God’s Design for Women in an age of Gender Confusion

Revised and updated

Sharon James

EP BOOKS (Evangelical Press) Registered Office: 140 Coniscliffe Road, Darlington, Co Durham DL3 7RT

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© Sharon James 2019. All rights reserved.

First edition of God’s Design for Women, 2002

Revised edition, 2007.

This edition, God’s Design for Women in an Age of Gender Confusion, 2019

First written in 2002, and revised in 2007, God’s Design for Women has been reprinted several times and has also been translated into French, Russian and Italian. In 2008, Clear Cut Media released a 6-part DVD and study guide based on the book. God’s Design for Women in an Age of Gender Confusion has been rewritten to take account of current cultural trends, including the ever-increasing confusion about gender ‘identity’.

Print ISBN 978-1-78397-263-0

British Library Cataloguing in Publication Data available

Unless otherwise noted, Scripture taken from The Holy Bible, New International Version® NIV®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

Dedicated, with love and gratitude, to

Christine

Jenny

Rebekah

Eliza

One generation shall commend your works to another,

and shall declare your mighty acts. (Psalm 145:4)

Contents

Introduction

Part I

1 Christianity: Good News for Women?

(i) The Ministry of Christ

(ii) The Teaching of Paul

(iii) The Expansion of Christianity

(iv) Revival and Mission

(v) Christianity Today

(vi) Protecting the Dignity of all Humanity

Part II Feminism: Liberation or Betrayal?

2 The Demand for Liberation: Four waves of feminism

(i) Fight for Fairness: First wave equity feminism (late 19C–early 20C)

(ii) Fight for Freedom: Second wave gender feminism (1960–1990)

(iii) Freedom to behave badly: Third wave feminism (1990–2010)

(iv) #MeToo: Fourth wave feminism (2010–present)

3 The Fight for Liberation: Three Strategies in the Battle of Ideas

(i) The New Morality

(ii) The New Spirituality

(iii) The New Ideology

4 The Bitterness of Betrayal: Seven Ways Feminism Failed Us All

(i) Sexual ‘liberation’ betrayed women

(ii) ‘Liberation’ from the married family betrayed women

(iii) Removing the option for mothers to stay at home betrayed women

(iv) Victimising women demeans them

(v) Demonising men harms us all

(vi) Children are betrayed by the insistence on adult ‘rights’

(vii) Rejecting God betrays us all

Part III God’s Good Design

5 God’s Design: Equality and Complementarity

(i) Equal Dignity

(ii) Complementary Difference

6 God’s Design: Ruined, Revealed and Restored

(i) God’s Good Design: Ruined

(ii) God’s Good Design: Revealed and Restored

Part IV God’s Good Design: Family, Community and Church

7 Singleness: Reflection of God’s Expansive Love

(i) Kingdom Priorities

(ii) The Myth of the ‘Gift of Singleness’

(iii) Christian Contentment

(iv) Suddenly Single...

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About God’s Design for Women in an Age of Gender Confusion

Is there anything unique about being a woman? God’s word says yes! Men and women are absolutely equal in dignity. They are also significantly different. Women are only honored (and fulfilled) when both truths are celebrated. Women are only honoured (and fulfilled) when both truths are celebrated. Read this revised edition of Sharon James’ God’s Design for Women if you want to find out about:

• The positive impact Christianity has had on women throughout history

• The various waves of feminism right up to the #MeToo movement

• The Bible’s teaching about equality and complementarity

• A survey of views on women’s ministry

• An overview of biblical ministries of women

• A biblical perspective on work, singleness, marriage and motherhood

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Table of Contents