Council on Biblical Manhood and Womanhood
Encyclopedia
The Council on Biblical Manhood and Womanhood (CBMW) is an evangelical
Christian
organization promoting a complementarian
(as opposed to an egalitarian
, feminist
, or patriarchal
) view of gender issues. CBMW's current president is Dr. Randy Stinson who is also Dean of the School of Church Ministries at The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary
.
on "Manhood and Womanhood in Biblical and Theological Perspectives" at a 1986 meeting of the Evangelical Theological Society
(ETS), where he invited delegates to join "a new organization dedicated to upholding both equality and differences between men and women in marriage and the church." This was followed by a meeting in Dallas with Grudem, John Piper
, Wayne House, and others. A subsequent meeting was held in Danvers, Massachusetts
. Here the Danvers Statement on Biblical Manhood and Womanhood was finalized. A full page advertisement containing the full Danvers Statement was published in Christianity Today
in January 1989.
In 1991, Crossway Books
published the organisation's lengthy book, Recovering Biblical Manhood and Womanhood: A Response to Evangelical Feminism. Edited by Piper and Grudem, this book included contributions by D. A. Carson, John Frame
, Vern Poythress
, Douglas J. Moo
, Paige Patterson
, Elisabeth Elliot
, and several other writers. Bill Bright
of Campus Crusade for Christ
also supported the organisation.
The Danvers Statement has been endorsed or adopted by the Southwestern Baptist Seminary and several independent churches. Randall Balmer says that the Statement was an attempt to "staunch the spread of biblical feminism in evangelical circles." Seth Dowland suggests that the authors of the statement "framed their position as a clear and accessible reading of scripture. The Danvers Statement is included in readers
such as Evangelicalism and Fundamentalism: A Documentary Reader (NYU Press, 2008) and Eve and Adam: Jewish, Christian, and Muslim readings on Genesis and gender (Indiana University Press
, 2009).
The Danvers Statement recognised the "genuine evangelical standing of many who do not agree with all of our convictions." In 1994, three leaders of CBMW met with Christians for Biblical Equality
(CBE) for discussions. While there was much dialog, little agreement was found.
In 1998, the organisation established a British branch, in which Terry Virgo
was active.
As of December 2010, the CBMW had a funding level of around $127,000, down from $336,000 two years earlier.
.
In the late 90s CBMW published articles and papers critical of gender-neutral Bible translations, such as Today's New International Version
of 2002. CBMW has drawn Christian media attention by expressing concerns about such translations. The organizations thoughts on Bible translations have had influence upon Southern Baptists
, Focus on the Family
, and other evangelical organizations.
co-founded a CBMW newsletter, which became the Journal for Biblical Manhood & Womanhood, published biannually. The editor is Dr. Denny Burk.
The journal usually consist of around fifteen articles composed by various evangelical scholars who hold to complementarian
views.
Evangelicalism
Evangelicalism is a Protestant Christian movement which began in Great Britain in the 1730s and gained popularity in the United States during the series of Great Awakenings of the 18th and 19th century.Its key commitments are:...
Christian
Christian
A Christian is a person who adheres to Christianity, an Abrahamic, monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth as recorded in the Canonical gospels and the letters of the New Testament...
organization promoting a complementarian
Complementarian
Complementarianism is a theological view held by some in Christianity and other world religions, such as Islam, that men and women have different but complementary roles and responsibilities in marriage, family life, religious leadership, and elsewhere. The word ‘'complementary’' and its cognates...
(as opposed to an egalitarian
Christian Egalitarianism
Christian Egalitarianism , also known as biblical equality, is a Christian form of the moral doctrine of Egalitarianism. It holds that all human persons are created equally in God's sight—equal in fundamental worth and moral status...
, feminist
Christian feminism
Christian feminism is an aspect of feminist theology which seeks to advance and understand the equality of men and women morally, socially, spiritually, and in leadership from a Christian perspective. Christian feminists argue that contributions by women in that direction are necessary for a...
, or patriarchal
Biblical patriarchy
Biblical patriarchy is a set of beliefs in evangelical Christianity concerning marriage, the family, and the home. It sees the father as the head of the home, and responsible for the conduct of his family. Notable adherents of biblical patriarchy include Douglas Wilson, R. C. Sproul, Jr. and...
) view of gender issues. CBMW's current president is Dr. Randy Stinson who is also Dean of the School of Church Ministries at The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary
Southern Baptist Theological Seminary
The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary , located in Louisville, Kentucky, is the oldest of the six seminaries affiliated with the Southern Baptist Convention . The seminary was founded in 1859, at Greenville, South Carolina. After being closed during the Civil War, it moved in 1877 to Louisville...
.
History
The Council on Biblical Manhood and Womanhood was organized in 1987. Its origins lie with a talk by Wayne GrudemWayne Grudem
Wayne A. Grudem is a Protestant theologian and author. He was born in 1948 in Chippewa Falls, Wisconsin and married Margaret White on June 6, 1969 in Eau Claire, Wisconsin...
on "Manhood and Womanhood in Biblical and Theological Perspectives" at a 1986 meeting of the Evangelical Theological Society
Evangelical Theological Society
The Evangelical Theological Society is a professional society of Biblical scholars, educators, pastors, and students with the stated purpose of serving Jesus and his church by advancing evangelical scholarship. It was established in 1949 in Cincinnati. The number of members in 2005 was over 4,200...
(ETS), where he invited delegates to join "a new organization dedicated to upholding both equality and differences between men and women in marriage and the church." This was followed by a meeting in Dallas with Grudem, John Piper
John Piper (theologian)
John Stephen Piper is a Christian preacher and author, currently serving as Pastor for Preaching and Vision of Bethlehem Baptist Church in Minneapolis, Minnesota...
, Wayne House, and others. A subsequent meeting was held in Danvers, Massachusetts
Danvers, Massachusetts
Danvers is a town in Essex County, Massachusetts, United States. Located on the Danvers River near the northeastern coast of Massachusetts, Danvers is most widely known for its association with the 1692 Salem witch trials, and for its famous asylum, the Danvers State Hospital.-17th century:The land...
. Here the Danvers Statement on Biblical Manhood and Womanhood was finalized. A full page advertisement containing the full Danvers Statement was published in Christianity Today
Christianity Today
Christianity Today is an Evangelical Christian periodical based in Carol Stream, Illinois. It is the flagship publication of its parent company Christianity Today International, claiming circulation figures of 140,000 and readership of 290,000...
in January 1989.
In 1991, Crossway Books
Good News Publishers
Good News Publishers is a not-for-profit Christian ministry that publishes and distributes gospel tracts. Good News Publishers is the parent company of Crossway Books, a publisher of evangelical Christian books. Good News/Crossway is headquartered in Wheaton, Illinois...
published the organisation's lengthy book, Recovering Biblical Manhood and Womanhood: A Response to Evangelical Feminism. Edited by Piper and Grudem, this book included contributions by D. A. Carson, John Frame
John Frame
John M. Frame is an American philosopher and Calvinist theologian especially noted for his work in epistemology and presuppositional apologetics, systematic theology, and ethics...
, Vern Poythress
Vern Poythress
Vern Sheridan Poythress is a Calvinist philosopher and theologian and New Testament scholar.-Biography:Poythress lived on his family farm in Madera, California until he was five years old and later moved with his family to Fresno, California...
, Douglas J. Moo
Douglas J. Moo
Douglas J. Moo is a New Testament scholar who, after teaching for more than twenty years at Trinity Evangelical Divinity School in Illinois, has served as Blanchard Professor of New Testament at the Wheaton College Graduate School since 2000. He received his Ph.D. at the University of St. Andrews,...
, Paige Patterson
Paige Patterson
L. Paige Patterson is the eighth president of the Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary in Fort Worth, Texas.- Education :*B.A. - Hardin-Simmons University, Abilene, Texas*Th.M. - New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary...
, Elisabeth Elliot
Elisabeth Elliot
Elisabeth Elliot is a Christian author and speaker. Her first husband, Jim Elliot, was killed in 1956 while attempting to make missionary contact with the Auca of eastern Ecuador. She later spent two years as a missionary to the tribe members who killed her husband...
, and several other writers. Bill Bright
Bill Bright
William R. "Bill" Bright was an American evangelist. The founder of Campus Crusade for Christ, he wrote The Four Spiritual Laws in 1952 and produced the Jesus Film in 1979.-Early life:...
of Campus Crusade for Christ
Campus Crusade for Christ
Campus Crusade for Christ is an interdenominational Christian organization that promotes evangelism and discipleship in more than 190 countries...
also supported the organisation.
The Danvers Statement has been endorsed or adopted by the Southwestern Baptist Seminary and several independent churches. Randall Balmer says that the Statement was an attempt to "staunch the spread of biblical feminism in evangelical circles." Seth Dowland suggests that the authors of the statement "framed their position as a clear and accessible reading of scripture. The Danvers Statement is included in readers
Anthology
An anthology is a collection of literary works chosen by the compiler. It may be a collection of poems, short stories, plays, songs, or excerpts...
such as Evangelicalism and Fundamentalism: A Documentary Reader (NYU Press, 2008) and Eve and Adam: Jewish, Christian, and Muslim readings on Genesis and gender (Indiana University Press
Indiana University Press
Indiana University Press, also known as IU Press, is an academic publisher at Indiana University that specializes in the humanities and social sciences. It was founded in 1950. Its headquarters are located in Bloomington, Indiana....
, 2009).
The Danvers Statement recognised the "genuine evangelical standing of many who do not agree with all of our convictions." In 1994, three leaders of CBMW met with Christians for Biblical Equality
Christians for Biblical Equality
Christians for Biblical Equality is non-profit organization of churches and individual members who believe that the Bible, properly interpreted, teaches the fundamental equality of believers of both sexes, all racial and ethnic groups and all economic classes...
(CBE) for discussions. While there was much dialog, little agreement was found.
In 1998, the organisation established a British branch, in which Terry Virgo
Terry Virgo
Terry Virgo is a prominent leader in the British New Church Movement, . He is the founder of the Newfrontiers family of neocharismatic evangelical churches, which has grown into an international apostolic network of over 700 churches in more than 60 nations. He is a leading Reformed Charismatic...
was active.
As of December 2010, the CBMW had a funding level of around $127,000, down from $336,000 two years earlier.
Positions
The CBMW takes the position the the Bible restricts the ordination of womenOrdination of women
Ordination in general religious usage is the process by which a person is consecrated . The ordination of women is a regular practice among some major religious groups, as it was of several religions of antiquity...
.
In the late 90s CBMW published articles and papers critical of gender-neutral Bible translations, such as Today's New International Version
Today's New International Version
Today's New International Version is an English translation of the Bible developed by the Committee on Bible Translation. The CBT also developed the New International Version in the 1970s. The TNIV is based on the NIV. It is explicitly Protestant like its predecessor; the deuterocanonical books...
of 2002. CBMW has drawn Christian media attention by expressing concerns about such translations. The organizations thoughts on Bible translations have had influence upon Southern Baptists
Southern Baptist Convention
The Southern Baptist Convention is a United States-based Christian denomination. It is the world's largest Baptist denomination and the largest Protestant body in the United States, with over 16 million members...
, Focus on the Family
Focus on the Family
Focus on the Family is an American evangelical Christian tax-exempt non-profit organization founded in 1977 by psychologist James Dobson, and is based in Colorado Springs, Colorado. Focus on the Family is one of a number of evangelical parachurch organizations that rose to prominence in the 1980s...
, and other evangelical organizations.
Journal for Biblical Manhood & Womanhood (JBMW)
Wayne GrudemWayne Grudem
Wayne A. Grudem is a Protestant theologian and author. He was born in 1948 in Chippewa Falls, Wisconsin and married Margaret White on June 6, 1969 in Eau Claire, Wisconsin...
co-founded a CBMW newsletter, which became the Journal for Biblical Manhood & Womanhood, published biannually. The editor is Dr. Denny Burk.
The journal usually consist of around fifteen articles composed by various evangelical scholars who hold to complementarian
Complementarian
Complementarianism is a theological view held by some in Christianity and other world religions, such as Islam, that men and women have different but complementary roles and responsibilities in marriage, family life, religious leadership, and elsewhere. The word ‘'complementary’' and its cognates...
views.