I was doing my weekly duty and attending our mandatory work meeting on Friday. We get the news of the week and we talk about what's happening in the Bookstore. It was brought to the attention that if any of the women were interested there was a new program starting in the fall at Southewestern Baptist Seminary in Fort Worth Texas in Christian Homemaking. Yes you heard it right. Christian Homemaking.
http://www.swbts.edu/womensprograms will lead you to where you can find more information. But here are the highlights:
To nurture and care for the family.
In the area of nutrition and food preparation.
By developing a skill in clothing and textile design.
Through practical experiences for skill development for the most important job a woman may have: the nurture and care of the family.
The goal of the program is to become:
Prepared spiritually – Through significant study of Scripture and theology, each woman will be prepared to be an evangelist and apologist focused upon reaching women, children and families for Christ.
Challenged intellectually – Intensive instruction in the history of Western ideas will challenge each woman to be familiar with the influential people of our past and to give a response from a biblical worldview.
Equipped practically–With four areas of focus, the homemaking concentration student will be equipped
I have been thinking about this since I heard about it last week and a friend today sent me a link to an article about this topic on Yahoo. It saddens me, angers me, and mocks me all at the same time. It seems that the people i have been meeting lately want women to be honest with their gifts and talents and crave equality between the sexes. I can't say it will be equal in my lifetime but I have hope that there could be a possibility. I have said before that every time someone becomes a feminist I hear of someone saying that they have gotten some sort of work done to their bodies.
I will say that I equate my femininity to my body. I have been reading that for so long women have not had power or authority with their verbal language so they have moved to their body as a way of displaying power or authority. I find it interesting that this school wants to keep people in the home. Keep women from exploring their gifts, talents, and abilities. There are women who choose to have families, and stay at home. That's fine. But what happens when the kids are grown? What then? What do these women have? Who have they become? Do they feel whole or valued? Do they have amazing connections with their husbands? Are they vibrant in the connection of they are and who they were to become?
I think raising kids is a thankless job. I am grateful for mothers who feel like they want to stay at home and be with their children. I am grateful for their sacrifice. But to go to school to literally get a degree in being a good wife is a mockery to the educational system. Who are the professors and can they even have the authority to teach at a Seminary when the Baptist tradition has been vocal in stripping power and right from women.
Why do men have the power to make these decisions or to know what is best for other women?
I am angry.
This is irresponsible.
This is not just what women were created for.
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8 comments:
wow...in regards to the so called jesus ordained homemaking: ha.
about 2 years ago, i think, that same school pretty much fired one of its professors who had been there for a long long time. you are right: this professor is a woman. so terrible.
This made my insides wanna die.
i think i did die a little inside.
having just spent a week with a bunch of 12 year old girls telling me how cool it is that i dont htink being married is the end-all of life - i suddenly want to throw them all in a closet and hide them from what the world is actually telling christian to do do, or how to behave...
puking in mouth has ceased, however... gah! why, Jesus?!
I too puked a little in my mouth...can't believe stuff like this is still going on. It's fine if women like doing these things but the problem is it is limiting women to these things and it makes those women who don't like cooking feel as though something is wrong with them. Why can't we just affirm all gifts and roles interchangebly and not separate the sexes!?!? Are men to not nurture their children or make them food??? Hollah Mamie (as JJ JUST said the other day - un-prompted!)
Betsy
I agree with you in your plight to find your way in the world as a woman -- men make it extrememly difficult...and I think a few years ago while I was in the workforce studying and teaching women's literature and gung ho on the feminist movement in America I too would have "puked a little in my mouth" upon reading this article.
So, I'm not sure whether it's the fact that I am now a mother who has had the experiencing of working outside the home while being a mom and after a year of that decided to stay at home with my daughter...or whether age has just given me a little more perspective that tells me we shouldn't just jump to conclusions about people, their motives and why they are doing things.
The article stated that there are ten other programs for women and only women who fell called to the home need to take these courses.
As a mother, wife and homemaker I have spent the past four years doing research, reading books, networking with other women in the same position as I am so that I at the end of the day, I know that I am doing the best job I can possibly be doing as a wife, and as a mother.
I didn't take as much offense to the idea that the SBC wanted to offer these courses to women who were willing to take them. Especially women who have been called into full-time ministry along with their husbands. I happen to be one of those women and have enormous outlets to use the gifts that God has given me by working alongside and with my husband. But, what I've found is that my greatest role that God has called me to is to be an incredible mom and wife --- by doing so, I am more of who God made me to be and therefore have so much more to offer the people that God places in my way. And being a mom is absolutely the hardest, most challenging and most rewarding thing I have ever endeveored to do. It might seem simple to those who have not yet had that weight of responsibility around their necks yet -- but when God hands over little lives for you to take care of, nurture and love - and ultimately point to him...you perhaps may see motherhood in a different light.
Now, if men are the ones teaching these courses, I am in agreement with you to be up in arms. And I feel that women have every right to be profs. I think it's atrocious that female profs. at those universities have been fired...In that vein, I totally resonate with the outrage your blog denotes. But, somehow - I feel that the value of motherhood, the value of being a woman has been lost in this society. Even your blog hints to the fact that you have bought into the myth that you must do, create, improve, invent...etc in order to be someone.
Being a mom is a full-time profession. Unfortunately society has down played the role of motherhood in such a way that not enough mothers are taking their roles seriously enough. Moms are stressed out, overworked and tired...they burn candles at all ends and still feel like they are not enough.
So, even though their motives might not be pure - at least the Southern Baptists are willing to acknowledge the fact that being a great mother is something that is difficult to do -- you need to prepare, study, read, discuss, apply and pray hard then hope for the best.
Sorry - I never meant to write so much. I guess your blog just struck a vein.
for what it's worth.
I too have been thinking about this quite a bit, and I think I resonate with Betsy on this one. I (Josh) love to cook and can't wait (well sort of) to have children with my wife and be a father who is nuts about loving and nurturing my kids. If my wife took sole responsibility for this and told me my job was to work and raise money for our family and just to trust her with the rearing of our children and the cooking of our meals, I'd be fairly pissed off. As a matter of fact, I think I'd have to put my foot down and make that woman... wait no. Yeah, we would disagree for certain. Though I am excited when my wife does domesticated house things, I know it is out of serving us as a family and not her need for identity and or her role in our household.
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