by Susan McLeod-Harrison

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review by Kent Walkemeyer
and Judith Shoemaker

THE ROLES and experiences of women in evangelical churches continue to present challenges. For some, the issue is theological. For too many women, however, the angst is deeply emotional and social. They have found the church to be a source of wounding, offering mixed signals about their worth and spiritual giftedness. In Saving Women from the Church, Susan McLeod-Harrison clearly offers a redeeming word to women. But her contributions to the related theological discussion may be missed by those who excuse this as a book for women.

We decided to review this book together because we believe this not to be a women's issue, but a church issue.

I, Kent, have tended to see the women-and-church controversy as an argument about a few sentences from the apostle Paul.

I, Judith, have witnessed women's hurts in the church and the men who neatly categorize those hurts as “women's issues.”

Unless men and women together address both the theological and socio-emotional issues, we doubt much progress can be made. We believe this book is a resource for both genders and both sets of concerns.

McLeod-Harrison's format is unique. It appeals to the story-lover in us all while offering intellectual fodder for the debate, and catalyst for healing. Each chapter begins with a contemporary vignette of a dilemma women have experienced in church followed by a creative retelling of a Gospel story. McLeod-Harrison uses the life and teachings of Jesus to show that Jesus followed the “law of love” in his treatment of all persons. The Gospels show Jesus consistently defying cultural and religious expectations when they demeaned or marginalized women. Each Gospel story is followed by an interpretative analysis of the text and its relevance to the earlier story. Finally, each chapter concludes with reflection/discussion questions and a guided meditation for readers to think more deeply and experience Jesus' healing.

The stories are creative and provocative, drawing us expectantly from chapter to chapter. The real-to-life vignettes at the front of each chapter confront the awkwardness of being female in the church. For example, in the first chapter, a divorced woman wrestles with feelings of humiliation and rejection when a well-meaning woman makes a careless comment during the church greeting time. In subsequent chapters, McLeod-Harrison addresses issues such as the pain of women who believe they are inferior to men, churches that resist the ministry gifts of women, the misuse of submission, men and women coministering, and motherhood. Several of the issues raised are those that men can easily relate to as well: feelings of being judged, understanding emotional expression as weakness, being single, the perception of the church being an unsafe place to share pain, lack of emotional energy for ministry, feeling that your kids are not welcome, and personal loneliness.

The second story in each chapter is a creative retelling of Jesus' encounters with various women in the Gospels. These stories enliven the imagination while maintaining the integrity of the biblical accounts. For example, McLeod-Harrison follows the story of the divorced woman in church with the Luke 13 account of Jesus healing a crippled woman on the Sabbath. The thrust and beauty of the chapter lies in McLeod-Harrison's interpretation of the Luke text and application to the story that opened the chapter. She concludes that for Jesus, “Love supersedes every cultural law” (p 25). Jesus was the embracer of the wounded outcast. Yet the church today too often adds to the pain and humiliation of those already left out of community. McLeod-Harrison conveys clear and concise images of Jesus' interaction with women, not as subjects for theological discourse, but as human beings. He ministered to them in the margins of culture, moving them toward equality by valuing and treating them with countercultural love.

I, Kent, began reading this as a book for women. I was surprised to find myself deeply engaged in self-reflection—not only about the questions of how I treat women or consider the theological issue of women leaders, but about how Jesus redeems me from my own sinful condition. In McLeod-Harrison's presentations of Jesus, I experienced Jesus' truth and grace anew. The book is a redemptive gift to all of us, not just women.

I, Judith, also understood the book as geared toward women only. The discussion questions and the guided meditation materials lend themselves almost exclusively to women. This would make an excellent discussion book for a women's small group. The subject matter should be addressed to both men and women, however. Men could benefit greatly from discussions on the issues raised in this book. Reflection questions and meditations suitable for men would be an interesting additional layer that could deeply benefit those of us struggling through these issues with the dear men in our lives—our husbands, fathers, sons, and other co-laborers in the Lord. Even without reflection questions and meditation designed for men, this book serves both men and women in their unique needs and approaches to this urgent concern.

A final recommendation: We both absolutely loved McLeod-Harrison's appendix comparing the Bible's teaching on slavery with its teaching on women. This will serve us both as a resource in leading others to address the biblical teaching on women leaders in the church. It was the unexpected dessert at the end of a nutritious and delectable meal.

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