So, the internets are all ablaze with this talk of John
Piper’s recent claim that “Christianity has a Masculine feel”, that he gave at
a recent conference. Now, lots of folks have chimed in on this, even big
hitters like Scot McKnight. Popular blogger Rachael Held Evans has had quite a
lively discussion flowing on her site, with the various parties going to and fro on
Piper’s views.
Which got me to thinking. One of my recent heroes is a
person that fits Piper’s description perfectly. This exemplar of “Masculine
Christianity” left a comfortable, affluent, upper class home in America and
gave up the possibilities of college, career and influence to move halfway
across the world and serve the poorest of the poor. And I thought, hmmm…I wonder how well this
masculine minister of mine fits Piper’s criteria. Fortunately for me, Piper
clearly listed 8 or so characteristics of the “masculine minister” so I didn’t
have to guess.
According to Piper:
What I mean by “masculine
Christianity,” or “masculine ministry,” or “Christianity with a masculine
feel,” is this: Theology and church and mission are marked by overarching godly
male leadership in the spirit of Christ, with an ethos of tender-hearted
strength, and contrite courage, and risk-taking decisiveness, and readiness to
sacrifice for the sake of leading, protecting, and providing for the
community—all of which is possible only through the death and resurrection of
Jesus. It’s the feel of a great, majestic God, who by his redeeming work in
Jesus Christ, inclines men to take humble, Christ-exalting initiative, and
inclines women to come alongside the men with joyful support, intelligent
helpfulness, and fruitful partnership in the work.
Tender hearted strength?
Check! …taking on responsibility for a whole village of orphans…and actually adopting 13 of them…that seems like tender hearted strength.
“contrite courage”?
well, if facing down a group of AK-47 toting murderer’s that are attempting to abduct boys to become child soldiers counts as courage…check.
well, if facing down a group of AK-47 toting murderer’s that are attempting to abduct boys to become child soldiers counts as courage…check.
“risk taking decisiveness”
hmm…lets see, giving up the privilege of comfort and affluence, and moving to one of the most dangerous places in the world to minister, where disease, war, famine, and death by creatures great and small is a constant threat…that looks like risk taking decisiveness to me.
hmm…lets see, giving up the privilege of comfort and affluence, and moving to one of the most dangerous places in the world to minister, where disease, war, famine, and death by creatures great and small is a constant threat…that looks like risk taking decisiveness to me.
“readiness to sacrifice for the sake of leading, protecting,
and providing for the community”
well, again, there’s the whole leaving every conception of “Success” behind and choosing to live with the poorest of the poor…taking every ounce of wisdom and thriftiness you have to provide food, medicine and safe water for an entire village… showing the local people improved ways of caring for themselves. Yup, seems to fit.
well, again, there’s the whole leaving every conception of “Success” behind and choosing to live with the poorest of the poor…taking every ounce of wisdom and thriftiness you have to provide food, medicine and safe water for an entire village… showing the local people improved ways of caring for themselves. Yup, seems to fit.
Piper’s additional list of 8 qualities includes such things
as courage, ruggedness and joyfulness:
- A masculine ministry brings out the more rugged aspects of
the Christian life and presses them on the conscience of the church with a
demeanor that accords with their proportion in Scripture.
- A masculine ministry takes up heavy and painful realities
in the Bible, and puts them forward to those who may not want to hear them.
- A masculine
ministry welcomes the challenges and costs of strong, courageous leadership
without complaint or self-pity with a view to putting in place principles and
structures and plans and people to carry a whole church into joyful
fruitfulness.
Here’s a painful
reality that Piper should consider:
As you probably guessed by now, my model of “masculine Christianity” is a girl; Katie Davis, and you MUST buy her book “Kisses from Katie”, or follow her blog on Amazima ministries.
As you probably guessed by now, my model of “masculine Christianity” is a girl; Katie Davis, and you MUST buy her book “Kisses from Katie”, or follow her blog on Amazima ministries.
Ya know, if she were a REAL christian, she would have married a guy who already does this. Then she could simply stay in the hut and support him by baking cookies for the orphans & Jesus. (As I understand it, Jesus is partial to chocolate chip.)
ReplyDeleteWhat irritates me so much about the likes of Piper (and Driscoll out in Oregon) is the reality that they really put themselves in a difficult position in regards to their rules on gender roles. When they are faced with women whom God has obviously and undeniably gifted, they must either permit them room to speak (which they often do - though they call it "sharing" rather than "teaching") or they must deny the gifts altogether (which they often do as well). They fail to see how unrelentingly condescending they are when they write ridiculous phrases such as “masculine Christianity,” or “masculine ministry,” or “Christianity with a masculine feel.” What if we just called it "following Jesus" regardless of our gender? What if we just left off all this stupid talk about gender altogether? What if we gave all people - regardless of whether or not they have penises or uterus's - the freedom to explore the gifts God has placed in them...what an idea that would be. Sometimes when I listen to these men I hear strutting little boys trying to prove how big they are - which is not very attractive Christianity at all.
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