Blogger Explores Biblical Womanhood (literally following Bible's instructions for women)

Inside Catholic ^ | October 25, 2010 | Zoe Romanowsky

[NYer]

Rachel Held Evans, a Christian writer and blogger in Tennessee, has taken on an interesting new project. For one year, she has committed to following all of the Bible's instructions for women as literally as she can. Don't worry, she's not including polygamy (and a few other things) -- but pretty much everything else is on the table:

This means, among other things, rising before dawn each day (Proverbs 31:15), submitting to my husband (Colossians 3:18), growing out my hair (1 Corinthians 11:15), making my own clothes, (Proverbs 31:22),  learning how to cook (Titus 2:3-5), covering my head when in prayer (1 Corinthians 11:5), calling Dan “master” (1 Peter 3:5-6), caring for the poor (Proverbs 31:25), nurturing a gentle and quiet spirit (1 Peter 3:4), and camping out in the backyard for the duration of my monthly period (Leviticus 15:19-33).

Evans began all this on October 1, 2010, and will be writing bits and piece on her blog along the way. The full scope of her experience will become a book, tentatively titled Biblical Womanhood, to be published by Thomas Nelson:

In addition to sharing my own experiences, I’ll be interviewing modern-day women incorporating ancient practices into their own lives—a polygamist, a conservative Mennonite, an Orthodox Jew, a Quiverfull mom, a “stay-at-home daughter,” and more. I’ve done lots of research, combing through feminist, complementarian, and egalitarian commentaries, and actively seeking out Jewish, Catholic, and Protestant perspectives on each issue. And of course I’ve read the Bible, cover to cover, isolating and examining every verse I can find about mothers, daughters, sisters, wives, widows, queens, and prophetesses.  

Evans says her project is meant to start a conversation about what biblical womanhood means, and she welcomes others' ideas, stories, opinions -- and even recipes.

[NYer]

From Rachel's blog:

The Biblical Woman's Ten Commandments

1. Thou shalt submit to thy husband’s will in all things. (Genesis 3:16, Titus 2:5, 1 Peter 3:1, Ephesians 5:22, 1 Corinthians 11:3, Colossians 3:18)
2. Thou shalt devote thyself to the duties of the home. (Proverbs 14:1, Proverbs 31:10-31, I Timothy 5:14, Titus 2:4-5). 
3. Thou shalt mother. (Genesis 1:28, I Timothy 5:14, Psalm 127: 3-5, Psalm 128:3, Proverbs 31:3-5.) 
4. Thou shalt have a gentle and quiet spirit. (I Peter 3:3-4, Proverbs 11:22, Proverbs 19:13, Proverbs, Proverbs 21:9, Proverbs 27:15-16, Titus 2:3-5, 1 Timothy 2:22, 1 Timothy 3:11) 
5. Thou shalt dress modestly. (Genesis 24:65, Deuteronomy 22:5, 1 Timothy 2:8-10, 1 Peter 3:3). 
6. Thou shalt cover thy head when in prayer. (1 Corinthians 11:3-16)
7. Thou shalt not cut thy hair. (1 Corinthians 11:15) 
8. Thou shalt not teach in church. (I Corinthians 14:33-35, 1 Timothy 2:11-12)
9. Thou shalt not gossip. (Numbers 12:1-10, Proverbs 26:20,  I Timothy 5:13, 1 Timothy 3:14) 
10. Thou shalt not have authority over a man. (I Timothy 2:12)

[HungarianGypsy]

Number 9 will be difficult. Whenever we speak of someone to another person it might be considered gossip.

[Melas]

Camping out in the back yard during her period? Sorry, this is nuttery in its purest form.

[InspectorGadget]

kinda seems like Islam-lite

[SkyDancer]

Since we’re under Grace and not the OT laws that leaves just the NT ‘rules’ which mainly dealt with how women should act in church - ask your questions at home. My question is: where’s the rules for men? And yes, it reads very Islamic.

[r9etb]

Just in case you were wondering....

[humblegunner]

Blogger Explores

You lost me right there.

Next week, she'll break the story about cuttlefish attacking Malaysian orphans.

Blogs are 99% garbage.

[ArrogantBustard]

I observe that her “ten commandments” all have New Testament references.

[r9etb]

Camping out in the back yard during her period? Sorry, this is nuttery in its purest form.

Well, maybe ... but that's what women did, back in Biblical times. They were unclean, you see....

[DWar]

Throughout history much evil has been justified both because of the failure to understand the cultural context of the people to which the original message was written and also because of the failure to understand when the message is to be taken more literally.

[SkyDancer]

Read Rachel’s post ... that’s what I was referring to ... sorry I didn’t refer to that particular one ....

[Sherman Logan]

Islam’s treatment of women is much closer to the OT than our present customs are.

[cake_crumb]

We point out frequently that the problem with Islamists is their inability to leave the 7th Century, which is when Islam began. Not sure what positive contribution taking Christianity back 2000 years will make.

[married21]

Reminds me of the Pharisees who follow all the little requirements and miss the big picture. If this to-do list helps her love God and love her neighbor noticeably better, ok. But if it’s just a check-list that makes her feel like she’s “doing it right” as a believer, she’s missing the point.

[netmilsmom]

>>Camping out in the back yard during her period? Sorry, this is nuttery in its purest form.<<

I knew that one day I would see a blessing in that Hysterectomy!

[presently no screen name]

Another rightly dividing The Word or it can lead to falsehood.

Paul had just told the Corinthians in the previous verse to be followers of him . He used himself as an example and urged compliance with his instructions because of his authority as their apostle. Now he praises them for following his ordinances and begins to point them back to Christ.

Because he had invoked his apostolic authority and urged the people to follow him, he was concerned that some might place their commitment to him above their commitment to Christ. To avoid this misunderstanding, Paul stresses that the head of every man is Christ. He was not teaching blind obedience to himself. They were to follow Paul only to the degree that he followed Christ . Anyone who preaches total obedience to any leader other than Jesus is not following Paul’s teaching and will always lead people into error and bondage.

Paul’s point is that Christ always has ultimate authority in the life of the believer. To make this point, Paul uses a CUSTOM that was prevalent in his day as an illustration.

Sadly, many people have focused on the illustration and forgotten the point. Paul is not teaching on the proper length of hair and the veiling of women. He is illustrating that Christ is the head of the Church.

These verses should not be used to argue the length of hair and the wearing of veils. He was simply making a point. In verse 16, he clearly states that if anyone wants to argue about these things, there is no such custom in the churches of God (see note 14 at v.16, p. 920). The length of hair and women wearing veils was not an issue to Paul.
—Andrew Wommack’s Living Commentary

[DouglasKC]

If a woman has long hair then that's her covering. I don't know why they don't get this.

1Co 11:13 Judge among yourselves. Is it proper for a woman to pray to God with her head uncovered?
1Co 11:14 Does not even nature itself teach you that if a man has long hair, it is a dishonor to him?
1Co 11:15 But if a woman has long hair, it is a glory to her; for her hair is given to her for a covering.

[netmilsmom]

I would NEVER want to be like her. From her blog...

So I suppose that technically I am an evangelical Christian. I follow Jesus Christ. I think a personal commitment to faith is important. I read the Bible regularly.

However, I consistently find myself in awkward situations among my fellow evangelicals, mainly because of these 13 habits:

1. The word “inerrancy” makes my scalp itch

2. Sometimes I vote for democrats

3. When the kids choir sings about Joshua and the Battle of Jericho, I lean over to my husband and whisper something about genocide, drawing harsh stares from parents

4. I’ve never read The Purpose Driven Life

5. I think the earth is 4.5 billion years old

6. When we’re stuck in traffic because there’s been an awful wreck up ahead and somebody says, “Wow, God definitely had his hand on us when we left five minutes late this morning,” I ask, “But what about the people in the wreck? Did God not have his hand on them?” (I think it is this impulse that most often puts me at odds with evangelicalism…and Christianity in general)

7. I ask a lot of annoying questions

8. I have issues with authority

9. Since discovering The Book of Common Prayer, the evangelical tradition of “popcorn prayer” sends me into a complete panic

10. As a woman, I’ve been nursing a secret grudge against the Apostle Paul for about eight years

11. I support gay rights

12. Occasionally I have nightmares about Sarah Palin becoming president

[allmendream]

Well she has to go somewhere when she is “unclean”, because if she is laying around the house, her husband might wish to lay with her, and then he would be exiled from the People!

I sure hope that law was superseded/fulfilled, or I am in trouble hanging out in society instead of being exiled! ;)