Why have so many Christians never heard a biblical case for women in ministry?

Maybe it’s not because the arguments weren’t strong.

Maybe they just weren’t… published.

In this episode, we follow the paper trail—from locked editorial doors to selective bookstore shelves.

We name the publishers.

We expose the platforms.

And we uncover how a small group of gatekeepers shaped what millions of Christians could read, hear, and believe.

This isn’t just about theology.

It’s about power, distribution, and whose voices got silenced before they ever had a chance to speak.

What happens when theology meets a printing press? In Episode 4 of Ordained Inequality, we pull back the curtain on the publishing empire that helped cement complementarianism into the evangelical bloodstream. From study Bibles to bestsellers, we trace how ideas once debated in academic corners became untouchable truth in the hands of everyday believers.

Before we dive into Episode 4, this bonus episode takes a step back to answer a bigger question: Why this podcast, and why now? Shannon Patterson offers a personal and pastoral reflection on the purpose behind Ordained Inequality—and the double standards that still silence women’s voices in the Church. It’s not about blame. It’s about giftedness. And it’s time we start asking better questions.

Episode 3 explores the biblical foundations often cited to restrict women’s roles in the church and home. We examine how scripture has been interpreted, misused, and weaponized — and how Jesus himself challenged those cultural norms.

Ordained Inequality Will tell the story of how a quiet movement in the 1980’s reshaped women’s place in the church — not by accident, but by design.

It’s about the gifts we never saw, the voices we never heard, and the damage we’re only just beginning to name.

Imagine being the most gifted leader, teacher, or storyteller—

and being told you could never step onto the stage.

In this episode, we uncover how the theology of “roles” didn’t just organize the church.

It erased the voices it feared most.

A quiet movement reshaped the modern church — and women paid the price. Ordained Inequality uncovers how complementarian theology, born behind closed doors and framed as biblical, redefined women’s roles in churches, homes, and seminaries across America.