(Missed part 4?  Read it here. Or start from the beginning.)

Perversions of Truth Do Not Negate Truth

That loooong quote from Plato in the previous post makes clear that even within the thinking of a single individual, there may have been a lot more nuance than the quotes in Beyond Authority and Submission might suggest.  Miller herself contradicts some of her historical assertions later in the book when she tells us that, according to Westfall, “women who had their own households owned the slaves in the household” (p. 248), and that women in the New Testament provided for Jesus “out of their private means.” (p. 132)

Still, it is true that much of what was taught about women then (as is the case with virtually any era of history we choose) was incorrect.  In some cases, it was downright bizarre.  Often, it was damaging.

Miller describes a number of these ancient pagan views of women, being sure to draw out elements that are parallel to or similar to traditional views of women.  The argument she’s building is, essentially, that the ancient pagans believed these things, and the traditionalists in the Church believe these things, so the Church must have gotten them from the ancient pagans.  She hasn’t proven that at all.

She has completely overlooked the possibility that both the pagans and the Christians derived their basic view of men and women from a common source.  Like, perhaps, natural law.  Or a legacy passed down from the Beginning via the Old Testament Israelites and others.

Quick to Take Offense

Although some of the descriptions of ancient Greco-Roman life are understandably — even rightfully — offensive, the author seems quick to take offense even at balanced and downright biblical observations.

Plutarch is quoted as saying, “in a good and wise household, while every activity is carried out by the husband and wife in agreement with each  another, it will still be evident that it is the husband who leads and makes the final choice.” (p. 52)  While this may not be egalitarian, it certainly doesn’t read like an endorsement for domineering husbands!

It also seems to be implied as a negative that “good wives were expected to be faithful, honest, careful with money, and not too concerned with their appearance.  Being greedy, angry, or quarrelsome was inappropriate.  Instead wives were encouraged to be humble, to take care of their households, and to love their children even more than their own lives.” (p. 51)  I find it more than a little concerning that any professing Christian woman would take issue with this.  Not a single item in that list is something Christian women shouldn’t strive for biblically.

If the real concern is that men were not expected to have good character, then she should have made that argument, but she didn’t — she acted surprised and offended that women might be expected to live uprightly.  (She does go on to talk about a double standard for sexual morality, which is a valid complaint.)

Unexpected Comparisons

“We may look at these descriptions and be shocked,” Miller says, “by the way women were treated, but some modern authors have said that women were happy until the feminist movement came along.” (p. 57)  She goes on to prove they weren’t by quoting from a play by Sophocles.

Now, I don’t know whether the initial claim is a fair representation of the cited book or not (I don’t have it, so can’t look it up), but setting that question aside, this is a somewhat bizarre argument.  There’s a looonng time between Plutarch and Sophocles, and first-wave feminism.  Technically, of course, this is “before” the feminist movement, but it’s not very good evidence of what the environment was or wasn’t like overall before feminism, and certainly doesn’t tell us anything about the environment that immediately preceded feminism.

Another strange comparison is the secular/Christian comparison.  We’re told that “the Bible’s emphasis on serving others and putting their needs before your own was missing from Greco-Roman society.” (p. 58)  To use a highly-intellectual phrase…well, DUH.  The Bible’s emphasis on serving and preferring others is missing from all secular societies.  This shouldn’t be surprising.

And the very fact that this is a distinction that should be obvious ought to make it clear that the absence of this emphasis within a secular culture shouldn’t negate the possibility that similar actions, with this emphasis, may be godly.

(Another concerning trend is that Miller works at removing this emphasis on serving others and putting their needs first from any description of submission.  Those in authority should serve others and put their needs first, but if those under authority do this for their leaders, that’s evidence of their leaders abusing power.  p. 27)

Misuse of the Bible

The final section of this chapter talks about how Christianity changed the culture with regard to women.  But is it honest?  Miller has told us that women couldn’t operate in the public sphere.  (p. 52-54, 55-57)  We’re told they lacked legal rights, being unable to manage property, etc.  Yet the Bible introduces us to the businesswoman Lydia while Christianity is still quite young, and apparently before she is part of the Church.

This and other biblical accounts suggest that the situation was not as universally stringent when Christianity was entering the scene as this chapter of Beyond Authority and Submission has led us to believe.

Moreover, Miller misrepresents the changes Christianity purportedly brought.  Some of the things she notes are true.  But take, for example, the claim that “the Church cared for Christian widows and did not require them to remarry.” (p. 59)  Does that mesh with what the Bible says?

“Do not let a widow under sixty years old be taken into the number….But refuse the younger widows….I desire that the younger widows marry, bear children, manage the house, give no opportunity to the adversary to speak reproachfully.” (1 Tim. 5:9,11,14)

Recapping: Bias

To recap, this portion of the book that deals with the Greco-Roman culture does contain a measure of truth.  However, the real truth is mixed — both before and after the introduction of Christianity — while Miller paints a picture of a culture whose view of women was all subjugation before the church and all license afterward.

Go to part 6.