Toto

CS Lewis Bible Provokes debates

I do not think that this is the traditional Christian position. But I might have missed something.

braces_for_impact

Are you denying that women have full and equal value in the kitchen while pregnant?

GakuseiDon

Interesting. I can't imagine CS Lewis being a fan of a gender-neutral Bible. IIRC he said that God was a Father -- stern and punishing, but ultimately wanting the best for His children (yes, I know what you PoE guys will say). Lewis complained that people try to make out that God is more like a Grandfather -- expected to give His grandchildren a nice pat on the head and a present occasionally. In a patriarchal society, I imagine that a gender-neutral God loses a lot in translation. Perhaps things might be different today, but I can't imagine Lewis having supported such a thing.

DCHindley

Toto,

It has also been my impression that American Evangelicals of the Conservative to Moderate persuasion do hold this kind of view. Generally it is Moderate and Liberal/Progressive Christians who prefer egalitarian and/or gender neutral language as a means to appeal to a wider audience. Even so, I'd say that there may even be a few of the liberal/progressive persuasion who adhere to the traditional view well, at least as it pertains to their own lifestyle, even though they do not begrudge those who take a more egalitarian view.

That is not to say that you cannot also find conservative evangelicals who buck the trend. During my Junior year in college (1976/1977) I attended an accredited liberal arts college run by the United Brethren (a Mennonite splinter group). They did not believe in Dancing, Movies, and many of the female students attended for their "MRS" degree (i.e. to find a husband). However, there was one particular female Baptist student who was working towards obtaining certification as a "preacher". This was VERY unusual at that time. While I no longer remember whether she was Southern Baptist or a more progressive Free Will Baptist, usually Evangelical churches did not recognize female preachers. I was frankly amazed that the United Brethren, a staunchly conservative Evangelical denomination, allowed her to seek that certification.

Then again, while reading up on John Hogg, a Scottish Presbyterian missionary active in Egypt in the late 19th century, I learned that he was a big promoter of educating women and girls, something utterly unheard of in that part of the world at the time. He successfully convinced a number of prominent Muslim and Copt officials to allow their daughters to attend a school and college he founded. One female graduate eventually married the Grand Mufti of Egypt. That is 100% progressive if you ask me, as it regards education for all regardless of sex or religious orientation. However, it becomes clear while reading his biography written by his daughter and a eulogy by his widow that he and his wife, and also his daughters and sons, held the exact same views about the relationship between men and women as are attributed to C S Lewis.

DCH