Hearing Her Voice: A Case for Women Giving Sermons

by John Dickson

Publisher:

Zondervan

, 2012

Overview

Based on his study of a key word for “teaching” in the New Testament---an activity often thought to be prohibited to women---and on various other kinds of public speaking in which women in Scripture clearly participated, scholar John Dickson builds a case for women preachers. Focused and purposefully limited in its conclusions, Dickson’s argument has potential to change minds and appeal to complementarians and egalitarians alike. The mediating and widely adoptable position in this original digital short will appeal to pastors, Bible teachers, college and seminary students, professors, and lay leaders in the church with its fresh approach to the hot-button topic of women in ministry.

Contents

Top Highlights

“My point is that we have universalised the word ‘teaching’ as if it refers to all kinds of Bible-based talks in church, when in Paul’s usage ‘teaching’ is at least as specialised as ‘prophesying’ (probably more so).” (source)

“I hope to show that the specific activity Paul disallows to women in 1 Timothy 2:12 does not refer to a general type of speaking based on Scripture. It refers to a specific activity found throughout the pages of the New Testament. It means preserving and laying down the traditions handed on by the apostles.” (source)

“Paul charges Timothy to ‘command and teach [didaskō] these things’ in 1 Timothy 4:11, he is not asking him to expound passages of Scripture. He is asking him to preserve and repeat the things just laid down in Paul’s letter to him.” (source)

“The fact that Paul allows women to prophesy (1 Cor. 11:5) but not to teach (1 Tim. 2:12) is proof enough that he thought of these activities as distinct.” (source)

“the one who prophesies speaks to people for their upbuilding and encouragement and consolation. (italics added” (source)

Product Details

• Title : Hearing Her Voice: A Case for Women Giving Sermons
• Author: Dickson, John
• Publisher: Zondervan
• Publication Date: 2012
• ISBN: 9780310498193

About John Dickson

John Dickson is a senior research fellow of the department of ancient history at Macquarie University. He is also codirector of the Center for Public Christianity and senior minister at St. Andrew’s Roseville. Dickson is the author of more than a dozen books, including The Christ Files: How Historians Know What They Know about Jesus, Life of Jesus: Who He Is and Why He Matters, and, with Chuck Pierce, The Worship Warrior.