Saved Through Childbearing (1 Timothy 2:15)

What is the meaning of 1 Timothy 2:15, “But women will be saved through childbearing– if they continue in faith, love and holiness with propriety (NIV)”? Let’s be honest…most of us either skim straight past this verse, with a shrug of the shoulders and some bemused muttering, or find it highly problematic – “What about…

Securing Their Future: the Daughters of Zelophehad

Does the Old Testament contain one of the oldest examples of an appeal for women’s rights? The story of the daughters of Zelophehad in Numbers 27 is one that you may never have noticed. It’s a fair guess that you never learned about it in kids’ church, haven’t been to a Bible study where this text…

Q&A: Do Genesis 3 and Ephesians 5 make men spiritual leaders? (Part 1)

Q: Bronwen, I notice that twice in Genesis 3, God addresses Adam about the broken commandment, but doesn’t mention it to Eve. This seems to imply that God doesn’t hold her accountable as the leader, but instead holds Adam responsible as the spiritual leader. Looking forward, just as Eve was not trusted with the responsibility…

A Tale of Two Translators: The Lives and Legacies of Julia E. Smith & Helen Barrett Montgomery

This article first appeared in Christians for Biblical Equality’s Mutuality magazine in May 2017. Who translated the version of the English Bible that you use? Google the answer, and there’s a strong likelihood you’ll find that all or most of the translators were men, even of very recent translations. Remarkably, two translations from the mid-nineteenth and…

The Transformative Gospel – Sermon on John 4

What does it look like to live a life transformed by the Gospel? The story of the Samaritan woman at the well in John chapter 4 gives us a glimpse of some of the ways in which this woman’s life was transformed by meeting Jesus. If you’ve ever wondered “but what happened next in her…

A Letter to My Friend – A Domestic Abuse Survivor

This post was first published on Christians for Biblical Equality’s Arise blog, in the wake of the discussions which arose about domestic and family violence (DFV) in Christian homes since journalists Julia Baird and Hayley Gleeson published this controversial report: “‘Submit to your husbands’: Women told to endure domestic violence in the name of God.”  Responses from…

Who’s Who in Paul’s Greetings in Romans 16 (Part 1)

Okay, confession time: do your eyes glaze over when you read that long list of greetings in Romans 16? Maybe, like me, you’ve been part of a Bible study that looked at each chapter of Romans week by week, only to come to an abrupt halt after chapter 15, because it was considered that there…

Women’s Ordination in the Lutheran Church of Australia: A Prayerful Reflection

Yesterday, the Lutheran Church of Australia voted on the ordination of women once again, returning a vote of 240 in favour to 161 against. The vote failed to reach the required two-thirds majority. Many of our Lutheran brothers and sisters are mourning today as the impact of this decision sinks in, and as Paul encouraged…

Q&A: Is a Feminist Reading of the Bible Possible?

This question was asked in an online group I am a member of, by a person who describes herself as a “healthy sceptic” about religion. This is a somewhat expanded and edited version of my answer to her question in that forum. Q: Bronwen, after reading the Bible (King James version) please explain how it…

Christian Conferences and the Danger of a Single Story

It’s Christian conference season in Perth. The marketing of a particular pair of men’s and women’s conferences caught my eye because of the strong gender stereotypes portrayed. The promotional material for the women’s event is a soft, fuzzy blue and pink. It’s titled “The Essential Wardrobe: Clothed With Love” and the conference speakers traced the…