Story of My Books # 11 - Bourgeois Babes, Bossy Wives, and Bobby Haircuts

Yes, you read that right, book # 11 was basically a tract on steroids called Bourgeois Babes, Bossy Wives, and Bobby Haircuts: A Case for Gender Equality in Ministry (Zondervan 2012). It is part of a series with two sister volumes by John Dickson and Kathy Keller. These books are each $1.99 on Kindle, so you could buy them all with the loose change in your pocket.

The title is a play on an old 1960s tract called Bobbed Hair, Bossy Wives, and Women Preachers where American fundamentalist John R. Rice wrote a tirade against women who were dressing and acting like Jackie Kennedy. Look at the image carefully, and notice the biblical texts cited on the cover!

My book explains how I changed my mind about women in ministry and how I understand the key passages like 1 Cor 11:2-16 and 1 Tim 2:11-15. Now, at the end of the book, I came to the conclusion that women can preach and hold any office, except bishop or its equivalent, with the restriction motivated by ecumenical concerns. It’s hard to have unity with Catholics and Greek Orthodox if you have women in the episcopate. But I’ve changed my mind on that, I’m affirming of women at all levels of ministry in the church.

Out of all my books, this is the one that I have the best conversations about with students who are trying to figure out what they believe on this topic.

I would love to do a second edition, but I’m unsure if there’s an appetite for it!

I did make a 20-minute video explaining why I’m an egalitarian which is based on the book (That said, you could read the actual book faster!).