Troubling Her: A Biblical Defense of Women in Ministry

Jessica Faye Carter has done the Pentecostal church a great service. Her new book, Troubling Her, is an impressive contribution to the ongoing discussion among Evangelicals regarding woman ministers. Though early Pentecostals affirmed woman ministers, this conversation sadly continues among latter Pentecostals. The problem revolves around an even larger issue: the lack of Pentecostal scholarship on this topic. While we stand side by side with many Evangelicals on many important issues, we run a great risk of losing our Pentecostal distinctive — which unquestionably includes women in ministry — by questioning the classical Pentecostal position of Spirit-inspired woman ministers. The solution: we Pentecostals need to rearticulate our position in light of Scripture. This is why Carter has done us all a favor. But, while she could have constructed a lofty academic tome, Carter — who herself is no academic lightweight, holding both an MBA and JD from Duke University and an M.Div. from Princeton Seminary — has instead produced a user-friendly manual for pastors and laypeople alike.

In fact, the first strength of Carter's work lies in its structure and brevity. Divided into seven concise chapters, the work does not build its case sequentially, but rather each chapter adds another piece to the overall argument. This feature makes Troubling Her ideal for Bible Studies and/or Sunday School curriculum. To that end, Carter even includes some reading and discussion questions towards the end of the book. Another strength is Carter's handling of Scripture. Instead of shying away from the biblical text as many systematic presentations do, Carter engages fully with both the Old and New Testaments in making her case. She begins in Chapter 1, "All the Counsel of God," by noting that while Scripture might appear ambiguous at times — seemingly to both affirm and deny women in ministry — when the whole "counsel of God" is taken into consideration, a picture of egalitarian ministry emerges. By challenging specific errors of biblical interpretation, she argues that no passage can be taken either out of its context or in isolation from other texts. Carter then continues into other chapters, such as Chapter 3, "The Image of God," by tracing biblical themes from the Old Testament through the New. She demonstrates that even though support for woman ministers has its genesis in the Old Testament, the trajectory of support continues through the words of Christ in the Gospels and the apostolic teaching in the Epistles. Finally, and this is perhaps her greatest strength, she faces head-on those particular passages that have proved troublesome for supporters of woman ministers. For instance, in Chapter 5, "Understanding 1 Timothy," Carter confronts the traditional Evangelical interpretation of 1 Timothy 2:13-15 and correctly interprets the passage, I believe, by explaining both the Old Testament reference Paul echoes and the cultural context of Timothy's congregation.

In the end, I strongly recommend Jessica Faye Carter's Troubling Her to all Pentecostals. All Assemblies of God ministers — especially during this time when many are challenging the classical Pentecostal position on woman ministers — should read and study her work carefully.

Reviewed by Jordan Daniel May, adjunct instructor, Trinity Bible College, Ellendale, North Dakota