Gender Quality: A new book from Stef Liston
Stef Liston, one of our Apostolic Team, will be releasing a book which will look in detail at the theological perspectives surrounding God’s design for men and women titled Gender Quality.
Why write a book on gender?
There’s been a growing conviction over the years that there isn’t much clarity or confidence around God’s plan in creating us male and female in churches, amongst both men and women. It’s been further muddied by the crisis in the wider culture on gender, which places additional pressure on the church.
The book was birthed out of a desire to articulate the truth and beauty of God’s plan and design for gender. As the project progressed, it became increasingly clear that I (Stef) needed to be more thoroughly versed in the wider perspectives held on the subject, both historically and presently, and I proceeded to read extensively on the topic to be able to better speak into the various theological tensions that exist around gender in the church. The result is a book that, while remaining very accessible, is a thorough examination of the biblical perspectives surrounding gender.
Why read (another) book on gender?
The debate surrounding the subject of gender is very ‘live’ right now. It’s therefore increasingly important to hold up our beliefs to the light of Scripture and examine the biblical foundations that inform our perspective. Gender Quality is an invitation to delve freshly into the theology of gender as presented in Scripture and engage with the theological conversations surrounding the subject.
The book will examine key texts in Scripture, its overarching themes and narratives, and the interaction of men and women in the Bible, to see what of them speaks to God’s design, how much is a comment on fallen humanity and how much is God accommodating imperfect situations. We will explore how to navigate and apply the Scriptures as those who exist 2,000 miles and 2,000+ years away from the original context. As they read the book readers will get opportunities to freshly:
…dig deeper into the creation narrative, the subsequent fall and its impact upon male and female harmony and unity
…look closely at key Pauline texts on men and women
…meditate on Jesus’ interaction with people, particularly women
…see how women were viewed, treated and valued in the Bible, especially in the Old Testament
…understand the atmosphere of the early church
…explore masculinity and feminity (are they biblical concepts? how do we apply them?)
…cover the ‘frequently asked questions’ that often arise
An invitation to re-engage with gender
My hope is that all who read the book will have a more confident grasp on the conversations surrounding gender and the two main theological perspectives in the church. Further to that, my goal is that readers will have a solid understanding of the perspective that we as a family of churches hold on gender and appreciate the beauty of that view.
Finally, my prayer is that there will be restoration of clarity and confidence on this subject of gender and, consequently, a wonderful unity, celebration and appreciation of one another as men and women in our church families.