True Complementarity

Andrew Bartlett's debut theological work, 'Men and Women in Christ: Fresh Light from the Biblical Texts' landed like a bomb in the evangelical debate on gender 'roles'. Reviews from both sides of an entrenched disagreement ranged from defensively ignoring his main points, to strongly affirming the value in his careful, measured and even-handed approach. Bartlett was invited to speak on the topic of this book in the USA at the Evangelical Theological Society (in a packed debate with Tom Schreiner), at Christians for Biblical Equality's International conferences, and in other countries. In this magisterial new book, Bartlett takes the discussion wider and deeper, engaging with more voices, both historical and contemporary. Seeking to be rigorously biblical, he argues that on crucial points 'complementarian' teachings add to God's word. He challenges some cherished assumptions on both sides of the debate and sets out a mutualist position. Doing much more than updating his first book, True Complementarity includes examination of: - The teaching of Jesus on women and apostles. - Historical interpretations of the key passages. - Whether egalitarianism is a 'slippery slope'. - Issues of authorship and hermeneutics pertinent to the debate. He provides a new and thorough engagement with 1 Timothy 2:9-15. True Complementarity invites the reader to consider what the Bible really says about the way of Christ for men and women. It builds greater confidence in distinguishing between commands of God and traditions of men. It is sure to reset the discussion.