I talked about this a wee bit at NiT, but that blog isn’t “Christian” and this one “is”. So I’m going to address another part of Sam Davidson’s rant against home ec courses at Seminary here.
Sam says:
Like a lot of moves made by Southwestern since the arrival of Paige Patterson, this one is absurd. The seminary has the freedom to offer such coursework, but if they think such offerings will save Christianity or society, their theology is completely misplaced. And so, again, we have a Christian educational institution misplacing priorities in an attempt to fix the problem of misplaced priorities. People are still hungry, poverty is a still an epidemic, disease is still killing countless Africans, and injustice prevails in much of our world.
I hear this type of talk from a lot of Christians, especially those who are extremely idealistic. I admire their zeal for Fixing The World, but I think it disturbing when that zeal tramples over the choices and callings of other Christians. A while back there seemed to be this thrust toward Missions work. The culture of much of the Christian church seemed to say that those with a Vocation To Christian Service–ie. Missionaries, Ministers, Teachers in Christian Schools–were of a better, more sanctified, class of Holy. (I think some of this comes from a warping of our reading of the word “holy”. It DOES mean “set apart”, but that apartness need not necessarily apply to your line of work. One can be a holy banker, a holy cook, a holy shoe salesman. One can even be a holy attorney or college professor.)
A bit of exposure to that line of snobbery in my childhood as raised my guard permanently, so I do NOT react well when I hear other people say “how is THAT going to end world hunger?” or any other dismissive, judgemental evaluation of another’s calling. We cannot know the entirety of another person’s life, nor is it our business to know his or her calling from God. How we can then say that another’s actions are less worthy of the kingdom than ours escapes me.
Kat-
Your point is valid and is one I agree with. We can’t know the entirety of someone’s call.
But, Southwestern is claiming they can, by saying that women CAN’T be called to preach. Unfortunately, my original post did not call attention to this fact, and did seem to prioritize calls. That’s my bad.
But, Southwestern is claiming they can, by saying that women CAN’T be called to preach.
Realistically speaking, don’t people know this about Southwestern going into it?
I grew up in a community (Evangelical Mennonite) that didn’t sanction women in the pulpit. If you wanted to preach, you left the church and found a new denomination. Likewise, you found a seminary that WOULD sanction women preachers.
If Southwestern were the only seminary in all of Christendom I’d be up in arms. But (contrary to the opinions of many) it isn’t.
Right on. Well said.
[...] programs from such previous blog entries as Woman’s Work So Easy Any Idiot Can Do It and Many Parts Are Okay As Long As They’re Left Arms and Let Me Back Up A Second and Why Home Ec Share and Enjoy: These icons link to social [...]