Audio Transcript

In the last podcast, episode 65, you explained and defined “strong feminine womanhood.” It seems like theology plays a really important role in this strength. Explain that more. Pastor John, what role does theology play in cultivating strong biblical womanhood?

I did preach on that one time. My theme was wimpy theology makes wimpy women. And I believe that with all my heart. During my 32 years of preaching at Bethlehem, one of the deeply gratifying things for me is that alongside a spiritually mature, biblically informed, humble, Christ-like male eldership, there has risen an army of intelligent, articulate, mature, Bible-saturated, God-centered, Christ-exalting, strong women who partner with the men of the church. They work to get the ministry of family and society done.

Men and Women Need Theology

That happens because we don’t think only men should be taught deep, rich, solid, life transforming theology and women should be taught something else. No way. They both should be thinking, meditating, reading, and growing. They both have brains.

“Wimpy theology makes wimpy women.”

Women’s brains are usually sharper than men’s brains at least in my experience. I have zero reason to think otherwise. I tell the story that in high school I was 19th in my class. All the people in front of me, grade wise, were women. When I went to Wheaton, the curve in all the classes was thrown off by the women, because they were all so smart. It is harder for a woman to get into Wheaton than it is for a guy; therefore, the women who get in are all smarter than the men.

For The Glory of God

All my life my mom, I believe, was smarter than my dad. All the girls in my high school class were smarter than me. Then at Wheaton it was the girls who dominated academics.

As far as mental capacity for grasping theology, there is zero reason why we shouldn’t seek for the women of our church to be as fully taught and as articulate and intelligent in their grasp of God’s glory as the men.