For people who purport to love the family, some Christians sure aren’t making it easy to start them. The Retreat is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. Samuel James put it this way:
The thing that seems missing from this article is, by what standard? It seems to me that before we can judge the teaching of any Christian teacher, we have to first make up our minds what scripture actually says on the issue. It doesn’t matter what our feelings are, and it doesn’t even really matter how the culture is, if we don’t first determine what scripture says.
Calling Michael Foster an "ideologue" is comical. Patriarchy comes from scripture not some man-made idea. This is a bad take altogether IMO. Foster is very willing to engage with others, but like a real man, doesn't get bogged down in endless controversy. No one in the patriarchy camp disregards the reality that men have a great temptation to be tyrants over women and children, so I really don't understand why there is a claim that the patriarchy side "isn't listening to the plights of women". When the plights are made up out of thin ear, then there is no need to listen. Douglas Wilson and Foster have frequently taught that men have responsibility over the sins of their family even though it may not be their fault. Lots of straw men here.
The thing that seems missing from this article is, by what standard? It seems to me that before we can judge the teaching of any Christian teacher, we have to first make up our minds what scripture actually says on the issue. It doesn’t matter what our feelings are, and it doesn’t even really matter how the culture is, if we don’t first determine what scripture says.
Calling Michael Foster an "ideologue" is comical. Patriarchy comes from scripture not some man-made idea. This is a bad take altogether IMO. Foster is very willing to engage with others, but like a real man, doesn't get bogged down in endless controversy. No one in the patriarchy camp disregards the reality that men have a great temptation to be tyrants over women and children, so I really don't understand why there is a claim that the patriarchy side "isn't listening to the plights of women". When the plights are made up out of thin ear, then there is no need to listen. Douglas Wilson and Foster have frequently taught that men have responsibility over the sins of their family even though it may not be their fault. Lots of straw men here.