New Terms for the Debate over Biblical “Womanhood”?

June 24, 2021 By Kelley Mathews

Mark Twain once said, “The difference between the almost right word and the right word is really a large matter. ’Tis the difference between the lightning bug and the lightning.” The current conversation about women in the church proves Twain’s point. To understand the issues, we need clear terms that accentuate the real differences between the various views. But those who define the terms control the arguments, and thus far the debate is fraught with confusion. If you are new to the discussion,... Read more

Healing through Chocolate: A South Korean Drama Counters Grief with Beauty

April 29, 2021 By Kelley Mathews

It’s another review, but this time of a televised show (not a book). Welcome to the blog Laura Peisker, a soon-to-be Th.M. graduate of Dallas Theological Seminary. In her free time, she enjoys walks with her husband, attempting new paleo recipes, and finding new Korean dramas. ~~~~ Chocolate, a Netflix series released last winter, proves itself worthy of a revisit and a spring binge. Tastefully balancing suffering with sunlit-cinematography, food catharsis, and redemptive relationships, this 16-episode drama offers healing and... Read more

Is ‘Biblical Womanhood’ Really Biblical? Historian Beth Allison Barr Joins the Discussion

April 19, 2021 By Kelley Mathews

“Biblical womanhood” and “Christic manhood” are hot topics in theological circles these days, despite the terms not appearing in the Bible and a vast discrepancy in how people define them. In just the last year, books by historian Kristen Kobes Du Mez and theologian Aimee Byrd have made waves in the evangelical world—both authors confront the conservative theology of complementarianism, which teaches that “men and women were created equally in God’s image with distinct and complementary differences.” They examine this... Read more

Did He Really Just Ask That Question?

April 14, 2021 By Kelley Mathews

This is a true story. Names are withheld to protect the innocent. If you know my family, you know the characters. Parents, never underestimate the wisdom of asking clarifying questions. ~~~~~~ Dad: Many of my friends know that I have hearing loss, which requires me to wear hearing aids. As those of you who have hearing loss know, you often mis-hear things that people say. Sometimes are quite funny, some are muffled sounds that you cannot make out, and some... Read more

‘Redeeming Power: Understanding Authority and Abuse in the Church’—A Review

April 8, 2021 By Kelley Mathews

Guest post by Misty Hedrick. What do the killing fields of Cambodia have to do with the onslaught of recently exposed abuse in the church? One word: power. In Redeeming Power: Understanding Authority and Abuse in the Church, psychologist and trauma expert Diane Langberg suggests that the church in America suffers from a misunderstanding of the relationship between authority and abuse. But Langberg steps beyond describing the dynamics of power and abuse. Redeeming Power delves into the motivations underlying an... Read more

Teaching Kids about Easter

April 1, 2021 By Kelley Mathews

I spent weeks prepping my three-year-old son for Easter. He was our first, and I was determined to raise him grounded in the Word of God, on a foundation of Scripture that would hopefully uphold his own faith one day. In the meantime, his grandparents would shower him with candy and bunnies. But we parents had a responsibility. “What is Easter all about?” I’d ask him. “Jesus is alive!” he’d exclaim back to me, on cue. Over and over we’d... Read more

A Woman | FAITHFUL: A New Collaboration

February 17, 2021 By Kelley Mathews

Women in the Bible: The Comeback Tour Embed from Getty Images In recent years, scholars and pastoral writers have produced some quality content on women in the Bible. I think specifically of Vindicating the Vixens (2017), a collection of essays by a diverse group of authors revisiting biblical women who have historically been maligned unfairly. Curated and edited by Dr. Sandra Glahn of Dallas Seminary, it remains one of my top recommendations for pastors who plan to teach on those stories... Read more

Reflections of a School Crisis Counselor

February 4, 2021 By Kelley Mathews

Parents, when was the last time you thanked your child’s school counselors for their service? This week (February 1–5, 2021) schools across America celebrate National School Counseling Week (NSCW), which highlights the tremendous impact school counselors have within U.S. school systems. Part of their unique contribution to our education system involves helping our children achieve school success and plan for a career. Beyond academic guidance, however, counselors also provide students necessary support for emotional and social crises. When mom and dad... Read more

New Rhyming Children’s Book about Easter

February 2, 2021 By Kelley Mathews

In the tradition of ‘Twas the Night Before Christmas, Glenys Nellist offers ‘Twas the Morning of Easter, a lyrical storybook that celebrates the Resurrection of Jesus. Children will enjoy the rhythmic lilt each page offers as they trace the events following Good Friday through Resurrection Day. Parents will recognize the familiar wording and timing as they read aloud. In fact, this new offering may be aimed more at the parents than even the kids. Why do I think that? The... Read more

Dolly Parton: 75 Years of Glitz, Grit, and Grace

January 17, 2021 By Kelley Mathews

Embed from Getty Images Guest post by Misty Hedrick America’s sweetheart turns seventy-five on Tuesday, January 19. Proving herself one of the hardest working women in show business even during the pandemic, Dolly Parton stands in a class all her own: Old Flames Can’t Hold a Candle to Her Step aside, Mozart. Out of the way, Beethoven. Mozart composed 600 works, while Beethoven composed 722. Impressive, sure. But nothing compared to Dolly Parton. Maybe their hair wasn’t high enough; as... Read more