The Empowerment Of Women In The Church Today: The Relevance Of The New Testament Charismatic Churches

Empower Your Women Oh Lord
This book is the work of a New Testament scholar. It deals with the problem of gender inequality and the empowerment of women in the Christian churches today. This problem led the author to do an exegetical study of the New Testament charismatic churches to see what role women played there. The author pointed out that the gifts of the Holy Spirit were freely, undeservedly and unconditionally given, without any gender restriction. Consequently, to equate gender with any of the gifts is to attach a non-existent condition because there was no gender discrimination in the charismatic churches. As the author noted, what changed in the course of Church history is the institutionalization of Christianity. This established church structures that emphasized hierarchy and power. With this the doors began to close on women. Gradually, women became victims of a patriarchal usurpation of power. Hence, the empowerment of women in the church today is not a question of whether God allows it or not, but whether an all-powerful male clergy is willing to share power with them. Consequently, the author concludes that it is time to get Martha out of the kitchen.