Men and Women in the Church: A Short, Biblical, Practical Introduction

I’ve read several books on this topic but this was by far may favorite. Really well written.

DeYoung is very gracious with those whom he disagrees with. Love his books!

Biblical manhood and womanhood is under severe attack in our culture and the church today. With culture erasing the distinction between males and females, Christians affirming the interchangeability of men’s and women’s roles, God’s design for men and women has become one of the most pressing issues facing the church.In Men and Women in the Church: A Short, Biblical, Practical Introduction, Kevin DeYoung addresses this issue and explores God’s proper design and roles for men and women in the church and at home.DeYoung wrote this book to provide a short but comprehensive survey of biblical texts about men and women. He says, “In simplest terms, this book is about the divinely designed complementarity of men and women as it applies to life in general and especially to ministry in the church.” It is an updated version of his previous out-of-print book, Freedom, and Boundaries: A Pastoral Primer on the Role of Women in the Church.The book has two primary parts. In the first part, titled Biblical Exploration, DeYoung surveys the Old Testament and gospels and explains their teachings about women and men. Afterward, he addresses some of the most controversial passages in the New Testament. In the second part, titled Questions and Applications, DeYoung answers common objections to complementarianism. Then he gives a few applications points for following Christ and raising children according to God’s design.This is the first book I have read on biblical manhood and womanhood, and I enjoyed it a lot. It is easy to read and addresses all the essential points of this topic. Albeit, it is a bit too short and could have been a tad more detailed.I appreciated DeYoung’s careful and gracious approach to controversial texts, his clear explanations, and faithfulness to Scripture. I didn’t agree with everything he says in the book, notably on head covering. DeYoung says that although the principle behind head covering is for today (authority and submission), the practice itself is cultural. Consequently, it can be replaced by something like a wedding ring. I can’t entirely agree with his interpretation and conclusion as I believe head covering—principle and practice—is still for today. But this is, of course, a highly debated issue.Besides this little sticking point, I loved Men and Women in the Church, and I heartily recommend it. It gives solid straightforward teaching on biblical roles of men and women, and it is an excellent introduction to biblical complementarianism.Crossway publishers graciously gave me a copy and this is my honest review.

I was recommended to read this book from a pastor friend after facing some questions about the roles of men and women in the church. I find this book very biblical, clarifying, and guiding for any one searching for answers related to the topic of men and women in the church

Very well written defense of the complimentarian biblical worldview. Good balance of theological conviction and grace-filled wording. There is a clear path from scripture to practical implications throughout the book. The content is academically rich without being overly heady - making it a good book for an introduction into the gender role conversation but still helpful for people who are familiar with the topic. If you are looking for a comparison between the complimentarian and egalitarian views, this book is a little light on that content. When comparisons are made, the author is generous and fair to the opposing arguments (particularly in the appendix). This book is a fairly quick read and you will walk away with a concise and clear understanding of the complimentarian side of the conversation.

This will be my recommended book for others on the topic of Women in Ministry/Church. It will also serve as a reminder for me as I move forward in life. Others who claim the complementarian title tend to skirt around teaching and authority and label it as, "authoritative doctrinal teaching" while permitting other forms of teaching or hierarchal structure that seem awful close to teaching in an unbiblical manner or holding spiritual authority over men. There is of course a ton of context and nuance to consider. Kevin does an excellent job of parsing through the scripture/questions/objections/confusion. I recommend this book to anyone wrestling with the topic. It may help provide the clarity you have been hard-pressed to find elsewhere.

Although there is good exegesis and good points in the book, in the area of women preaching God's Word, especially as he outlines in the Appendix, I find way too narrow. The book he mentions there on the use of the word "teacher" I find to be a poor argument for women preaching/teaching God's Word, a reaching for a justification that is already given clearly in other portions of Scripture. I don't think he has, in considering 1 Tim. 2:12, fully interacted with many of those other portions of Scripture, or even culture. Proper hermeneutics requires that. Just one example is Prisca and Aquila instructing Apollos. To think Prisca (who is named first) could instruct Apollos, a brilliant man "mighty in the Scriptures", and then not be capable of or allowed to speak publicly herself, is a tunnel-visioned stretch. One would never list Prisca first if she never spoke. The authority is in God's Word, not her personhood. Even as a complementarian I find that demeaning and unsupported by Scripture. So, considering examples like this, it behooves us to consider what 1 Tim. 2:12 might really be addressing in light of this and other passages about women. Other authors do dig into that.

The author goes through some really, really tricky passages and explains them in an honest and accessible way. If anyone wants to have a serious think through some of these controversial areas and emerge much better informed, this book will be a very good place to start.

A young man from church recommended this book by Kevin DeYoung. The book is a passionate patriotic appeal for a positive celebration of the workaholic church leader. DeYoung reassures the reader that he speaks for God and the book is intentionally a persuasive sales pitch, with folksy sayings and salesmen language. It is not surprising that this feel-good book was highly praised by this young man.DeYoung states that he is selling a version of complementary role theory that some peers object to. He begins with his marriage with nine children. He equates role with career: he works in the church, because that is his male role. His wife raises the children, as her female role. Anyone who questioned his decision to not parent was questioning “the ordering of the entire cosmos” and threatening the existence of “the gospel”. The book, rather than being about men and women in the church, appears to be about a father trying to come to terms with the contradictory demands of family and career. Complementary role theory justifies church leaders putting career over family, fulfilling a calling to a divine destiny. Unless church leaders act in this way, Christianity will fail. He argues that this applies to the work-life balance of all males, even when not a church leader.He defines the role of a man as both doing all leadership and doing all service (or following), leaving it unclear what is left for a woman’s role. He draws a distinction between career authority and general authority, that the woman has authority but she has no job position mandated by God. Thus, a woman’s role is whatever activities the career-oriented man is not interested in doing (here, raising the children).DeYoung states that is book may not be very good. Indeed, the book is very poor quality. It is full of imaginative speculations, flawed reasoning, factual errors, confirmation bias and manipulative language. The book demonstrates poor interpretation, regardless of the subject. I expect more quality from DeYoung, who has a Ph.D., as we look to him as an authority.I once spoke with a professor who spent so much time at the university that, on retirement, he realized he was a stranger to his children and it grieved him. I bought a copy of this book because it is a provides a cautionary tale. There are better and more conventional books on complementary role theory.