Beyond Sex Roles: What the Bible Says About a Woman's Place in Church and Family

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Summary: haha.....
Review: christians are so funny! they seem to truely and completely believe the most nonsensical and obsurd tales in the world. Adam and Eve? You've got to be joking. It is scientifically proven that the first human being was a female. Sorry guys. Looks like your basic belief just crumbled.

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Summary: do your research
Review: Do your homework, and read what the other side has to say. As Prov 18:17 tells us, "The first to present his case seems right, till another comes forward and questions him." VERY true.

There has been a strong attempt to "revise" the plain meaning of Scripture to make it different than it is. If you do NOT read up on this issue, but ONLY read the new "let's FIX the Bible" side, you can be deceived.

READ THIS, twice over: "Recovering Biblical Manhood and Womanhood: A Response to Evangelical Feminism"
edited by John Piper and Wayne Grudem

THIS WOMAN'S VIEW: "Women and the Word of God: A Response to Biblical Feminism" by Susan T. Foh

"The Excellent Wife: A Biblical Perspective"
by Martha Peace

"Me? Obey Him?: The Obedient Wife and God's Way of Happiness and Blessing in the Home" by Elizabeth Rice Handford

"The Surrendered Wife : A Practical Guide to Finding Intimacy, Passion, and Peace with Your Man" by Laura Doyle

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Summary: There is no better examination of the Bible on this issue.
Review: Dr. Bilezikian looks at all the passages of Scripture that deal with the issue of Women's roles. Starting with creation and the desired relationship men and women were intended to have. The results of the fall to that relationship. How Jesus and the New Testament Church are intended to restore the created order.

Not only through the examination of the texts but through confronting actual current interpertations of those texts, Bilezikian provides a challenging and indicting examination of the current belief held by many conservative or fundemental Christians. Bilezikian remains Faithful to the orthodox Christian Faith and unwavering in the belief of the Authority of scripture, which make his book a must read no matter what you believe concerning this issue.

But be forwarned this will challenge your beliefs and may cause you to change your outlook or confirm what in your heart you have known to be true.

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Summary: Biblical background for today's issues.
Review: I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book. Bilezikian gives very thorough biblical background to the history of famous and lesser-known women in the Hebrew Bible. He writes a very methodical book beginning with God's creation design, through the Fall, the Old Covenant, and into God's new covenant with mankind through his gift of Jesus Christ, his son. The thing that I liked most about this book was the format that Bilezikian uses. I like the way he will focus on one verse at a time, and then give mini-lessons that pertain to the context, content, and interpretation of the verse in relation to the bigger picture. After hearing so much about some people's beliefs of the place of a woman in the church and family, it was very good to hear a more egalitarian belief with biblical references and scripture to back it up. I would highly recommend this book to anyone struggling with issues of women's place in today's society.

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Summary: Comprehensive Biblical Review of Female/Male Equality
Review: This book convincingly demonstrates that God NEVER INTENDED gender-specific roles in the family or church. Bilezikian righty spends a lot of space explaining how God created women and men to be equal in authority and opportunities, and how human sin changed that. He also illustrates how God used many, many women of the Bible in exactly the same way men were used. I especially appreciated his sections on the high visibility of women in Jesus' ministry and in the New Testament church.

Especially if you believe that women and men have God-given roles, and consequently that women are excluded from some, then you should read this book. It's pervasive use of Scripture is it's strongest asset.

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Summary: Truth will set you free!
Review: When I first picked up this book, I expected a scholarly, thoughtful examination of the issue of women in the church. What I discovered was an incredible study of God's Word, sweeping me from the perfection of Creation, through the tragedy of the Fall, to the recovery of perfection for all of us ("...slave nor free, male nor female...") through the power of the Jesus Christ. More than a "good read," this book provides the open-hearted reader with a spiritual experience.