Modern Gender Theory comes from the American Left/European Right of the Early-Mid 20th Century out of the Frankfurt School in Germany. Critical Theory, in general, has left our culture with nothing more than broken lives and harmful ideologies. Where Critical Theory has touched the space of Womanhood, nothing but harm has been produced.
It is interesting how Critical Theory has affected the two genders. Women are supposed to be more manly and men are supposed to be more womanly. While this has made both less happy, it seems to have a more obvious effect on women, in that women are now expected to entertain men in their spaces, think sports and bathrooms. While this is expected of men too, it is rarely an issue that affects men as adversely as it affects women.
However, this phenomenon does present an interesting insight into what the world considers feminine. It is expected that the woman both be physically feminine, but performatively masculine. What I mean by that is women are both expected to attain the beauty standard physically, but to behave like working men, and the worst kind of sexualized stereotype of a man.
The sweet humble spirit is considered internal misogyny, whereas brazen pride in one's womanhood, a superficial external characteristic, I would add, is glorified. Motherhood is shunned, and the unnatural lack of affection in abortion is championed. Chastity, just as it is in men, is shunned as square, and body count is a trophy to be touted.
But is this natural? If not, is it harmful? Are we made to behave in this manner? What has this done to our familial structure, the traditional domain of the woman? Let's look to the Bible for our answers, although reality will also verify our Biblical priors here.
First off, what does Genesis say about the creation of Woman?
18 And the Lord God said, It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him an help meet for him.
19 And out of the ground the Lord God formed every beast of the field, and every fowl of the air; and brought them unto Adam to see what he would call them: and whatsoever Adam called every living creature, that was the name thereof.
20 And Adam gave names to all cattle, and to the fowl of the air, and to every beast of the field; but for Adam there was not found an help meet for him.
21 And the Lord God caused a deep sleep to fall upon Adam, and he slept: and he took one of his ribs, and closed up the flesh instead thereof;
22 And the rib, which the Lord God had taken from man, made he a woman, and brought her unto the man.
23 And Adam said, This is now bone of my bones, and flesh of my flesh: she shall be called Woman, because she was taken out of Man.
24 Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife: and they shall be one flesh.
25 And they were both naked, the man and his wife, and were not ashamed.
Who is Woman in this context? Where does she come from? The Foot? The Head? No, the rib! She is meant to stand beside the man as a help meet. This is no different than an IT technician and a Sales Rep working in the same firm. Is the IT Tech lower because they serve a different purpose in fixing the Sales Rep's computer? Maybe a poor analogy, but hopefully it gets across the point. We later see the woman taking up the affairs of home making and the man of providing. This is seen throughout scripture, but we also see the roles are not necessarily concrete.
6 And she sent and called Barak the son of Abinoam out of Kedeshnaphtali, and said unto him, Hath not the LORD God of Israel commanded, saying, Go and draw toward mount Tabor, and take with thee ten thousand men of the children of Naphtali and of the children of Zebulun?
7 And I will draw unto thee to the river Kishon Sisera, the captain of Jabin's army, with his chariots and his multitude; and I will deliver him into thine hand.
8 And Barak said unto her, If thou wilt go with me, then I will go: but if thou wilt not go with me, then I will not go.
9 And she said, I will surely go with thee: notwithstanding the journey that thou takest shall not be for thine honour; for the LORD shall sell Sisera into the hand of a woman. And Deborah arose, and went with Barak to Kedesh.
10 And Barak called Zebulun and Naphtali to Kedesh; and he went up with ten thousand men at his feet: and Deborah went up with him.
Note, that women are completely capable of stepping into the leadership position when men fail to be men. This is a failure on the man's part here in Judges 4, and God blesses the leadership of the righteous judge Deborah. However, this is not within the normative design of God. Men need to be men so that women can be women, and visa versa. When we fail to live up to our calling, God will use someone else, even if it's not God's best.
In Proverbs 9 we see an example of a foolish woman, who may look familiar to a modern audience:
13 A foolish woman is clamorous: she is simple, and knoweth nothing.
14 For she sitteth at the door of her house, on a seat in the high places of the city,
15 To call passengers who go right on their ways:
16 Whoso is simple, let him turn in hither: and as for him that wanteth understanding, she saith to him,
17 Stolen waters are sweet, and bread eaten in secret is pleasant.
18 But he knoweth not that the dead are there; and that her guests are in the depths of hell.
Contrast this with the Proverbs 31 woman:
0 Who can find a virtuous woman? for her price is far above rubies.
11 The heart of her husband doth safely trust in her, so that he shall have no need of spoil.
12 She will do him good and not evil all the days of her life.
13 She seeketh wool, and flax, and worketh willingly with her hands.
14 She is like the merchants' ships; she bringeth her food from afar.
15 She riseth also while it is yet night, and giveth meat to her household, and a portion to her maidens.
16 She considereth a field, and buyeth it: with the fruit of her hands she planteth a vineyard.
17 She girdeth her loins with strength, and strengtheneth her arms.
18 She perceiveth that her merchandise is good: her candle goeth not out by night.
19 She layeth her hands to the spindle, and her hands hold the distaff.
20 She stretcheth out her hand to the poor; yea, she reacheth forth her hands to the needy.
21 She is not afraid of the snow for her household: for all her household are clothed with scarlet.
22 She maketh herself coverings of tapestry; her clothing is silk and purple.
23 Her husband is known in the gates, when he sitteth among the elders of the land.
24 She maketh fine linen, and selleth it; and delivereth girdles unto the merchant.
25 Strength and honour are her clothing; and she shall rejoice in time to come.
26 She openeth her mouth with wisdom; and in her tongue is the law of kindness.
27 She looketh well to the ways of her household, and eateth not the bread of idleness.
28 Her children arise up, and call her blessed; her husband also, and he praiseth her.
29 Many daughters have done virtuously, but thou excellest them all.
30 Favour is deceitful, and beauty is vain: but a woman that feareth the Lord, she shall be praised.
31 Give her of the fruit of her hands; and let her own works praise her in the gates.
One of these two destroys her family, the other completes the man in creating a family. Proverbs 31 is God's design for a woman. This woman in Proverbs 31 is not a doormat. She is a wife, mother, entrepreneur, fit, intelligent, honorable, and well respected pillar of her community. Does such a paragon exist in the Bible? Well quite a few, Ester, Ruth, Deborah, Joanna, and Priscilla to name a few.
Complementarianism is often conflated with Egalitarianism, the two are quite similar. However, the primary difference between them is this: the average woman cannot lift as much as the average man, and the man cannot have babies, nor does the average man have the empathy of the average woman. This is Complementarianism, whereas pure literal Egalitarianism could be interpreted to deny these obvious facts. These differences, and many others, are primarily, or in some cases exclusively, driven by biology. The design of the Master Craftsman. In talking about Gender, it is important to also remember that God made you uniquely and intentionally you.
Psalms 139:12-18 gives us insight into how God framed us.
12 Yea, the darkness hideth not from thee; but the night shineth as the day: the darkness and the light are both alike to thee.
13 For thou hast possessed my reins: thou hast covered me in my mother's womb.
14 I will praise thee; for I am fearfully and wonderfully made: marvellous are thy works; and that my soul knoweth right well.
15 My substance was not hid from thee, when I was made in secret, and curiously wrought in the lowest parts of the earth.
16 Thine eyes did see my substance, yet being unperfect; and in thy book all my members were written, which in continuance were fashioned, when as yet there was none of them.
17 How precious also are thy thoughts unto me, O God! how great is the sum of them!
18 If I should count them, they are more in number than the sand: when I awake, I am still with thee.
Our gender, as much as anything else about us, is a gift from God to be enjoyed and used for His glory. Remember that.
Questions for the Chairs:
Theology: Why did God design Women differently than men? (Genesis 2) How does the Complimentarian framework model Christ's relationship to the church? (Ephesians 5 and Revelation 18:23, Revelation 19:7-9, Revelation 21:2-9, and Revelation 22:17) Compare this to the Worldly woman and the harlot in Proverbs 9 and Revelation 21:2-9.
Philosophy: If men and women are designed differently, then would they not be both suited for different tasks? Does this mean that they are not equal in value? What happens when one ignores Teleology (Purpose for being)?
Culture: What happens when our society loses sight of the above tenants? Do jealousy and envy of the benefits of the opposite gender's role damage the family? (See women leaving their role as mother and men abdicating their masculinity.)
Politics: Why would government want to dissolve the nuclear family? Would it not be to put all of us in the position of children of the State? Where does this inevitably lead?
Economics: How has the World succeeded in breaking down the family? Through welfare and the promise of economic prosperity with a two income household? What do these consumeristic tendancies reveal about our view of God and the Institute of Marriage? These things are the same just as a reflection in the mirror is the same as the original.
https://www.betterhelp.com/advice/mental-heath-of-men-and-boys/life-after-divorce-for-men-the-impact-on-mens-health/
https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2022/09/30/suicides-are-spiking-among-young-men/
https://law.yale.edu/sites/default/files/documents/pdf/Intellectual_Life/Stevenson_ParadoxDecliningFemaleHappiness_Dec08.pdf
https://ifstudies.org/blog/counterintuitive-trends-in-the-link-between-premarital-sex-and-marital-stability
https://www.profgalloway.com/divor
https://sites.utexas.edu/contemporaryfamilies/2018/10/08/premaritalcohabitation/ce/
https://www.phrases.org.uk/meanings/a-woman-needs-a-man-like-a-fish-needs-a-bicycle.html
https://jech.bmj.com/content/57/12/993
