I'm reading Philip Jenkins' The New Faces of Christianity for Theology. And it occured to me, about halfway through his chapter "Women and Men" that the Bible gives few restrictions on women and the types of roles or jobs they should hold. It says that a woman should be submissive to her husband, it says that a wise woman looks well to the ways of her household, and that younger women are to be keepers at home, but it has more to say on a woman's behavior. Nothing about no college, split ends down to the ankles, flowery sack dresses, barefoot, pregnant and in the kitchen. The strongest statement on feminine roles is that a woman is not permitted to speak in church--but there are plenty of other places that she can speak!

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