Books that I recommend on the subject of

 

Women in the Church and Gender Equality

 

An Idea Whose Time Has Come 

 

        by Floyd E. Rose

Rose is an African-American Church of Christ minister who takes a very serious look at the gender discrimination and gender inequality problem through the eyes of an African-American who grew up in the deep south and experienced the harshness of discrimination because of race.  He ties the issues together in their respective roles.  He very appropriately compares what African-Americans have suffered through over the centuries to the treatment of women in the churches of Christ over the last 1950 years based.   This little book is only available directly from Bro. Rose or by downloading the pdf file on this web site.  He donates all profits from the sales of this book to Save The Children, Inc.

 

In Defense of Girls Praying

    by James Casey       

James Casey was a man with an idea that was way ahead of its time.  He believed that girls had the right to be able to express their prayers in the presence of boys in the youth devotional, family devotional, and other informal meetings.  Published in 1975, this book was a study of that principle.  I have listed it here because of its unique views for the time period when it was published which was a very legalistic time period for the Churches of Christ.  Casey held to traditional views regarding females in the Church of Christ except for prayer in small groups when males were present.  He presents a strong case from the Bible that women prayed audibly with men present in Bible times.  The idea that females cannot pray audibly in the presence of a male is still a major problem in the Church of Christ as a whole and this book is still very appropriate and useful.  This is a book that should be read by every parent, elder, preacher, youth minister, deacon, teacher, and teen, regardless of gender and regardless of the church environment you worship in! 

 

Women in the Church: Reclaiming the Ideal

 

      by Carroll Osburn, Abilene Christian University

This is an excellent study written for the Churches of Christ.  It looks at the different views of numerous authors on the subject, explores the hermeneutical positions of the different sides of the gender issue, and then goes into a good basic study of the Scriptures used over the years to limit females in the Church of Christ. 

Essays On Women In Earliest Christianity Vol. 1 & 2

 

        edited by Carroll D. Osburn, Ph.D.

Available through ACU Press  These are some of the best books published by a Church of Christ author for the Churches of Christ dealing with this  issue.  They deal with both historical and philosophical differences between the different views and then takes a careful in depth look at the original Greek and its proper translation.   They also look at women in Biblical times and how God used these women.  Osburn is considered one of the finest Greek scholars in the world and is on staff at Abilene Christian University in Abilene, Texas.

Deacons: Male and Female? a study for the Churches of Christ

 

        by Steve Sandifer

This is one of the best studies of the history and role of the deacon that has been published for members of the Churches of Christ, and quite possibly any Christian church.  The link will take you Steve's web page on the South West Central Church of Christ web site.  Along with information on how to order his study on deacons, you will find an indepth study done by Steve on the Lord's Supper.  I have attended classes taught by Steve and I can attest to his ability to thoroughly research and then teach the information he has put together in a way that is easily understood by almost anyone.   I give both the book and the study on the Lord's Study my highest recommendations!

I Permit Not a Woman..." To Remain Shackled  (no longer in print)

 

        by Robert H. Rowland. 

This book is written for those who do not want to read about the technical issues such as Greek translation and comparisons of philosophical and hermeneutical approaches to the discussion of women in the church.  The web version is available on the FreedomsRing.org web site.  A printed version is available through:  Lighthouse Publishing Company, 525 N.W. 57th Street, Newport, Oregon 97365 (503) 265-9856

Sons and Daughters: Hearing Women’s Voices at Stamford Church of Christ
      by Dale Pauls  Stamford Church of Christ
        1264 High Ridge Road, Stamford, CT 06903    phone  203-322-9417
This book is about the Stamford Church of Christ and their move toward gender equality.
 

Trusting WomenThe way of Women in the Churches of Christ

 

        Billie Silvey, Editor

    This book is a collection of personal stories of 19 women who tell of their faith

journeys, their struggles, the road blocks put up in front of them, and how they are now using their talents in various ministries to God's Glory.  Whatever your views are of women in the Church of Christ, you will be challenged by their stories.  These women are not grasping for recognition or vying for position.  They are simply servants of God.

 

    This is not an academic book or a bible study book.  It is a series of personal stories with honest and insight that will make you wonder why we have held back women for so long.  The stories told are honest, touching stories and filled with insight.

 

    This book is a "must read" for anyone interested in the personal side of the struggle of women in the Churches of Christ.

Distant Voices

 

        by C. Leonard Allen 

A history of the Restoration Movement's early beginnings and includes information about women ministers involved in the earliest moments of this movement.