Disagreements within the church are often and many, and in today’s digital age, that drama often spills out to the interwebs. Last fall, one in particular dominated Christian social feeds for several weeks that included Pastor John MacArthur and Bible teacher Beth Moore. It all started when MacArthur, as part of a panel discussion, was asked to play word association and was given Beth’s name. His two-word reply—“Go home.”—was met by laughter from the crowd and followed by his argument for why Beth (and all who listen to her) are in biblical error. As the clip of his comments made the social media rounds, it sparked afresh the debate over a woman’s place and role in society, within the church, and in the home.
In this episode of Persuasion, Erin Straza and Hannah Anderson kick off a new series titled Go Home! Finding Our Way to explore the common assumptions regarding the home, both in the church and in society. The way that we frame our definitions of home will shape how we operate in the world as well as in society and within our own families. It’s crucial that we parse out what contributes to our perspective, because that will inform the narrative of the stories we tell—and the ones we live out day to day. Even if we agree with MacArthur’s mandate, what does that mean, practically speaking? How does this directive affect men and women not only in the home but also in the church, in the workplace, in society? Where does our concept of home come from, and is it possible for it to be perfectly sanitized from cultural influence? Conversation touches on questions like these as an introduction to the series. As we explore our definitions and categories that influence our sense of home, we can better process our reactions to mandates like the one given by MacArthur and determine our reaction to women like Beth Moore who are challenging our preconceived notions of proper church structure. Listen in for dialogue on topics like these in the entire Go Home! series, then continue the conversation on Twitter @PersuasionCAPC or in the CAPC members-only community on Facebook.
HOSTS
Erin Straza: Web / Twitter
Hannah Anderson: Web / Twitter
PERSUASION PODCAST
PersuasionPodcast.buzz
Twitter: @PersuasionCAPC
Instagram: @PersuasionCAPC
Facebook: /Persuasioncapc
Persuasion 182 Resources & Links
A Message to John MacArthur: The Bible Calls Both Men and Women to ‘Go Home’ by Jen Pollock Michel, Christianity Today
Did you enjoy this episode of Persuasion? Give these a listen:
Persuasion 160 | Thinking Together
Persuasion 128 | Insert Female Voice Here
Persuasion 75 | The Outsourcing of Women’s Discipleship to Para-Church Personalities
Theme music by Maiden Name. Produced by Jonathan Clauson.