Books I Read So You Don't Have To | Part 1
Part 1: An Opening Defense
A Chaotic World
It has been said before and will likely continue to be said: we live in a confused world. Of course, confusion and chaos has been a category since the Fall, but it seems as though we have entered into a new era of confusion—what Carl Trueman has dubbed the “Strange New World.”
Our society is filled with and led by men and women who don’t know what a man or a woman is. Our school and city libraries contain books aimed at our children promoting promiscuity, homosexuality, and what could rightly be branded pornography. We have detached ourselves from any conception of objective morality and truth, and the result has not been freedom, but tyranny. Up is down, down is up. Like I said—confusion.
One thing that is true of the human condition is that when there is disorder, there will be attempts to bring order to that disorder. A culture and society that is marked by disorientation will look for guidance from sages, prophets, and truth-tellers. And there will always be willing Conditioners who are ready and able to fill that void and tell you what is good, true, and beautiful according to their preferences. It should be no surprise to us that the root of this chaos is a rejection of a transcendent, holy, and glorious God. It really is Christ or chaos, and mankind has a white-knuckle grip on the steering wheel headed toward the latter.
Teachers Who Itch Ears
So in this confusion, who are some of the sources we turn to for guidance in the fog? The options really are limitless—scientists, politicians, cultural elites, etc. But what about the church? A part of the frustration that many Christians have felt is that in a time of such evident confusion, church leaders have remained silent. Many pastors have decided that it is not in their job description to be experts on politics, CRT, gender theory, etc. They are called to study God’s word … and that’s it. Others are fearful of the blowback that will come whenever you take any stance, not wanting to alienate or offend.
While well-meaning, the result of such stances has left the flocks of American churches totally exposed. And when there is a resulting void, people will turn to someone to help them navigate these confusing times.
Paul could see this coming. This chaotic world is not a 21st century phenomenon, but a universal human one. And in 2 Timothy 4, immediately after earnestly commanding Timothy to preach the word above all else, he gives this reason:
For the time is coming when people will not endure sound teaching, but having itching ears they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own passions, and will turn away from listening to the truth and wander off into myths.
—2 Timothy 4:3–4
At Emmaus Road Church, one of our core convictions is our complementarian view of manhood and womanhood. We believe that God has made men and women equal in worth but different in design and duty—and these differences are good and glorious. When men and women live in accordance with these creational realities, families are created, kingdoms and cultures are built, and people flourish. But in our modern age, our society will not endure such sound teaching. And it is a growing theme within the church itself to turn away from such perceived bigotry and follow the new relevant thought leaders into myths that suit the passions of the day. As Lewis says, modern society is attempting to remove the organ of God-designed sexual differences yet demand the function of human flourishing.
This is dangerous.
The Plan
We want to chart a different course—not a new course, but an ancient course, a biblical course. We want to be clear about what we believe. Over the next 3 posts, I will be posting book reviews of 3 books that I read so that you don’t have to. These books range in their tone, approach, and content, but all are attempting to make the case that a complementarian view of men and women (often dubbed “The Patriarchy” ... scare quotes intended) is dangerous and has been the means by which the church has subjugated women throughout history. The 3 books I will be reviewing are as follows:
Recovering from Biblical Manhood and Womanhood, by Aimee Byrd
The Making of Biblical Womanhood, by Beth Allison Barr
Jesus & John Wayne, by Kristin Kobes Du Mez
The aim in reading and reviewing these books is not to defame and discredit these authors, but rather to be like the Bereans who examined Paul’s words according to the Scriptures to see if they were true (Acts 17:11). That should be our goal in all that we do. We do not believe things because they are trendy or useful or socially accepted—we must believe things because they are true according to the objective standard of God’s word.
The goal of any pursuit is to take all thoughts captive to obey Christ. May that be true of Emmaus Road Church.