Back when some leaders of the Council on Biblical Manhood and Womanhood and other men were pushing ESS and you and other women were pointing out the problems, you and the other women were constantly told to shut up, get in the kitchen, and make the menfolk sandwiches. (As you know, I’m not making that up. That’s exactly what some men said you should be doing.)
I remember writing at the time that these men would rather hear a man teach heresy than a woman teach the truth. They still feel that way. I’m glad you write truth, Aimee.
Thank you for sharing these reflections on your journey, it is so helpful to “listen to your life,” as Parker Palmer put it. I just read something similar from Jaroslav Pelikan on writing as means of grace
“The very act of writing, the kind of dredging up of these questions and these tentative answers out of the past and out of the inner self—that very process, putting it down, trying to say it right, is the consolation. And so it is in the work of writing the work that the consolation comes, as it is in the quest that the finding comes. For a spiritual quest means precisely that: not starting in a vacuum at square one, but starting where we are with what we have and with what we have found, to quest for it again. In Augustine's beautiful term, it is fides quaerens intellectum—faith in search of understanding—so that, having found understanding, faith can search yet again. Over and over.”
Thanks Aimee. Many of us have walked the road of asking doctrine to accomplish more than it is able to do. I’m forever grateful I came up in an evangelical environment that valued continual learning. And that changing your mind wasn’t a sin but rather a necessary component of spiritual growth.
Can I get one of the 8 copies? I have been reading ancient women writings and am in awe of their deep theology and the impact on their lives and the kingdom. Spent a good part of my 67 years hiding both my intelligence and giftedness. Paid well and respected for it in the business world, belittled, humiliated, and shamed for it in the church.
There are a few copies left on Amazon, but I'd recommend The Hope in Our Scars over No Little Women. That gives the storyline, and resources from some older sources like St. Teresa of Avila.
I guess this is an opportune time to say, thank you for *No Little Women*. I’ve changed (matured, hopefully) in lots of ways since reading it in 2016-17ish, but at the time I felt SO seen by it. I was feeling very lonely as a theologically minded woman whose questions were not taken super seriously in conservative evangelical spaces, and I remember feeling so validated by your book at that time. ❤️
I am about to hit send on a letter I wrote to the leaders of our Ladies Study on this very topic! I am asking to revisit it as the first study of this fall. ESS is not something we hold to but it was evident the women believed it and thought it was good. It is that heavy influence of the last twenty/thirty years that has corrupted our theology and it was done so subtly by the great deceiver that I sit with women that whole-heartedly believe it. I hope this email and reflection of your past encourages you to update or write another book. This Byrd in my Box was just what I needed to read this morning. God knew!
Aimee, I was listening to the podcast you co-hosted back in 2016 (I stopped listening when you left as I was very troubled at how you were treated), and read the post on ESS that you hosted on your blog. Learning about the connection between ESS and complementarianism linked things that I had hitherto seen as separate issues - my pastor had criticized ESS from the pulpit, but also was complementarian and used the Susan Foh interpretation of Genesis 3:16, so I hadn't previously seen the connection between the two positions. After that, I began to realize that many whom I had thought held an orthodox theological position were actually toying with heresy in their anxiety to ensure a distinction in male and female roles.
For a while, with the dust you and other women raised, I hoped for genuine change. Sadly, I am seeing there are plenty of Gen Z would be church leaders who are still being trained on WG's Systematic Theology, and they are digging in their heels regarding the submission of women. I recently left a church I had attended for three decades out of theological concerns. Before I left, I heard the new young leader say that all women, married and single, were to submit to a male authority - a married woman to her husband, and a single woman to her father (there was no suggestion of what to do when a single woman's father died). That was a much more extreme position than the previous pastor I mentioned, who only preached submission in the context of marriage and made sure to equally admonish the husband to love his wife. There is still work to be done on this.
You have been such a blessing to me! I, too, am a very theologically-minded woman (reading deeply for the past 30 years), a truth seeker with much to learn and unlearn. God seems to be calling me to wrestle and write and/or vlog. I've been too diffident. Time to step up.
Grateful for your journey, Aimee. Your thirst for God is precious and beautiful. I can totally relate to your season, your journey where you thought that knowing God translated into doctrinal precision. Why are others still there? I am reminded of the words of Jesus, "The wind blows where it chooses, and you hear the sound of it, but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes. So it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit."
Back when some leaders of the Council on Biblical Manhood and Womanhood and other men were pushing ESS and you and other women were pointing out the problems, you and the other women were constantly told to shut up, get in the kitchen, and make the menfolk sandwiches. (As you know, I’m not making that up. That’s exactly what some men said you should be doing.)
I remember writing at the time that these men would rather hear a man teach heresy than a woman teach the truth. They still feel that way. I’m glad you write truth, Aimee.
Thanks, Tim!
Thank you for sharing these reflections on your journey, it is so helpful to “listen to your life,” as Parker Palmer put it. I just read something similar from Jaroslav Pelikan on writing as means of grace
“The very act of writing, the kind of dredging up of these questions and these tentative answers out of the past and out of the inner self—that very process, putting it down, trying to say it right, is the consolation. And so it is in the work of writing the work that the consolation comes, as it is in the quest that the finding comes. For a spiritual quest means precisely that: not starting in a vacuum at square one, but starting where we are with what we have and with what we have found, to quest for it again. In Augustine's beautiful term, it is fides quaerens intellectum—faith in search of understanding—so that, having found understanding, faith can search yet again. Over and over.”
That is beautiful!
Wow! New follower!
Thanks Aimee. Many of us have walked the road of asking doctrine to accomplish more than it is able to do. I’m forever grateful I came up in an evangelical environment that valued continual learning. And that changing your mind wasn’t a sin but rather a necessary component of spiritual growth.
Yes, what a blessing!
Can I get one of the 8 copies? I have been reading ancient women writings and am in awe of their deep theology and the impact on their lives and the kingdom. Spent a good part of my 67 years hiding both my intelligence and giftedness. Paid well and respected for it in the business world, belittled, humiliated, and shamed for it in the church.
There are a few copies left on Amazon, but I'd recommend The Hope in Our Scars over No Little Women. That gives the storyline, and resources from some older sources like St. Teresa of Avila.
I guess this is an opportune time to say, thank you for *No Little Women*. I’ve changed (matured, hopefully) in lots of ways since reading it in 2016-17ish, but at the time I felt SO seen by it. I was feeling very lonely as a theologically minded woman whose questions were not taken super seriously in conservative evangelical spaces, and I remember feeling so validated by your book at that time. ❤️
Thanks for saying that, Elizabeth. I wrote it out of that very loneliness as a theologically minded woman.
I am about to hit send on a letter I wrote to the leaders of our Ladies Study on this very topic! I am asking to revisit it as the first study of this fall. ESS is not something we hold to but it was evident the women believed it and thought it was good. It is that heavy influence of the last twenty/thirty years that has corrupted our theology and it was done so subtly by the great deceiver that I sit with women that whole-heartedly believe it. I hope this email and reflection of your past encourages you to update or write another book. This Byrd in my Box was just what I needed to read this morning. God knew!
Thank you!
I love to hear about the timeliness of a post, thank you for sharing that. There are so many scenarios like this and it is good to find one another.
Aimee, I was listening to the podcast you co-hosted back in 2016 (I stopped listening when you left as I was very troubled at how you were treated), and read the post on ESS that you hosted on your blog. Learning about the connection between ESS and complementarianism linked things that I had hitherto seen as separate issues - my pastor had criticized ESS from the pulpit, but also was complementarian and used the Susan Foh interpretation of Genesis 3:16, so I hadn't previously seen the connection between the two positions. After that, I began to realize that many whom I had thought held an orthodox theological position were actually toying with heresy in their anxiety to ensure a distinction in male and female roles.
For a while, with the dust you and other women raised, I hoped for genuine change. Sadly, I am seeing there are plenty of Gen Z would be church leaders who are still being trained on WG's Systematic Theology, and they are digging in their heels regarding the submission of women. I recently left a church I had attended for three decades out of theological concerns. Before I left, I heard the new young leader say that all women, married and single, were to submit to a male authority - a married woman to her husband, and a single woman to her father (there was no suggestion of what to do when a single woman's father died). That was a much more extreme position than the previous pastor I mentioned, who only preached submission in the context of marriage and made sure to equally admonish the husband to love his wife. There is still work to be done on this.
There is so much work to be done! I just think of the beauty that the church is missing, here, and all the harm that is being done.
Thanks Aimee, this means you have to keep writing!
You are a rare and precious voice we desperately need in the church 🙏 And I want to have that humility to keep unlearning and learning too… thank you!
Thank you, Christina!
You have been such a blessing to me! I, too, am a very theologically-minded woman (reading deeply for the past 30 years), a truth seeker with much to learn and unlearn. God seems to be calling me to wrestle and write and/or vlog. I've been too diffident. Time to step up.
Wipf and Stock reprints notable books in theology. FYI...
Grateful for your journey, Aimee. Your thirst for God is precious and beautiful. I can totally relate to your season, your journey where you thought that knowing God translated into doctrinal precision. Why are others still there? I am reminded of the words of Jesus, "The wind blows where it chooses, and you hear the sound of it, but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes. So it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit."
Seriously, SO good!! Thanks for writing this.
No need to focus on unlearning. If we simply focus on learning, the unlearning takes care of itself.
The focus is the triune God, not unlearning.