Taking a Reading Day

 I found myself exhausted today, so my feet are up and reading (it's hard to accept this need when one has a type A personality). My choice, before going off to work on some writing, is The Making of Biblical Womanhood. 

It is a controversial book, I'll leave it at that. My reading it is not an endorsement or agreement. But it did make me stop, reflect, and, as one of my doctoral professors said, interrogate. The context was that, according to Barr, in evangelical circles, a woman can't justify her ministry unless she is first and clearly a wife and mother.  

I have to agree with that ethos existing, at least in white, northern European, middle-class versions of evangelicalism that tend toward Reformed theology. It is not the case with people of color (or very much less so) or churches that tend toward Wesleyan theology. 

My daughter-in-law is Hispanic and ordained in the Church of God, case in point. 

But since I exist in the aforementioned white, northern European, middle-class versions of evangelicalism that tend toward Reformed theology, I find myself guilty of that justification. My case in point, this blog, and my description: She is a follower of Christ, mom, friend, officer in Toastmasters International, writing mentor, and dog owner. (I used to have wife there, and probably should replace it because it is still true.) And I should probably take off everything after "friend," since they are hardly equal to the first three. 

I feel I had to put the "mom" in there to justify something, I fear. I don't. It's almost as if I use that status to some kind of professional advantage, when it has nothing to do with my ability to write, teach, or lead. 

Wow, that was harsh. Sorry.  Take care.