Headship

Headship has been a major component of complementarian thinking and practice, but does it stand up to scrutiny? Debate still abounds. In this book, the author examines the historical contours of the doctrine of headship as a response to feminism and its evolution into a fully-orbed doctrine as expressed in Recovering Biblical Manhood and Womanhood, where the nature of male and female roles in marriage and the church are seemingly developed to the nth degree. The author then goes on to look at the doctrine in the light of scripture, examining the doctrine of the eternal subordination of the Son-a major plank of the doctrine-before considering the key scriptures in Genesis 1-3, 1 Corinthians 11, and Ephesians 5. Questions explored are:

Were Adam and Eve created equal?

In what way was Eve created as a helper for Adam?

Is the concept of roles, as marked out by complementarians for men and women biblical?

Did Adam and Eve's relationship change at the Fall? If so, does the gospel change it?

What about that word "kephale," translated "head" in our Bibles? How should we understand it?

What was the nature of the submission that Paul was after?

Does Paul accommodate his teaching to the culture, or is it radically subversive?

What exactly was Paul after in his letter to the church at Ephesus?