Patriarchy
Since this month has seen my blog feature two controversial Ps - politics and the pill - I might as well continue the theme. Patriarchy is one of those words that seem to arouse strong emotions, centrally because feminists have consistently conjured up images of wife beating and other forms of abusive behaviour. Yet as Russell Moore says “We must remember that ‘evangelical’ is also a negative term in many contexts. We must allow the patriarchs and apostles themselves, not the editors of Playboy or Ms. Magazine, to define the grammar of our faith.” Biblical patriarchy is far better for women and for society than the rhetoric of feminism would indicate. It is more about servant leadership than abusive despotism. As Moore says, "a biblical view of male headship and gender roles actually protect against spousal and child abuse because it does not posit male privilege, but instead demands male responsibility."
I do not have time to write a lot about this topic right now. However, I would like to recommend several articles.
The article that reports on Russell Moore's views "Many evangelicals unwittingly live as feminists" is well worth reading for its refutation of common myths, analysis of current Christian trends, and explanation of how this topic is connected to our understanding of God's character.
Albert Mohler has also written a facinating article about The Return of Patriarchy? Fatherhood and the Future of Civilization. Here is an excerpt:
"Will the world soon experience a return of patriarchy? That is the question raised by Phillip Longman in the current issue of Foreign Policy.
The magazine's cover features a rather stunning headline: "Why Men Rule--and Conservatives Will Inherit the Earth." That headline would be surprising in almost any contemporary periodical, but it is especially significant that this article should appear in the pages of Foreign Policy, published by the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. The publication of this article is likely to set a good many heads to spinning.
Phillip Longman is Bernard L Schwartz Senior Fellow at the New America Foundation. He is a well-respected author and researcher, whose books have included The Empty Cradle: How Falling Birthrates Threaten World Prosperity and What to Do about It (2004). In his previous works, Longman has projected how falling birthrates throughout advanced societies will lead to financial, political, social, and demographic decline.
In this new article, he presses his argument to the next stage--announcing the return of patriarchy--the concept of male leadership--as essential to a recovery of higher birthrates and reproduction."
Finally, I recommend Nicole Whitacre's report on what Al Mohler had to say on the "Mommy Wars".
