic circles and egalitarian circles and I had not heard that this new book is out! It is Discovering Biblical Equality: Complementarity Without Hierarchy. Its general editors are Ronald W. Pierce and Rebecca Merrill Groothuis and its contributing editor is Gordon Fee and it is publicized by InterVarsity Press, 2005.

For years, I have had people asking me what to read on the issue of gender equality. I have been distributing to them chapters from Gordon Fee’s Listening to the Spirit in the Text and an article by F.F. Bruce. My wife and I have also been recommending Gender and Grace, Craig Keener’s book, and William Webb’s book. There is also a good Two Views book and another good one with Four Views for people who like to read point and counterpoint. On the popular level, we have recommended Gretchen Gaebelein Hull’s book to people who are exploring the issue because it is good and does not contain a trace of bitterness.

But I am thrilled to have Discovering Biblical Equality. It is great to have a book written by excellent scholars on all the major issues from an egalitarian viewpoint. This is the book that will be the classic of the evangelical egalitarian position. It is the one that we can be proud of in academic circles. It is contemporary, doesn’t overstate the case, and solid. Yeah! I can’t believe that everyone at the conference wasn’t urged to get it! This should be on the CBE homepage for the next year and should be mailed to every seminary and Christian college library in the world. We have got to do our part to get this book into the hands of academics, pastors and laypeople.

– Andy