Beyond Authority and Submission

Is it appropriate for a man to read a theological book written by a woman? Is a husband supposed to control his wife so she won't dominate him? Is a wife's chief purpose to help her husband achieve his goals? Should a woman earn a college degree, work outside the home, or be in a position of authority in a mixed workplace? Why are we asking these questions? Theologically conservative Christians want to embrace a biblical understanding of women and men, but the beliefs of Greeks, Romans, and Victorians have had undue influence on contemporary teaching. Damaging ideas and a narrow focus have created confusion for men and women alike. Rachel Green Miller believes that the dynamics of authority and submission are part of the biblical picture--but they aren't the whole picture. As she examines and corrects conservative teaching on gender, she draws out equally important themes in Scripture that will strengthen our relationship as co-laborers in the kingdom of God.

About the Author :
Rachel Green Miller is a wife, mom, and popular blogger who is passionate about elevating the dignity of women, improving the cultural conversation about gender relations, and defending orthodox Christianity.

Review :
Beyond Authority and Submission is a fascinating and eye-opening look at womanhood and the extent to which historical tradition, rather than the Bible, has defined what Christians believe about womanhood. This book will encourage readers to be Bereans--to turn to Scripture as their sole authority. May Rachel's book serve to bring more unity in marriages and the church as we seek to co-labor with one another for the good of the gospel and the building up of Christ's church.--Christina Fox, Speaker; Author, Sufficient Hope: Gospel Meditations and Prayers for Moms; Content Editor, enCourage In this extremely practical and helpful book, Rachel Green Miller peels back layer after layer of what she describes as "unbiblical and extrabiblical beliefs" that have created a competitive and antagonistic environment between men and women in the church. She then casts a vision for what life could be when men and women work together toward unity, interdependence, and service, all while inhabiting the God-ordained roles that Scripture lays out for the family of God. I, too, long for a church that is full of grace, forgiveness, and mercy, and this book has given me many things to think about as I carry out my role as director of spiritual formation. I highly recommend this book to anyone who desires to see our churches filled with co-laborers for the kingdom of God.--Abby Ross Hutto, Author, God for Us: Discovering the Heart of the Father through the Life of the Son Most of the Christians I know want to be the men and women of God. But what does that mean, exactly? Who's in charge? Who gets the final say? What does it mean to be masculine or feminine? Enter Rachel G. Miller and her new book, Beyond Authority and Submission. In these pages, you'll find a compelling vision for how men and women can work together unfettered by social and historical expectations. Tracing the broader themes of Scripture, with careful attention to theology and the text, Miller calls men and women alike to live in the fullness of all that God has made us to be.--Hannah Anderson, Author, Made for More: An Invitation to Live in God's Image Rachel challenges popular yet extrabiblical and unbiblical beliefs about women and men and what roles are considered appropriate for them in marriage, the church, and society. However, she doesn't simply offer a critique. She also sets forth a compelling, gospel-centered vision of biblical manhood and womanhood that centers on unity, interdependence, and service. The gospel is to be paramount in all things, which includes issues of manhood and womanhood. Rachel makes this crystal clear. Men and women are co-image-bearers, co-heirs in Christ, and co-laborers for the gospel. We are different from each other, and yet we need each other. I heartily recommend this book!--John Fonville, Pastor, Paramount Church, Jacksonville, Florida; Anglican Church in North America Rachel Miller has done an excellent job of bringing clarity and discernment to a discussion that is often emotionally charged and contentious. Biblically reasoned, confessionally informed, and drawing from the resources of church history, Miller's work cuts through rhetoric and assumptions to show us that sometimes ideas that are labeled "biblical" can in fact be loaded with cultural notions. While much of the contemporary discussion about "gender roles" focuses primarily on authority and submission--who is allowed to do what?--Miller shows that there is a need for us to go beyond this narrow focus and instead promote unity, interdependence, and service. She invites readers not to ignore or dismiss Scripture but to go deeper in their understanding of its meaning and implications. In Beyond Authority and Submission, many Apolloses have the opportunity to listen and learn from a wise Priscilla.--Jacob Denhollander, PhD Student, The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary Rachel Miller has written an excellent book on men and women that honors the Bible's position while avoiding extremes. Highly recommended!--Todd S. Bordow, Pastor, Cornerstone Orthodox Presbyterian Church, Houston; Author, What Did Jesus Really Say about Divorce? Rachel Miller sets out to peel back some of the layers of extrabiblical and cultural assumptions about the nature of men and women in the home, church, and society. She succeeds at engaging her sources critically, with an incisive yet reader-friendly style. This book will help to tease out some of your own lingering doubts about the usefulness of rigid gender stereotypes. Expect to learn from history, to have your assumptions questioned, and to become better equipped to engage more thoughtfully with this important topic, regardless of whether you call yourself egalitarian, complementarian, or anything else!--Eowyn Stoddard, Missionary, Mission to the World Rachel Miller writes as a conservative who loves Scripture and happily sits under its authority. She calls us to examine ourselves against Scripture, not to remove ourselves from its authority in our lives, and gives us diagnostic tools from the Word to renovate our understanding of men and women in the church, in the home, and in society at large. Rachel teaches the history of views on sex and gender in secular cultures and then shows us the ways that some evangelical teaching on the sexes is built more on secular philosophy than on biblical truth. In the end, while historical context sheds great light on the Scriptures, Rachel wins us with Scripture itself. She offers us a well-researched survey of Scripture on biological sex and gender that will inspire and aid readers to gain a biblical vision of men and women working in unity and interdependence in God's kingdom.--Wendy Alsup, Author, Is the Bible Good for Women? Seeking Clarity and Confidence Through a Jesus-Centered Understanding of Scripture Rachel Miller writes with her characteristic verve and wisdom as she addresses the vexed subject of women and men--a subject on which there is often more heat than light. If we are to follow the Bible when it says we should be slow to speak and quick to listen, then this is one such occasion on which we would be wise to listen well. She has made a valuable contribution to the discussion of how we negotiate between the extremes of patriarchy and feminism in the church today. Her arguments deserve to be taken seriously and weighed well as we seek to be faithful to Scripture in our generation.--Liam Goligher, Senior Minister, Tenth Presbyterian Church, Philadelphia The debate that rages about men and women is full of history, rhetoric, and labels. Rachel Miller takes us on a remarkable journey that navigates us away from the hyperbole and man-made traditions and sets our feet solidly on the Scriptures. This book desperately needed to be written, and Rachel has done so brilliantly--with insight, clarity, sobriety, and love.--Sam Powell, Pastor, First Reformed Church, Yuba City, California There is a very real danger, in our current cultural moment, that the polarization that characterizes the political landscape might well come to exert an unfortunate influence on both the rhetoric and the content of discussions among Christians on a number of controversial topics. The temptation to respond to one extreme error by adopting its mirror image is strong but rarely--if ever--correct. And there are few topics in the public square that are more divisive than the relationship between the sexes. It is therefore a pleasure to commend this book by Rachel Miller, which eschews the cheap extremism and bombastic rhetoric that characterize conservative Christian responses to feminism and instead plots not a middle way but a biblical way through the subjects of authority, submission, masculinity, and the like. She is not interested in making the Bible fit 1950s ideals of what men and women should be; rather, she wants to help the reader to think about what the Bible actually means in the present. This is a refreshingly sane read.--Carl R. Trueman, Professor of Biblical and Religious Studies, Grove City College, Grove City, Pennsylvania When James reminds us of God's requirement to live unstained by the world, he is giving us a near impossible task. The Christian religion carries thousands of years of cultural baggage that has accumulated as an inevitable consequence of our human frailty. In taking on our theology of men and women, Rachel Miller leads us back to our roots--to our salvation and freedom in Jesus Christ.--Valerie Hobbs, Senior Lecturer in Applied Linguistics, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, UK