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I received From Genesis to Junia compliments of David C. Cook in exchange for my honest review.
From Genesis to Junia: An Honest Search for What the Bible Really Says About Women in Leadership is the latest book by scholar, podcaster, and author, Preston Sprinkle. I’ve read many books about women in church leadership because, as a woman in church leadership, I’ve wanted to do my due diligence to search the Scriptures in forming my own convictions. Many books on women in church leadership seek to persuade readers into one of two primary camps: complementarian or egalitarian. What I appreciate about From Genesis to Junia is that it didn’t give the tone of having an agenda, unless that agenda is faithful study and application of God’s word.
From Genesis to Junia isn’t so much Sprinkle trying to make his convictions his readers’ commands as it is an invitation to see where one faithful follower of Christ landed in this debate after diligent Bible study. Sprinkle offers a charitable, thus Christlike, view of women, and in no way does his tone ever convey that women are second-class when it comes to fulfilling The Great Commission. His observations on the roles of women throughout the story of Scripture are lovely and compelling.
The portions of the book dedicated to examining Greek were, well, Greek to me, but I’m thankful they were included because they demonstrate the effort and care that Sprinkle employed in forming his convictions. One of my favorite portions of the book is on page 285, where Sprinkle provides theologian Andrew Clarke’s observations on women in church leadership. I found Clarke’s findings mind-blowing and deeply insightful.
Overall, From Genesis to Junia is an incredibly helpful read for anyone navigating how to form convictions about women in church leadership. I deeply respect Sprinkle’s conclusion and his humility in holding his conviction on this secondary matter loosely. Having studied the arguments from the primary perspectives on women in church leadership, I believe that the best book on women in church leadership is the Bible, but From Genesis to Junia is a top contender for my second-favorite book on the topic. Whether or not you think you’ll agree with Sprinkle’s convictions, you’ll learn a great deal by reading this book, making it well worth your time.
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