A NEW CASE FOR FEMALE ELDERS: AN ANALYTICAL REFORMED-EVANGELICAL APPROACH by JAMIN ANDREW HÜBNER Submitted in accordance with the requirements for the degree of DOCTOR OF THEOLOGY In the subject SYSTEMATIC THEOLOGY at the UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH AFRICA PROMOTER: PROF FRANCISCA H CHIMHANDA (NOVEMBER 2013) i TABLE OF CONTENTS .......................................................................................................i ABBREVIATIONS ...............................................................................................................vii SIGNED DECLARATION ...................................................................................................ix ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ...................................................................................................x SUMMARY ...........................................................................................................................xi KEY WORDS AND PHRASES ............................................................................................xiii CHAPTER ONE Introduction ..........................................................................................................................1 1.1 The Problem .....................................................................................................................1 1.2 The Origin of This Study .................................................................................................3 1.3 Content .............................................................................................................................4 1.3.1 Language .......................................................................................................................4 1.3.2 Subject Matter ...............................................................................................................4 1.3.3 Perspective and Presuppositions ...................................................................................5 1.4 Conceptual and Theoretical Framework ..........................................................................5 1.4.1 “Evangelical” ................................................................................................................5 1.4.2 “Reformed .....................................................................................................................8 1.4.3 The Meaning of “Reformed” Summarized ...................................................................15 1.4.4 “Female Elders” ............................................................................................................17 1.4.5 “Complementarianism” and “Egalitarianism” ..............................................................18 1.4.6 My Own Perspective/Presuppositions ..........................................................................19 ii 1.5 Outline of Chapters ..........................................................................................................20 CHAPTER TWO Literature Review ................................................................................................................22 2. Introduction ........................................................................................................................20 2.1 Formative Works .............................................................................................................22 2.2 Works During and After the Formation of the CBMW and CBW (1988-2004) .............49 2.3 Recent Works: Relevant Works After 2004 ....................................................................81 2.3 Concluding Evaluations ...................................................................................................101 CHAPTER THREE Methodology .........................................................................................................................106 3. Introduction ........................................................................................................................106 3.1 Research Method .............................................................................................................106 3.2 Theological Loci ..............................................................................................................108 3.2.1 Theological Loci in General .........................................................................................108 3.2.2 Theological Loci More Specifically .............................................................................112 3.3 Hermeneutics ...................................................................................................................118 3.3.1 Philosophy of Hermeneutics and the Hermeneutical “Spiral” ......................................118 3.3.2 Feminist Hermeneutics .................................................................................................126 3.3.3 An Evaluation of Feminist Hermeneutics .....................................................................122 3.3.4 The Hermeneutics Debate Within the Reformed and Evangelical Church ..................140 3.3.5 Köstenberger’s Critique of Feminist Hermeneutics .....................................................147 iii 3.4 Constructing a Case for Women Elders ...........................................................................153 3.4.1 “General Arguments” ....................................................................................................153 3.4.2 “Targeted Arguments” ..................................................................................................154 3.4.2.1 Wright’s Argument ....................................................................................................154 3.4.2.2 Giles’ Argument.........................................................................................................156 3.4.2.3 Keener and Belleville in Two Views ..........................................................................165 3.5.1 Shaping the Argument ..................................................................................................160 3.6 The Proposed Argument ..................................................................................................170 3.7 Conclusion .......................................................................................................................172 CHAPTER FOUR Conceptual Framework .......................................................................................................173 4. Introduction ........................................................................................................................173 4.1 Complementarianism and Egalitarianism ........................................................................173 4.1.1 The Danvers Statement and the Emergence of “Complementarianism” ......................174 4.1.2 The Evangelical Feminist Response to the CBMW and The Danvers Statement ........188 4.2 Feminist Theology ...........................................................................................................200 4.2.1 Contours of Feminist Theology: Exposing Patriarchy and Androcentricity ................200 4.2.2 Contours of Feminist Theology: Women’s Experience and Liberation .......................203 4.2.3 Contours of Feminist Theology: Christology in Feminist Theology ............................205 4.2.4 An Evaluation of Feminist Theology ............................................................................208 4.3 Roman Catholic Theology ...............................................................................................215 4.4 Conclusions ......................................................................................................................220 iv CHAPTER FIVE Primary Premise (Women are Not Forbidden to be Pastors)..........................................221 5. Introduction ........................................................................................................................221 5.1 Another Brief Word About Methodology........................................................................221 5.2 Preliminary Observations on the Two “Permission” Texts .............................................224 5.3 Exegetical Observations on 1 Corinthians 14:34-35 .......................................................227 5.4 Exegetical Observations on 1 Timothy 2:12 ....................................................................231 5.4.1 αὐθεντέω: Contemporary Use in Parallel Literature .....................................................239 5.4.1 αὐθεντέω: Lexical Studies ............................................................................................245 5.4.1 αὐθεντέω: Immediate Context ......................................................................................251 5.5 Summary and Implications of the Text ............................................................................255 5.6 The Proposed Exegesis in the Context of Biblical Theology ..........................................261 5.7 Alternative Interpretations ...............................................................................................264 5.8 Conclusion .......................................................................................................................266 CHAPTER SIX A Universal Ban on Women Pastors is Problematic for New Testament Theology ......268 6. Introduction ........................................................................................................................268