Why Can’t Women Do That?: Breaking Down the Reasons Churches Put Men in Charge

Product Description

“Maybe it sounds old-fashioned, but I believe that men have a special God-given sense of responsibility and leadership. The Bible plainly teaches that men should be the leaders of the church and in the family.”
This sentiment has been rooted in Christian patriarchy for centuries. In many Christian churches, women are told they can’t do certain things simply because they are women. Women can’t preach. Women can’t teach. Women can’t co-lead a family with their husbands. Women can’t read Scripture out loud in church. Women can’t be a ministry leader (except to children and other women). The list goes on and on. Do these restrictions make sense? And more importantly, are they biblical?
In Why Can’t Women Do That? Philip B. Payne and Vince Huffaker explore the concerns that many Christians have regarding the leadership of women and analyze every relevant Bible passage to show that yes, women can!This book is written to everybody in the Christian community, regardless of where they stand on the issue. It is written in an
easy-to-read,
casual,
non-confrontational manner that is
challenging and
thought-provoking, but not insulting. The first part of the book discusses general principles and church traditions to support the belief that men and women should work together as equals. The second part analyzes the Bible passages, including those commonly used to prove that women shouldn’t lead.
Why Can’t Women Do That?
strips the complex theology down to its main points and presents a compelling case for the inclusion of women in a
simple, straightforward style that everyone can understand. This book is perfect for
individuals,
small groups,
pastors, and
churches as they reflect on the
leadership roles of women.

Review

Profound scholarship broken down to be made
lively,
clear, and
understandable for any reader who wants to know what the Bible says about one of the most challenging issues facing the church today.
-H. G. M. Williamson, Emeritus Regius Professor of Hebrew, University of Oxford

Philip Payne and Vince Huffaker have produced a
readable,
comprehensive work on the service of women in the church and marriage. It contains new research that has yet to appear in print. For an
up to date,
readable, and
enjoyable presentation of the egalitarian case, this is the book to read. –
Rev. Peter Davids, Chaplain, Our Lady of Guadalupe Priory

Seeing
well-developed arguments in this
brief and
non-confrontational format is an
eye-opening experience. The
Bible comes alive as a book written for men and women who are more alike than has traditionally been acknowledged by much of Christendom. –
Rev. Dr. David Instone-Brewer

A
readable,
well researched,
well-reasoned book, demonstrating God’s consistent support of women throughout the Bible.
Comprehensive,
logical, and
clear, this book is an
indispensable treatment of women in the Bible. I
enthusiastically recommend it to anyone eager to hear God’s high regard for women or anyone who wrestles with the Bible’s teaching on women. –
Rev. Dr. Grace Y. May, Associate Professor of Biblical Studies and Director of the Women’s Institute, William Carey International University

I have read most of the books written by complementarians and evangelical egalitarians and I think Philip Payne’s are the best. It is the fruit of forty years of study by a
first-rate biblical scholar who does not avoid any difficult issues. The
scholarly depth and the
clarity of his writing are 
exceptional. –
Kevin Giles, Anglican pastor and theologian

About the Author

PHILIP B. PAYNE holds a PhD in New Testament from the University of Cambridge and has taught New Testament in colleges of the University of Cambridge, Trinity Evangelical Divinity School, Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary, Bethel Seminary, and Fuller Seminary Northwest. He is well known for his publications about textual criticism, the parables of Jesus, and his book, Man and Woman, One in Christ (Zondervan, 2009).

VINCE HUFFAKER hol