Are You Resigned, Have You Resigned, or Did you Re-sign
I wanted to spread the word about Jim Henderson’s (Off the Map) new project -
From Jim -
I’m doing research for my next project- The Resignation of Eve. I want to interview Christian or formerly Christian women who are experiencing or have gone through one or more of the Three Stages of Resignation. I will be doing these interviews in May. Most will be via Skype but some might be in person (depending on where I am in the world). Get more details in the blog and post a short explainer in the comments (at this site) (100 words or less) as to why you or your friend might be a good person for me to interview.
1. Resigned To
Using the word “resigned” in the passive sense we will highlight the most widespread abuse of women in the church – blocking, stonewalling and stalling women’s interest in gaining more influence in the church. We will tell the stories of women who find themselves “stuck” in a Catch 22. They love their church and the people but they also know they aren’t being given the opportunity to bring their best. Some are very frustrated others have simply come to terms with it.
2. Resigned From
This section profiles women who have walked away from Christianity, Church and in some cases God. These are women who at one time were very dedicated Christians, church goers and bible study leaders who have opted out for other beliefs or no beliefs. In spite of their rejection of the religion that confused and complicated their lives many of these women often lead fulfilling and productive and even deeply spiritual lives.
3. Re-Signed Up
Life is about making trades. Two people can appear to be doing the same thing but for two very different reasons. This section features the stories of women who have found a way to “orbit the giant hairball” called Christianity. They’ve learned the art of “defining themselves and staying connected”. They’re engaged but not owned, integrated within the church but knowledgeable about its inherent limitations and dangers. They’ve discovered ways to contribute to something they often disagree with. What makes these women different is that they don’t deny or just accept the situation they know it exists, talk about it and are seeking to change it from within.
April 28th, 2010 at 10:33 am
i am a post-modern, re-signed up woman, but at various times i have been ‘resigned to’ and ‘resigned from’, not from god but from the church and christians. i have ‘pastoral skill’ in the conservative evangelical church, which is not acceptable. so i am the wife of a bible professor and use my ability with many of his students. i am a counselor/asst. director at a local pregnancy resource center. And i am assisting my husband in helping to plant an Acts 29 church. my husband and i consider ourselves subversives, seeking to change the church from within. i will be interested in what you discover.
April 28th, 2010 at 3:37 pm
I’m a combination of all 3, I suppose… During my tenure as a small group leader I discovered I had pastoral gifts, but my (emergent) church did not have women pastors. So I felt very conflicted. My husband and I ended up leaving and found a home in a Methodist church, where women are ordained and full ministers. I engage in dialogue often with conservative evangelicals about issues of men and women in the church, hoping to expand their views.
May 4th, 2010 at 7:34 am
I loved this post! It reminds me of a great book by Carolyn Osiek, Beyond Anger: On Being a Feminist in the Church. She too talks about the different options and stages of dealing with the realities of the church’s weaknesses and sin, particularly in embracing women equally. I’m re-signed up – a key part of that for me was finding a church family where I didn’t feel like I was swimming upstream so often.
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January 18th, 2012 at 12:54 pm
I thought you might like to know that my book is now available at amazon
http://www.amazon.com/Resignation-Eve-Willing-Churchs-Backbone/dp/1414337302/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1326916464&sr=1-1