Interesting conversation...thanks for sharing...a few thoughts...

There is what people claim the Bible says and then there is what it actually says.

In the past many have pulled various Scriptures out of context to establish the authority of a patriarchal society, but if you read what the Bible actually says what you will see is a leadership principle - mutual submission out of mutual respect. I'll elaborate in a minute.

The gender of God is deeper than female/male. God is neither. God is both. God is bigger than all that. In Psalms God is described as protecting people beneath the shadow of his wing. Two words to note in that statement, 'his' and 'wing'. The significance of the verse is not gender or that God is some kind of heavenly bird. It is an artistic attempt through the frailty of the spoken word to describe God's care for creation - for you and me.

The story of the fall has been used historically to establish male authority. But we should really read what it says. Authority isn't the point. Eve was deceived. That's not a statement of intelligence or significance. It's simply what happened. Adam willfully chose to do the wrong thing. Both are responsible for their choices. The effect for both, the same. Neither choice is better or worse than the other. Both are cautionary tales. Don't be deceived. Don't be rebellious. To teach it any other way is to misrepresent part of the purpose of the story.

Even a cursory reading of the New Testament shows that Jesus passionately worked to elevate the significance of woman in what was clearly a male dominated society. That male domination wan't unique to the Hebrew culture. It permeated the Roman and Greek culture as well. These are pagan cultures known for their multitude of gods and goddesses. Yes, there are verses in the Bible that say wives should submit to their husbands. But in the same passage of scripture it tells men to love their wives as Christ loves the church. Christ's love for people is clearly demonstrated. He gave up his authority as God to become human. He gave up his human right of freedom to become a servant of others. He gave up his reputation as someone accused of a crime he didn't commit. He gave up his life in order to secure salvation for you and me. Yup...I used a lot of gender specific words in that paragraph, but history shows that Jesus was male. That's not the point. Scripture tells wives to submit to their husbands. It tells husbands to love their wives as Christ loves the church. It's clear that Christ gave up everything for the benefit of the one's he loves. That's the instruction given to men. Give all that you have and all that you will be in service to your wife, even if it means losing your life. While these verses have been used to establish a teaching about authority, that's not really the point. When read together and in context a leadership principle is established - Mutual submission out of mutual respect.

That's the most common, most repeated leadership principle found in the Bible. How will you use who you are and what you have for the benefit of others?

The more interesting part of your argument isn't about the gender of God, but about the role literacy plays in a shift toward a patriarchal society. It begs the question - what's the alternative?

It seems disrespectful and counterintuitive to suggest that if only we were illiterate women would have more power. On the contrary nothing grows influence like intelligence, education and the ability to clearly articulate what one knows and feels with others. Your article is an example of this.

Thanks for the thought provoking article and for reading this long comment! I would love to hear more of your thoughts on how literacy affects gender roles.

THANKS, God bless,
Chad