A Review of Mark Chanski’s Womanly Dominion: More Than a Gentle and Quiet Spirit

Posted by deangonzales on July 14, 2010
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Maureen Dowd, an influential columnist for the New York Times, recently suggested that feminism is not working for women. In a piece entitled “Blue Is the New Black,” published in September 2009, she wrote

In the early ’70s, breaking out of the domestic cocoon, leaving their mothers’ circumscribed lives behind, young women felt exhilarated and bold. But the more women have achieved, the more they seem aggrieved….According to the General Social Survey, which has tracked Americans’ mood since 1972, and five other major studies around the world, women are getting gloomier and men are getting happier.

This piece—and the growing body of studies and literature like it—honestly poses the question, Do women in a modern world, faced with complex choices previous generations could not imagine, have to be unhappy? Is there a calling in which women can find lasting happiness?

Mark Chanski, a Reformed Baptist pastor in Holland, Michigan, thinks there is. The author of the excellent Manly Dominion (Calvary, 2007), Chanski has recently published Womanly Dominion,a companion text to his treatise on biblical manhood. In 200 crisp, scripturally saturated pages, Chanski charts an engaging course for Christian womanhood in a feminist age.

WOMANLY DOMINION: CHRISTIAN WOMANHOOD IN A FEMINIST AGE

The text’s central metaphor is a soccer game. A futbol enthusiast, Chanski exhorts women to “play your position” in a cultural climate that encourages rebellion against biblical gender roles. Chanski grounds his argument in the dominion texts of Genesis 1:27-28, and this dominion-based approach shapes his perspective on biblical womanhood at every turn. Early on, he urges that

Godly women, made in the image of God, mustdaily tell themselves: “Win it!” to the glory of God. [Women] must for the long haul, for the entire game, contest after contest, resolve to put forth maximum effort to rule and subdue their daily challenges, so help them God. (21)

From the stories he shares, Chanski’s own wife seems to fit this mold. At one point, he recounts her constant activity devoted to the welfare of her family:

My bride of 25 years strikingly imitates her subduing God. I constantly stand in appreciative awe of her extensive and detailed calendars and to-do lists. Dianne diligently plots out her week with calculated premeditation. She synchronizes her short term goals with the annual and monthly calendar appointments. Out of this she forges to-do lists for each day of the week. Then she relentlessly crosses out those task challenges one by one….With this vigorous spirit, my wife subdues the chaos and overcomes the obstacles before her, creating order and stability in our family’s otherwise disheveled world. (29)

I can testify to a similar experience in my own home. As Dianne Chanski and so many other Christian women do, my wife works quietly at a number of thankless tasks, honoring the Lord, refuting by her daily life false stereotypes and straw (wo)men.¹

There is much to chew on in the book, which will be highly useful for parents training daughters, men seeking to learn more about biblical womanhood, and more. Here are a few of the subjects it tackles:

• The inspiring effect of unknown mothers of famous men (42)
• The struggles of single mothers (127)
• Training girls to develop their minds without acquiescing to the vocational expectations of the culture (148)
• A balanced but honest approach to appearance, including Chanski’s exhortation to women to take care of their bodies without obsessing over looks (173)
• Helpful words for single women who want to be married (186)
• Commentary on girls and athletics (213)

MATTERS TO THINK OVER

I would point out just a few quibbles. Womanly Dominion, in my opinion, would benefit from increased reference to modern commentators who share Chanski’s perspective (there are many). Also, while Chanski’s sports metaphors may play well with some women, others will struggle to comprehend them.

There is a more significant matter to mention regarding the text. The book needs a stronger grounding in the gospel as the means to achieve the life of womanly dominion. This is not to say that Chanski does not comprehend the importance of the gospel in his writing and ministry. It is also not to say that the book does not reference in numerous places the importance of the gospel, the gracious providence of God, and the role of the Holy Spirit in supernaturally creating a spirit of dominion in women (see, for example, 120-21, 150-51, 182-84, 190-91). The gospel is in this text; the power of God is regularly referenced in this text.

But this already helpful book would grow considerably stronger by weaving a gospel perspective throughout the book, rather than just mentioning it in passing late in the book. It’s not enough to preach Genesis 1:27-28. Rather, it needs to be preached from the very beginning through a gospel grid. Maybe something like this: “Let’s confess that we haven’t fulfilled our dominion. But Christ has, which is great news! You no longer have to justify yourself by beingthe perfect Proverbs 31 woman. Now, resting entirely in his grace and freedom, let’s win it!” Only the gospel creates a spirit of dominion and empowers women to triumph over their sin and discouragement in living to the glory of God. Without such a mini-biblical theology, it is regrettably possible that some women might be intimidated or even feel condemned by Chanski’s bold style and frequent imperatives.

I have no doubt that Chanski believes this gospel and grounds his life and ministry in it. And one need not—must not—sacrifice exhortation on the altar of encouragement. But the gospel needs to occupy the center of this text, in terms of both content and hermeneutics.

THE LIFE OF WOMANLY DOMINION: NOT EASY BUT WORTH IT

Chanski nowhere suggests that the life of womanly dominion is easy. He makes it clear that women who are called to marriage, homemaking, and motherhood will face challenges, sometimes significant ones. Raising children is hard. Running a home is difficult, especially with a busy husband. Stresses from a hundred directions can swallow up joy and contentment.

Faced with these realities, Chanski does not mince words. Neither does he sidestep difficult issues such as sports, daycare, and working outside of the home, which Christians sometimes avoid, yet which faithfulness to Scripture calls us to think through. Indeed, the weight of these realities makes it all the more necessary that women constantly remember the vivifying power of the gospel and apply it to their circumstances, their challenges, their temptations.

With the caveats noted above, Womanly Dominion is a useful book. It may bless the church most by showing us that it is not choice for its own sake that will bless women and bring them happiness. Only making the right choice—living according to passages such as Ephesians 5, Colossians 3, and Titus 2—can satisfy these ends. If that seems rather simple, perhaps it is because the Lord made it so, in order that women of varied backgrounds, gifts, and times might experience the joy of living for Christ as a woman of dominion through the power of the indwelling Spirit.

Mark Chanski, the author of Womanly Dominion, serves as an adjunct professor of exegetical theology for Reformed Baptist Seminary and a pastor of the Reformed Baptist Church of Holland, Michigan.
Owen Strachan, the reviewer, serves as Instructor of Christian Theology at Boyce College and is the author of the five-volume Essential Edwards Collection (with Doug Sweeney; Moody, 2010).

This book review was originally published on 9Marks (July/August 2010) and is reproduced unaltered with permission.
©9Marks. Website: www.9Marks.org. Email: info@9marks.org. Toll Free: (888) 543-1030.

1. In fact, this review was developed in close consultation with Mrs. Strachan. [↩]

“Why Sunday Sermons Are Necessary But Not Sufficient”: from The Trellis and the Vine

Posted by deangonzales on June 19, 2010
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Colin Marshall and Tony Payne have authored a book that endeavors to provide a biblically balanced strategy for church ministry. Their aim is to move pastors and laypeople away from mindsets that are rooted merely in human tradition (whether old or new) and toward a mindset that is closer to the model exemplified in the NT. In chapter eight of their book, The Trellis and the Vine, the authors contrast the model of “the pastor as trainer,” which they see as closer to the biblical pattern, with two common models found in churches today, namely, “the pastor as service-providing clergyman” and “the pastor as CEO.” While noting a number of strengths in these two models, they also point out weakness. Since the ecclesiastical tradition I’m most familiar with tends toward “the pastor as service-providing clergyman” model, I’ll offer an excerpt of their critique of this paradigm. Keep in mind that the authors acknowledge some strengths of this model,¹ and they alert the reader that what they’re critiquing is somewhat of a stereotype.² So one should wear the shoe only insofar as it fits.

Perhaps the most striking disadvantage of this way of thinking about ministry is that it feeds upon and encourages the culture of ‘consumerism’ that is already rife in our culture. It perfectly fits the spirit of our age whereby we pay trained professionals to do everything for us rather than do it ourselves–whether cleaning our car, ironing our shirts, or walking our dog. The tendency is for Christian life and fellowship to be reduced to an hour and a quarter on Sunday morning, with little or no relationship, and very little actual ministry taking place by the congregation themselves. In this sort of church culture, it becomes very easy for the congregation to think of church almost entirely in terms of ‘what I get out of it’, and thus to slip easily into criticism and complaint when things aren’t to their liking.

Even the good practice of pastoral counseling can become focused on ‘me’ being cared for by the pastor–such that if the assistant minister visits instead, this is not seen as adequate: “The pastor only sent him because he couldn’t be bothered coming himself”.

None of this is simply to blame the ‘consumer’! For all its historic strengths, the professional pastor-as-clergyman approach speaks loud and clear to church members that they are there to receive rather than to give. As a model, it tends to produce spiritual consumers rather than active disciples of Christ, and very easily gets stuck in maintenance mode. Outreach or evangelism, both for individual congregation members and the church as a whole, is down the list.

In many respects, this first way of thinking about pastoral ministry reflects culture and norms of a different world–the world of the 16th- and 17th century Christianized nations, in which the whole community was in church, and in which the pastor was one of the few with sufficient education to teach.

Bob Gonzales, Dean
Reformed Baptist Seminary

1. In particular, they remark, “It rightly puts regular preaching of the word at the centre of the ministry; it gathers the whole congregation as a family on Sunday for prayer, praise, and preaching; the occasional services provide opportunities for outreach; the pastor cares for his people in times of crisis” (94). Later, they stress the importance of formal preaching and teaching in the context of corporate worship: “Sermons are needed, yes, but they are not all that is needed. Let’s be absolutely clear: the preaching of powerful, faithful, compelling biblical expositions is absolutely vital and necessary to the life and growth of our congregations. Weak and inadequate preaching weakens our churches. As the saying goes, ‘sermonettes produce Christianettes.’ Conversely, clear, strong, powerful public preaching is the bedrock and foundation upon which all other ministry in the congregation is built. The sermon is the rallying call. It is where the whole congregation can together feed on God’s word and be challenged, comforted and edified. The public preaching ministry is like a framework that sets the standard and agenda for all the other word ministries that take place. We do not want to see less emphasis on preaching or less effort go into preaching! On the contrary, we long for more godly, gifted Bible teachers who will set congregations on fire with the power of the preached word. To say that sermons (in the sense of Bible expositions in our Sunday gatherings) are necessary but not sufficient is simply to stand on the theological truth that it is the word of the gospel that is sufficient, rather than any one form of its delivery. We might say that the speaking of the word of the gospel under the power of the Spirit is entirely sufficient–it’s just that on its own, the 25-minute sermonic form of it is not (102-03). [↩]
2. “Now of course these common approaches are stereotypes, and cannot reflect the multi-faceted reality of ministry in all its variety. All the same, we trust you can recognize the structures and tendencies reflected in the descriptions, and make adjustments for your own situation accordingly” (93). [↩]

Apostolic Function in 21st Century Missions by Alan R. Johnson: A Review

Posted by deangonzales on May 17, 2010
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Church historian Stephen Neill once remarked, “When everything is mission, nothing is mission.” Alan R. Johnson heartily agrees. Johnson, a missionary in Thailand, advocates a renewed focus on the “where” question of missions, and a renewed prioritization of frontier missions among the least-reached.

Don’t let the term “apostolic” fool you. Johnson is not advocating the return to the office of Apostle, using the term, instead, in a functional sense. Being “apostolic” means to “function in the manner of the Apostles” in our ever-outward, pioneering compulsion. As God’s “sent out ones,” we drive forward, intent on crossing every ethno-linguistic boundary with the Gospel. While pastoring existing churches might be needed until indigenous leadership can be raised up, the great need in missions consists of going to where the church has not yet been established and planting – for the first time – local manifestations of Christ’s universal Church within unreached “nations” -ethne – mentioned in our Lord’s Commission.

The apostolic role of the missionary is reflected in the very term itself, the Latin missio being derived from the Greek apostello, denoting a “sent-out one.” Missionaries, thus, are not merely those who go. They are those who are sent, emissaries of the Gospel, sent out for a special cause, the outward and propulsive impulse towards the uttermost parts of the earth.

While canned food drives and local crisis pregnancy centers deserve our help, too, these serve as poor replacements for our primary drive towards the ends of the earth and to all the nations. Our task is to find the darkest holes and to stick ourselves in them. All barriers to the Gospel must be crossed and every dark region lit with a Gospel witness.

While many US churches are advocating becoming more “missional” those churches most closely aligning themselves with this newly coined adjective are often the last to send workers overseas to the least-reached, instead, preferring local missions and – in consequence – failing to have anything but a local mindset, enslaved to the winds of culture.

While many opportunities exist for Western pastors to play roles in established Third World Churches, we must be careful not to fall into the trap of viewing missions through the lens of the pastoral ministry, white Anglo pastors pastoring brown Third World Churches. We must strive always to be passing the baton, in the manner of II Timothy 2:2, to faithful local men in a replicational, multiplicational way – making disciples that can make disciples, reaching the lost to reach the lost..

For this reason, we must prioritize frontier missions and we must also value the principle of indigeneity, attempting, in all that we do, to equip local believers, pass the baton, and see the Gospel blossom on native soil. What we need in missions is not exported pastorates among already “churched” areas, but apostolic pioneers to the very edges of Gospel accessibility.

I love this book, The Apostolic Function, and I give it away to many pastor friends. If you don’t read this book, but merely study the articles mentioned in Johnson’s footnotes, this by itself would be a mini-course in missiology.

From a Papuan tribal ministry context, I highly suggest studying Johnson’s interaction with the people-group concept and the phrase panta ta ethne (all the nations) contained in the Great Commission (pages 121-126). Are we to prioritize reaching merely the maximum number of individuals with the Gospel, or is there also a warrant for reaching the maximum number of peoples (note the plural) with the Gospel, such that we desire to plant a beachhead of Truth across every geographical and ethno-linguistic boundary where Christ is not known? Read the book and decide for yourself.

This is a book well worth its price ($ 14.39 at the William Carey Library, www.missionbooks.org), and well worth the cost of gifting this volume to your key supporting pastors.

Trevor Johnson, Missionary
World Team Papua