Biblical Inequality

Is there such a thing? Indeed there is, and it was an assumed truth until only recent centuries. Seriously, some of the most beloved early and medieval fathers would even make modern Complementarians blush, and yet the latter are supposedly the last bastions against absolute equality (more on that below). And if you're an Egalitarian with heart problems, please, for your own safety, do not read "The First Blast of the Trumpet Against the Monstrous Regiment of Women" by John Knox.

But before I continue, if you have no idea what "Complementarian(ism)" and "Egalitarian(ism)" mean, get yourself acquainted before reading on. This is the Danvers Statement, a founding document of the Complementarian movement, written by the Council on Biblical Manhood and Womanhood (CBMW), the preeminent Complementarian organisation. And this is the mission and faith statement of the Christians for Biblical Equality, the preeminent organisation for Christian Egalitarianism. Also read their "Statement on Men, Women, and Biblical Equality". These opposing doctrines are a necessary background to what I will be arguing, because they comprise almost all Protestant/Evangelical believers today, and in this and the coming posts, I am attacking a core assumption of both doctrines (although Egalitarianism is far more harmed, for obvious reasons).

The Zondervan Quran

You didn't have a stroke, that title is real, and that image is real.

Zondervan Academic - one of the largest publishers of Christian academic works - is releasing its own translation of the Quran with full commentary and supplementary essays [1]. 

I first got the news from Disrn [2], a Christian media site that gives short rundowns of the major stories around the world and in Christianity. As I expected (and I will admit, I shared this reaction for the first minute), many commentors on their Facebook post raised concerns of Chrislam, an unholy marriage of Christian and Islamic doctrine by spineless 'Christians'.

But reading the product description, I'm slightly excited to get my hands on one of these. Apart from the socially necessary (and submissively toned) platitude to Muslims ("Factual, respectful of Muslims"), this looks solid. The work is aimed at Christian professors, students, pastors, and missionaries in teaching the contents of Islam and interacting with Muslims. It is written for Christians by Christians.

Right now, I am a high school teacher in training, and one of my subject qualifications will be Studies of Religion. I really only intend to teach Christian truth, as in Biblical Studies classes that independent Christian schools run. But interaction with other religions is inevitable, so this book may well become my one stop shop for equipping students in the spiritual war against Islam. Well, that and David Wood's ministry. Both of these resources will become my mains.

How about you, fellow Christians? Are you comfortable with a Christian publisher releasing a heathen text, though it comes with a Christian commentary? Do you fear Chrislamic ideas will be pushed, or will the conflicts between Christianity and Islam be duly acknowledged?

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[1] - "The Quran with Christian Commentary - A Guide to Understanding the Scriptures of Islam" https://zondervanacademic.com/products/the-quran-with-christian-commentary

[2] - https://disrn.com/news/zondervan-publishes-quran-with-christian-commentary-as-ministry-resource

Blaspheming the Symbol

A question was posted in a 'Christian' Facebook group asking for the weirdest replacements for bread and wine people have partaken in communion with. Plenty of laugh reacts and friend tags were had, with only a minority challenging this sacrilegious trend. I gave my own comment, and many reacted positively do it. Hopefully it gives some good perspective to undecided Prots and Prots who think this practice is licit: