Complementarianism

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Part of a series on Christianity and Gender

Theology

Christian views about women Christian Egalitarianism Complementarianism Women in the Bible Image of God

Church and Society

Ordination of women Roman Catholic Womenpriests Christian feminism Christianity and homosexuality

Organizations

Council on Biblical Manhood and Womanhood Christians for Biblical Equality Evangelical and Ecumenical Women's Caucus

Theologians and authors

Feminist: Letha Dawson Scanzoni · Anne Eggebroten · Virginia Ramey Mollenkott Egalitarian: William J. Webb · Kenneth E. Hagin · Gordon Fee · Frank Stagg · Paul Jewett · Stanley Grenz · Roger Nicole Complementarian: Don Carson · John Frame · Wayne Grudem · Douglas Moo · Paige Patterson · John Piper · Vern Poythress

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Complementarianism is a term used to describe a conservative theological view held by many in Christianity and other world religions that men and women have different roles and responsibilities, as manifested in marriage, religious leadership, and elsewhere.

Though the notion is found in other religions, this article focuses mainly on how certain Christian groups understand their anthropological theology to require a complementarian view of gender. Complementarianism is a more moderate view than historical hierarchical tenets prescribing a male priority on religious grounds.

The term is derived from the hermeneutical hypothesis that men and women are designed to complement or complete each other on the basis of their gender. The opposing viewpoint is Egalitarianism which maintains that women and men should share equal authority and responsibility in marriage, and have equal leadership opportunities in religion and elsewhere.

Contents 1 The Complementarian position 1.1 Roles in marriage 1.2 Roles in the Church 1.2.1 Roman Catholic nuns 2 Complementarian advocates 3 Other religions 4 References and notes 5 See also 6 External links

[edit] The Complementarian position

Complementarianism holds that "God has created men and women equal in their essential dignity and human personhood, but different and complementary in function with male headship in the home and in the Church."^[1]

The Roman Catholic Church and Eastern Orthodox Church both advocate complementarianism with regards to the social doctrine of the Church.^{[citation needed]}

[edit] Roles in marriage

The complementarian view of marriage maintains gender-based roles and a husband-headship structure in marriage.^[2] A husband is considered to have the God-given responsibility to provide for, protect, and lead his family, while a wife is to collaborate with her husband, respect him, and serve as his helper in managing the household and nurturing the next generation. Complementarians assert that the Bible instructs husbands to lovingly lead their families and to love their wives as Christ loves the Church, and instructs wives to respect their husbands’ leadership out of reverence for Christ.^[3][4]

A more detailed statement of the Complementarian view of marriage appears in Southern Baptist Convention's Baptist Faith and Message (2000):

The husband and wife are of equal worth before God, since both are created in God's image. The marriage relationship models the way God relates to his people. A husband is to love his wife as Christ loved the church. He has the God-given responsibility to provide for, to protect, and to lead his family. A wife is to submit herself graciously to the servant leadership of her husband even as the church willingly submits to the headship of Christ. She, being in the image of God as is her husband and thus equal to him, has the God-given responsibility to respect her husband and to serve as his helper in managing the household and nurturing the next generation.

– Article XVIII. The Family. Baptist Faith and Message 2000^[5]

The Council on Biblical Manhood and Womanhood teaches that "Christ is the supreme authority and guide for men and women, so that no earthly submission-domestic, religious, or civil-ever implies a mandate to follow a human authority into sin."^[6]

The expression Sponsa Christi is sometimes used by complementarians, who note that Paul of Tarsus himself advocated such views. Accordingly, the Christ symbolizes the man, while the Church (Ecclesia) represents the woman.

[edit] Roles in the Church

Complementarians view women's roles in ministry, particularly in church settings, as limited on the basis of their interpretation of certain scriptures.^{[citation needed]} The complementarian view holds that women may not appropriately hold church leadership roles that involve teaching or authority over men.^[7] For instance, the president of a large conservative denomination has written that "...while both men and women are gifted for service in the church, the office of Pastor is limited to men as qualified by Scripture."^[2][8] The Council on Biblical Manhood and Womanhood holds that “[i]n the church, redemption in Christ gives men and women an equal share in the blessings of salvation; nevertheless, some governing and teaching roles within the church are restricted to men (Gal 3:28; 1 Cor 11:2-16; 1 Tim 2:11-15).”^[9] Some believe that women should be ordained neither as a pastor nor as an evangelist, while others believe that it is acceptable for women to be evangelists but not pastors.^[10]

[edit] Roman Catholic nuns

Complementarians would not support placing women in leadership roles in the church or family that would imply or provide some authority over men. Which other specific ministry roles are open to women varies among complementarians.^[2]

However, Roman Catholic complementarianism has generally advocated for the role of women as teachers, mothers and nuns. Some traditionally Roman Catholic countries have been called matriarchal because of the high value that was placed on women. There are numerous nuns who have been beatified and who are venerated among the saints.

[edit] Complementarian advocates

Complementarianism is promoted by the Council on Biblical Manhood and Womanhood. Groups of churches that broadly support this position include some members of the Southern Baptist Convention,^[2] the Presbyterian Church of America, the Anglican Diocese of Sydney, Conservative Mennonites, Newfrontiers, the Dutch Reformed Church, and Sovereign Grace Ministries, among others. A moderate form of complementarianism is espoused by the Calvary Chapel movement.

Noted theologians and Christian thinkers who support the Complementarian position include men such as Wayne Grudem, Albert Mohler, Mark Dever, Mark Driscoll, C. J. Mahaney, Adrian Rogers, Richard Land, Ligon Duncan, Terry Virgo, John F. MacArthur, and John Piper.

[edit] Other religions

Limitations of women's roles on the basis of religious beliefs are not unique to conservative Christianity or Western culture.^[11] For example, Arab American women of Jewish, Muslim, Christian, and other religions are socialized to be supportive of their husbands' role in the family hierarchy. Their roles are said to "complement" the roles of men, and their status and power in a family are derived from that of males. Within Islam, "a tension exists between the egalitarian view that believers are judged on the basis of merit and the inegalitarian view that women and men should fulfill distinct, complementary roles in the family and society" (p. 211).^[11]

[edit] References and notes

[edit] See also

• Christian views about women
• Christian views of marriage
• Ordination of women
• Council on Biblical Manhood and Womanhood
• Christian egalitarianism (opposing view)

[edit] External links

• Council on Biblical Manhood and Womanhood (CBMW)
• Equal but Different
• International Council for Gender Studies (ICGS)
• Christians for Biblical Equality—Biblical dissenting views of gender-based discrimination