| Part of a series on
Christianity
and Gender |
| Theology |
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Female disciples of Jesus |
| 4 major positions |
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Christian Egalitarianism |
| Church and society |
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Christianity and homosexuality |
| Organizations |
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Christians for Biblical Equality |
| Theologians and authors |
| Feminist: Letha Dawson Scanzoni · Anne Eggebroten · Virginia Ramey Mollenkott Egalitarian: William J. Webb · Kenneth E. Hagin · Gordon Fee · Frank Stagg · Paul Jewett · Stanley Grenz · Roger Nicole Complementarian: Don Carson · John Frame · Wayne Grudem · Douglas Moo · Paige Patterson · Vern Poythress Patriarchal: Doug Phillips · R. C. Sproul, Jr. · Douglas Wilson |
Christian Egalitarianism (derived from the French word égal, meaning equal or level), also known as biblical equality, is a Christian form of the moral doctrine of Egalitarianism. It holds that all human persons are created equally in God's sight—equal in fundamental worth and moral status. This view does not just apply to gender, but to religion, skin colour and any other differences between individuals. It does not imply that all have equal skills, abilities, interests, or physiological or genetic traits. Christian Egalitarianism holds that all people are equal before God and in Christ; have equal responsibility to use their gifts and obey their calling to the glory of God; and are called to roles and ministries without regard to class, gender, or race.[1]
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According to Christian Egalitarianism, gender equality in Christian church leadership (including pastors) and in Christian marriage is biblically sound. Its theological foundations are interpretations of the teachings and example of Jesus Christ and other New Testament principles.
It refers to a biblically-based belief that gender, in and of itself, neither privileges nor curtails a believer’s gifting or calling to any ministry in the church or home. It does not imply that women and men are identical or undifferentiated, but affirms that God designed men and women to complement and benefit one another.[2]
Egalitarian beliefs are generally subscribed to by Quakers, Seventh-day Adventists, Northern Baptists, and some Pentecostal churches such as the Assemblies of God and United Church of God.
The opposing view is Complementarianism that differing, often non-overlapping roles between men and women; manifested in marriage, church leadership, and elsewhere; is biblically required.
Christian Egalitarians' interpretation of scriptures and spiritual convictions bring them to the conclusion that the manner and teaching of Jesus abolished discrimination against racial minorities, slaves, and women, in both the church and marriage. They believe that the Bible teaches the fundamental equality of believers of all racial and ethnic groups and all economic classes.[3] They consider overarching principles of the Bible to be that men and women are equally created in God's image; equally responsible for sin; equally redeemed by Christ; and equally gifted by God's Spirit for service; and equally held responsible for using their God-given gifts.
The Apostle Paul wrote:
There is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.
Egalitarianism with regard to the doctrine of grace is taught throughout the Bible.[4]
Utimately, Christian egalitarianism holds that all people are equal in fundamental worth and moral status. A significant source of this trend of thought is the Christian notion that humankind were created in the living image of God (Imago Dei).
Jesus Christ did not conform to a mentality unfavorable to women, but reacted against inequalities based on sexual differences.[5] By calling women to follow him, it is believed he showed that he went beyond the customs and outlook of his environment.[6]
Illustrative of efforts to institutionalize this notion are these excerpts from the organizational Statement of Faith of Christians for Biblical Equality, a major Christian Egalitarian organization:
- We believe in the equality and essential dignity of men and women of all ethnicities, ages, and classes. We recognize that all persons are made in the image of God and are to reflect that image in the community of believers, in the home, and in society.
- We believe that men and women are to diligently develop and use their God-given gifts for the good of the home, church and society.
An interpretation of Matthew 20:25–26a, Mark 10:42, and Luke 22:25 suggests that Jesus even forbids any hierarchy in Christian relationships: "You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their high officials exercise authority over them. Not so with you!" While "lord it over" implies abusive leadership, his words "exercise authority" have no connotation of abuse of authority.[8]
The first known use of the term "Christian egalitarianism" was in 1979 in an article in the journal "Theology Today." (Miller, RM, 1979, Slave Religion: The "Invisible Institution" in the Antebellum South [Book Review], Theology Today, 36(2), 297-299). The first organization whose purpose was advocating Christian egalitarianism was Men, Women and God, established in the United Kingdom in 1984. The American organization Christians for Biblical Equality was established by evangelicals in 1987.
Complementarian and Christian Egalitarian views need not be mutually exclusive, according to some recent proposals that one can subscribe both to Complementarianism and Christian egalitarianism. This theoretically would allow men and women to complement each other without any form of hierarchy. This view is sometimes (informally) called complegalitarian .[9]
This view argues that the Bible prescribes both equality and complementary positions and roles for both men and women. One academic book advocating this position is Discovering Biblical Equality: Complementarity Without Hierarchy.[10] Another significant work which presents complegalitarian theology is Understanding Biblical Gender Equality: Men and Women in Marriage, the Home, and the Church[11]
The Roman Catholic Church has formally opposed radical egalitarianism and has stated that the differences between men and women are not merely phenomenal, but are in fact ontological in nature.[12]
In his 2004 Letter to the Bishops of the Catholic Church on the Collaboration of Men and Women in the Church and in the World, Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger warned against a related tendency to see gender as culturally constructed, which has generated “a new model of polymorphous sexuality,” which reflects an “attempt to be free from one’s biological conditioning”.[13]