In her article Opposite Sexes or Neighbouring Sexes? C.S. Lewis, Dorothy L. Sayers, and the Psychology of Gender , author Mary Stewart Van Leeuwen does an exceptional job of drawing out key texts from Lewis’ works to help us better understand the evolution of his views on gender. Her essay is informative and helpful for a better understanding of Lewis and I think it will serve as a springboard for good discussion on the issue of gender in the church. That being said, I’m not sure she is completely successful at proving that Lewis’ views had changed as completely as she claims. While her proof texts do address Lewis’ changing views about gender and hierarchy, she does not show that Lewis shared the particular views of Carl Henry, Nahum Sarna or even Dorothy Sayers that, respectively, gender is excluded from the OT and NT doctrine of deity, that gendering God is exclusively pagan, and that Jesus was virtually asexual. Whether Lewis believed any of these things or not, the question remains, are they true? Is God “sexless”? Is Gender irrelevant to a Biblical understanding of God? Is there no significant meaning beyond the biological flesh to the fact that human beings are made male and female in God’s image? Are men and women really so similar, as Van Leeuwen claims, that there are no significant differences between them that constitute something essentially male and essentially female?
It seems to me that if we are made in the image of God, then gender, to a certain extent, is not purely biological but also an essential, non socially constructed, trait. While no definite claim can be made about the difference between a man and a women because all things must be understood in terms of averages, current scientific study makes the claim that there are indeed essential differences between men and women, both biologically and psychologically. These differences are downplayed and too easily dismissed by Van Leeuwen. Furthermore, the Bible has a lot to say about gender (including the Old Testament). I don’t think we should dismiss that so quickly.
While much of what constitutes maleness and femaleness is indeed conditioned by our culture (such as hair length and clothing), there are many aspects of gender distinctives that have not changed throughout all human cultures at all times in history (qualities such as compassion, nurturing, bravery, and strength, are just examples of traits that have found very different and consistent expressions in men and women throughout history).
On the issue of God’s gender, obviously he has no biological gender and as men and women are equally made in his image, so he equally and perfectly embodies essential maleness and femaleness as he originally made them. That being said, it seems clear to me that God has chosen to relate to humanity primarily in the role of Father, rather than mother. He asks to be called our Father and we relate to him as such. It would be inconsistent and unhelpful to refer to him as mother. Our God is not “sexless” but a God that comprises all of those essential aspects which were, in the creation of humanity, divided so that, in marriage and in cooperation, they could come together as a whole, just as they exist in God. Essential differences between men and women should be celebrated and collaborated as an expression of faith and unity in the God who made us.
Thousands of years could pass and many generations of cultural change could occur and little boys would still want to play with trucks and little girls would still want to push dolls around in strollers. Fisher price commercials tell the whole story. And it is a story we should celebrate and embrace, not rejecting the way God made us in a vain attempt at so-called “equality”. We are all equally made in the image of God. A piece of red paper and piece of blue paper are no less equal in value, but they are certainly different. Difference does not equal inequality! Understanding that is the first step towards a Biblical understanding of gender.
There are a lot of challenging comments and difficult issues that I’m trying to tackle here. I don’t mean for this post to be an extensive defense of complementarianism but more of an introduction to some of my thoughts on issues surrounding gender in the church. I would love to hear the thoughts of others on this issue and flesh it out together.
Links:
An example of research being done about the differences between men and women: http://www.independent.co.uk/news/science/womens-brains-uareu-different-from-mens-ndash-and-heres-scientific-proof-870849.html
An article from the Council on Biblical Manhood and Womanhood, an excellent organization. It is well worth your time to look at their resources if you are interested in the issue of gender in the church.
https://www.cbmw.org/Resources/Sermons/Biblical-Manhood-and-Womanhood-The-Big-Picture
