Gender balance: A new lens for reading and studying the Bible, Part 2

Abstract

his article continues an investigation of the new concept gender balance in the Bible. It features New Testament examples and follows the format of the preceding article that highlighted Old Testament examples. Ten entries compare specific New Testament men and women whose stories share similarities in themes, experiences, insights, comments, or divine giftings. The last two entries investigate gender balance in more depth. Contribution: This article is the second of a two-part series in gender balance and together with Part 1 (which focused on the Old Testament) present a survey of a new approach to reading and studying the Bible. The new lens, gender balance, applies to both the Old and New Testament: If there is a theme, text, emotion or story about a man, look for one about a woman, and vice versa. This lens generates new perspectives for teaching, preaching, studying, and writing about the Bible. It is clear from the Bible that gender balance provides input on contemporary worldwide issues. It can assist individuals, communities, churches and nations in areas such as the following: negotiation of power between colonisers and the colonised, and discussion of traditional areas of patriarchal control. Gender balance honours both men and women.

Keywords

• gender balance
• literary methodology
• canonical approach
• old testament
• new testament