Women's Bible Studies-- All Fluff and No Substance?

I don't like going to Bible study.  There, I said it.  

I love studying the Bible.  I love getting together with fellow believers to examine, learn from, and apply God's word.  I love fellowshipping and praying for one another.  But when it's time to sign up for another "Women's Bible Study" at church, I sigh, I shake my head, I look for excuses, I hem and haw.  Sometimes I cave and go.  But other times, like this year, I just decide not to bother.

Why?  First of all, what is generally meant by "Bible study" is really "doing a workbook that references the Bible occasionally."  The times the Bible is referenced, it is often taken out of context and molded to fit the idea the author has formulated herself.  It's poor exegesis, which leads to incorrect application.  In addition to the workbook, "Bible study" involves watching a DVD where the author speaks to us, and through personal stories and a few more verses pulled in for good measure, we are supposed to feel warm and fuzzy.  If the author/speaker is really good, women may even get teared up.  

I'm not saying these studies aren't helpful; on the contrary, I'm sure many women are learning things that are, for the most part, true.   The sticky issues of exegesis could be easily corrected and discussed in the course of the group study.  What bothers me the most is that this is all many Christian women know-- how to study someone else's study about the Bible, rather than how to study the Bible itself.  As a result, I fear many women are missing out on the depth and riches of scripture because they are too afraid or just don't know how to get started without their well-dressed, dynamic female author/speaker to lead them on the journey.

(Two caveats here-- I'm not just referring to a particular female author/speaker, although some are worse than others in terms of poor exegesis and application.  I'm referring to the whole body of curriculum generally used for Women's Ministries in the U.S.  Also, I can't speak for men's Bible studies as to the quality or substance, though I'm assuming they can run into the same pitfalls as women's studies.  I will say, though, that at least at the churches I've been involved in, a much higher percentage of women participate in Bible studies than men do, so while it may have it's problems, at least women are making an effort to grow and learn.)

For a new believer, these studies can be a good way to ease into the practice of getting into God's word.  They can guide and explain scriptures and help someone process it.  But we shouldn't get stuck there.  We have to learn to read and think through scripture with the Holy Spirit as our guide.  Of course we often need outside help to clarify and explain scripture, and I am all for using commentaries, concordances, dictionaries, and other study aids.  We can't fully grasp scripture without understanding its original context and setting, and the average person doesn't know beans about the 1st century world, pre- or post-exilic Judaic culture, or what have you.  

Maybe that's part of the problem.  Most churches expect too little from its members as far as what they should know.  We all should be eager theologians, but often what we hear from the pulpit is, "I won't bore you with the theology here" as they glaze over a really significant point.  Women tend to shy away from theology often because it is seen as a "man's domain."  If women can't be pastors or elders (as in my denomination), then they are never challenged to attain that level of Biblical knowledge.  That is a terrible shame.

So we are stuck with frivolous fluff that has more to do with how we "feel" about a certain passage of scripture rather than what it says.  We rarely dive into a whole book of the Bible, or even an extended passage.  We can only think in bits and pieces.   (When we tried doing the book of Hebrews, the women did amazingly well thinking through difficult passages, but they voted at the end of the study that they didn't really like it and wanted to go back to the workbook/DVD format.  !!!!)   We rate the value of a study based on how many emotional nerves it hit; the more the author seems to be speaking to an area women can identify with, the more they feel they are "getting something out of it."  They don't realize they are feeding off of regurgitated blessings and insights from someone else rather than seeking it directly from scripture.

It wouldn't be fair to categorize all women's Bible studies this way, and I know several other women that feel my frustration about these types of studies.  But the vast majority eat them up like they are chocolate, scrapbooking, and chick-flicks all rolled into one (pardon the gross female stereotypes!).  Add to that the fact that the Christian publishing industry knows how to market these babies with amazing demographical precision.  I just feel like screaming, "There's so much more, gals, there's so much more!"

Thoughts?

The Good, The Bad, and Everything In Between

My husband and I have elementary school-aged children, and like many parents, we have always made it a priority to try and shield them from negative influences.  We don't get cable, we restrict what cartoons they can watch, and we monitor the games they play on the internet.  The worst offending influence we had to correct in their preschool years was the "just believe in yourself" pop psychology that is so prevalent in kids' cartoons.

Our job became much harder when our kids entered public school, as we expected it would.  Now they often come home and ask about an offending word or gesture, or talk about why so-and-so's parent is in jail.  It can be stressful at times, but I hope that as we teach them to think through these issues, they will be able to make good choices when we are not around.

A couple weeks ago, though, our kids were at a friend's house and were exposed to a very violent video game.  I was very dismayed when I heard about it later, as they were describing what they saw.  I was even more dismayed when they tried to argue with me why the game was OK, even after I told them why it was a bad game.  I finally had to say, "That game is BAD.  You don't not play that game EVER.  If a friend has that game, you say your Mom does not allow you to play or watch that game EVER."

Kids think in terms of black and white.  They have to be told "this is bad" and "this is okay."  It's hard to explain the subtleties of morality to a five-year-old.  Thus the world is cast in black and white for little eyes.  Everything falls into two categories--good/bad, permissible/not permissible, moral/immoral.

Part of growing up, then, is realizing that the world really isn't black and white.  It's black and white and a million shades of gray.  There is moral, immoral, and amoral.  There is sometimes moral under some circumstances and immoral under different circumstances.  Very few things in life are cut and dry.  I think of 1 Corinthians 13:11: "When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put childish ways behind me."  We have to put childish reasoning aside in order to fully mature.  That means we have to set aside our tendency to see everything as either "all good" or "all bad."

The Christian life would be easier if it were a set of rules.  We could have our list of what was good and what was bad and check it off as we go.  We could feel pretty confident we were doing things right.  God gave the Law to Israel, arguably the ultimate list of "right and wrong."  It became a burden because they could not live up to it, and those who tried often lost the whole spirit of the Law that calls people to love God and love other people.  We as Christians do not live under the law (which is a good thing for many reasons, not the least of which is that cotton/polyester blends are much easier to iron).  But we do well to observe many aspects of the law (such as the "do not murder" part).  Then Jesus came along and upped the ante.   Calling your brother a fool could be akin to murder, and lusting in your mind is adultery in the heart (Matthew 5:21-30).  

If we try to apply the Bible to our lives as merely a rule book or a guide for daily living, we are going to run into obvious problems.  Take "do not murder," for example.  Seems simple enough.  But then we run into the tricky issues of war, euthanasia, the death penalty, and so forth.  What started out as a black and white issue now has a whole spectrum of moral decisions that don't seem so clear.  

Take lying for another example.  We could find many examples in scripture that support the idea that lying is a bad thing.  Yet Rahab, who lied her face off to protect the Israelite spies, is commended in Hebrews 11 as an example of great faith.  (I'm waiting for the day when my ever-perceptive children come home from Sunday School class and ask me about that one!)

There is true freedom for the Christian: "'Everything is permissible'-- but not everything is beneficial. 'Everything is permissible'-- but not everything is constructive.  Nobody should seek his own good, but the good of others" (1 Corinthians 10:23-24).  Rather than a list of rules, we are told to put the good of others above our own self-interests.  That's messier business than a list of rules, but it allows the nuances needed in dealing with people.  We don't live in a one-rule-fits-every-circumstance world, and God gave us the freedom to be guided by His Spirit and our own discernment to respond to each situation as needed.

I've encountered many adults in the last few weeks who are still seeing the world in stark contrasts.  They have labeled "good" all that they consider "good," and everything else is as evil as the fire of hell itself.  Trying to reason with them to take a more nuanced approach is about as effective as trying to get my 5-year-old to reason through the moral complexities of a violent video game.  I expect it from a child, but I get a little exasperated when I'm talking with an adult.  While there certainly are issues that I view as black and white and non-negotiable, that list is a lot shorter than it used to be.  And I hope I am not belligerent when I discuss those issues with others.  I obviously have a long way to go in the process of maturing, but I can recognize a few areas where I've put away childish thinking (through a rather painful process, but it happened eventually).  Ultimately, when it comes to an issue where I'm unsure of the morality/immorality of it, I try to err on the side of love and grace extended toward people.

A final thought-- Jesus said that "anyone who will not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it" (Mark 10:15).  So on the one hand we are to mature, yet we are still to be like little children.  Having kids has helped me to understand this verse.  I don't think having a "childlike faith" means never questioning anything and taking everything blind.  On the contrary, my kids are incredibly inquisitive and question things all the time.  But they look to us for guidance, and they long to be with us and do what we're doing.  They don't have egos or agendas when it comes to spending time with Mom and Dad.  In the same way, we should approach our Heavenly Father with all our childish questions and let Him guide our thinking.  The world will still be black and white and a million shades of gray, but we will start to see it with His loving eyes.

"Biblical Worldview"-- Polished Arguments or Selfless Love?

My church is currently going through a video series designed to help Christians form and articulate a "Biblical worldview."  I've only been able to see one of the sessions, so I really can't speak to the whole series.  But the one session I saw started me thinking on the phrase "Biblical worldview" and what it might mean.

Simply put, having a Biblical worldview usually means seeing the world through the lens of the Bible.  It makes the Bible one's ultimate authority for decisions on life, faith, and morality.  It recognizes that there is an absolute truth that transcends time and culture.  In general, I think that is a very important thing for Christians to know.  Christians need to know their Bible, how to read it, how to understand it, and how to apply it.  Christians need to know their theology and what it means for their life.  What we believe directly affects how we act.  So in this sense, honing a "Biblical worldview" is a very good thing.

But two main concerns arise in my mind whenever I hear people talk about a "Biblical worldview."  (And it's not just this particular video series-- there are countless books, magazines, websites, articles, and conferences designed to help the Christian "think Biblically.")

1.  My first concern is that a "Biblical worldview" invariably means more than just the Bible-- it means taking the Bible and applying it to specific issues within our culture.  Trouble is, the Bible doesn't specifically address many of the issues we are facing in the 21st century, just as it didn't specifically address issues in the 5th century or the 16th century.  There is a lot of room for subjectivity in our attempt to be objective.  Two different people can both view the Bible as inerrant and as the ultimate authority for life and faith, but when they seek to apply that to cultural or social issues, they may apply it in very different ways.  Who then has the Biblical worldview?  

Too often, these attempts to help Christians develop a "Biblical worldview" are just thinly veiled disguises to get Christians to support a particular side in the debate of a cultural issue.  For instance, it might be geared to helping Christians develop a politically conservative worldview.  It is often implied that if one is truly "thinking Biblically," then it would be impossible for that person to, say, vote for a pro-choice politician or stand in opposition to a "just war."  What a beautiful argument that is-- if someone doesn't vote for your candidate, you can accuse them of not having a "Biblical worldview."  Then it becomes an issue not of political preference but of obedience to a holy God.  Politics is just one example of where disagreement can occur.  Devout, faithful believers can find their "Biblical worldview" translating into very different actions in the public square.  So... who is right?

2.  My second concern is that these attempts to disseminate a "Biblical worldview" end up giving believers an "us versus them" and "Christians versus culture" mentality.  It sees our "post-modern"culture as the enemy out to destroy everything we as Christians hold near and dear.  Thus, the solution is not teaching believers to love their neighbor, but to arm them with strategic information to thwart the attacks of "culture."  If believers can learn the weaknesses of their enemy's arguments, find the holes in their logic, then they can sweep in with their well-formulated arguments and score a major victory for Christ... or so the thinking goes.  

Trouble is, it doesn't work.  Culture is not something we can grab and take control of-- culture is made up of people and the things they do.  So "culture wars" are not simply ideas versus ideas.  They pit people against people.  As Christians, we know our "fight" is not against people.  Our struggle is a spiritual one (Ephesians 6:10-18).  We are told to love people, even our enemies (Matthew 5:44).  Presenting someone with a logical argument for our faith is not the same thing as loving them.  

I worked on formulating my arguments for years.  I studied Josh McDowell and Lee Strobel, took notes, and memorized the facts.  (I'm not criticizing McDowell or Strobel--I greatly appreciate their books and their testimonies.) How do you think it played out in my interactions with other people?

Non-Christian Friend: "You know, I don't know why you read the Bible.  It's just a big bunch of myths written by monks hundreds of years later."

Me: (Excited to get to use what I know)  "Actually, there is a lot of historical evidence for the veracity of the Bible.  Most of the books were written soon after the life of Christ.  And did you know there are hundreds of manuscripts in existence, while Homer's Iliad only has a few...?"  (Continues with amazing, brilliant argument)

Non-Christian Friend: "Wow, I never knew that.  I had no idea there was so much evidence for the Bible.  I guess I better give it another look.  Can I go to church with you on Sunday?"

As you can imagine, it never played out like that.  It usually looked something more like this:

Non-Christian Friend: "You know, I don't know why you read the Bible.  It's just a big bunch of myths written by monks hundreds of years later."

Me: (Excited to get to use what I know) "Actually, there is a lot of historical evidence for the veracity of the Bible.  Most of the books were written soon after the life of Christ. And did you know there are hundreds of manuscripts in existence, while Homer's Iliad only has a few..." (Blah, blah, blah)

Non-Christian Friend:  (Shrugs)  "Whatever.  I guess I just don't buy it.  Cool for you, though."

That little scenario has happened with frustrating regularity.

It doesn't matter how great our speeches are.  Our logic may be impeccable.  But if we are not loving people and the Holy Spirit is not working, it won't make a bit of difference.  If we hope to influence culture with our "Biblical worldview," will we do so with well-polished arguments or selfless love?  

I love to debate.  I thrive on arguing.  But I save those exercises for fellow Christians who know me well; otherwise, I come across as rather unloving.  We are told to "always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have," but that is to be done "with gentleness and respect" (1 Peter 3:15).  That mandate is given after the passage tells us to "live in harmony with one another; be sympathetic, love as brothers, be compassionate and humble. Do not repay evil with evil or insult with insult, but with blessing..." (1 Peter 3:8-9).  A "Biblical worldview" should not make one militant or aggressive, seeking to win an argument.  A "Biblical worldview" does not want to see another person put to shame.  A true "Biblical worldview" is one that sees the world full of hurting people that need to be loved with the love of Christ.  If our apologetics do not serve this goal, then they are not truly Biblical.