As we begin a new May series, Portrait of Effective Spiritual Leadership, it might be asked, “With all that is going on right now in the world, the anti-Semitic demonstrations across America’s college campuses, a catch and release approach to the drug cartels on our southern border bringing sex trafficking, fentanyl, and crime to our nation, the new Title IX rules forcing public schools to allow trans-identifying males to compete in women’s sports and use women’s bathrooms—and you want to talk about Christian men leading their homes? Yes. And the reason I do is that the same false worldview corrupting our college campuses, current border policy, and Dept of Education’s radical gender ideology is corrupting many Christian men’s understanding of their biblical responsibility as godly men. Paul said, “Don’t let the world around you squeeze you into its own mold (Rom 12:2). This episode considers the impact that a worldview called critical theory is having in our culture, supplanting a biblical worldview at many, many points. My hope is by the end of the episode, all of us will be able to detect how the assumptions of critical theory have gotten in the way of grasping the glory of God’s perfect design of womanhood and manhood.
In Paul’s great theological treatise, his letter to the Romans, he devoted eleven chapters to explaining the glory of the gospel. Chapter 12:1 is then the hinge verse leading to Paul’s teaching on application. The first principle he mentions for everyday living is that it is the response to God’s mercy of offering ourselves every day to him as a living sacrifice. This episode is about the very next verse—the first step in offering ourselves to God: Do not be conformed to this world. To fully obey this command, we need to understand how the dominant, ungodly ideology of our day, critical theory is shaping our culture’s thinking in general, and specifically see how it undermines our calling to godly manhood. So, let’s get a quick overview of this ideology, see how it underlies almost every troublesome direction our culture is headed, and see how profoundly it interferes with our pursuit of godly manhood.
WHAT IS CRITICAL THEORY?
Critical theory is a way that some in our culture try to explain and confront power structures. To understand critical theory, we need to understand its two primary claims. 1) First, everyone can be divided into two groups—those who HAVE POWER and those who DON’T. 2) Those who HAVE POWER always OPPRESS those who DON’T. How do we know who the oppressed and who the oppressors are? According to critical theory the categories of oppressed and oppressor are based on your group identity. Membership in categories of race, gender, religion, immigration status, income, sexual orientation, and gender identity determine whether we are oppressed or one of the oppressors. Also, the more oppressed one is, the more his oppressed status excuses looting, vandalism, rape and murder.
Critical theory traces back to Karl Marx’s view of history as class conflict. It parallels his view of animosity between the oppressed proletariat (workers) and the oppressor bourgeoisie (business owners). Marx defined capitalism as the exploitation of the masses. His class warfare paradigm has been used repeatedly to justify the bloody, violent murder of the establishment by Marxists. Jay Richards, in his book, Money, Greed, and God, documents the way this supposedly moral justification for overthrowing “oppressors” led to the slaughter of over a 100 million farmers, business owners and their families in the 20th century, including 65 million Chinese by Mao Zedong, 20 million by Lenin and Stalin, 2 million by the Khmer rouge in Cambodia, and another million by Ho Chi Minh in Vietnam.
Though Karl Marx died in 1888, one of Marx’s followers, Antonio Gramsci, (writing in the 1920’s and 30’s) provided an explanation for why Marxism never spread to Western culture. His answer was the cultural power and dominance of the oppressor class, not just its economic dominance as Marx had argued. Gramsci called this cultural power of the established oppressors cultural hegemony. The word hegemony is normally used of nations that exert dominance, authority, or influence over other nations. But Gramsci applied this term, hegemony, to the capitalist establishment who, he argued, unjustly gained cultural power and dominance, and has victimized everyone else. Gramsci defined cultural hegemony from Marx’s class warfare perspective, as: domination maintained through cultural or ideological means, usually through social institutions, which allow those in power to strongly influence the rest of society (Voddie Bauchem, Lecture: Cultural Marxism). The cultural hegemony in our society is supposedly committed by all white, male, heterosexual, cisgender, able-bodied, born in the USA, non-poor. EVERYONE who IS that is part of the PRIVILEGED OPPRESSIVE CLASS and thus corresponds to Marx’s hated bourgeoisie. Everybody who IS NOT that (which corresponds to Marx’s proletariat) is a victim of the cultural hegemony established by THE PRIVILEGED CLASS, and ought to be at war with them.
Gramsci’s critical theory was furthered by a group of German philosophers in the 1930’s known as the Frankfurt School. In 1935, these cultural Marxists moved to Columbia University in New York City. Their goal has been to overturn the cultural hegemony, (which, by the way, includes the influence of Christianity). In my view, other than perhaps humanism, no worldview has done more to unmoor our culture from Biblical values than critical theory.
CRITICAL THEORY AND TODAY’S NEWS
Anti-Semitic Hatred: After the October 7th rape of girls, beheading of children, and slaughter of 1200 Jewish civilians—the greatest attempt at genocide of Jews since the holocaust—how could any sane person support Hamas? Yet, anti-Semitic demonstrations supporting Hamas’ call for genocide of the Jews are being encouraged by the same college administrations that warn students they will be expelled for merely speaking a word that questions transgenderism. Students mindlessly claim that Israel is committing genocide against the Palestinians when the exact opposite is the case; the Palestinian population grew under the oversight of Israel’s government. Hamas hides weapons beneath nurseries in schools and hospitals, and uses their own people as human shields, a war crime. Yet members of Congress and protestors blame Israel? That is ludicrous. How can it happen? Because according to critical theory Jews are the oppressor class, Palestinians are the oppressed class—and there are no moral constraints on the oppressed class.
Catch and Release Policy at Our Southern Border. The horrific result of the administration’s refusal to enforce the Southern border is immeasurable suffering through sex trafficking, the invasion of our teen culture by fentanyl, which is the leading cause of death of those under thirty, and infiltration of rapists, thieves, and murders across our border every day. Open border advocates don’t usually try to justify what is happening: they try to hide it. How can this be happening? Because according to critical theory, America is the rich oppressor nation. Those coming across the border are all the oppressed class. If you favor border security you are labeled a selfish nationalist, part of the capitalist, oppressor establishment that wants to hoard our wealth instead of sharing it with oppressed immigrants.
State level prolife initiatives are failing. Since abortion law has been returned to the states, legislation to protect life which has been taken directly to the public for a vote has lost. Why? These laws threaten the reproductive and healthcare rights of women. What about the rights of the unborn child? They don’t matter. Why? Because according to critical theory babies are NOT the oppressed class, women are. And pro-lifers are the oppressor class. Since women are the oppressed class their taking of an innocent human life doesn’t matter.
Dept. of Ed Revised Title IX Guidelines. Title IX of the 1972 Education Amendments act stipulates that. No person in the United States shall, on the basis of sex, be excluded from participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be subjected to discrimination under any education program or activity receiving Federal financial assistance. It is hard to overstate the beneficial impact of this law on women’s athletics over the last fifty years, particularly at the collegiate level. But, the recent Title IX rules were amended to force public schools to allow trans-identifying males to compete in women’s sports and use women’s bathrooms. Science, medicine, and 4000 years of human history prove that transgenderism is a delusion. How could a whole culture ignore common sense—that there are two genders? Because critical theory makes transgender people the oppressed and cisgender people the oppressors.
GOD’S PERFECT DESIGN OF TWO GLORIOUS GENDERS
Have you ever wondered why women, who outnumber males in the world, are considered a minority? Because women are not seen as part of the cultural hegemony. The cultural hegemony in US culture is based on unjust patriarchy. I want to suggest that since the 1970’s rise of feminism, the cultural lens of nearly all Westerners towards God’s design of the genders has been corrupted. We now unconsciously view God’s glorious creation design with mud on our lenses—the mud of seeing oppression and oppressor when it is NOT THERE. I am certain that I, myself have been corrupted by critical theory, because I cringe at even reading Ephesians 5:22-23 in front of women. Wives, submit to your own husbands, as to the Lord. For the husband is the head of the wife even as Christ is the head of the church. Why should I feel apologetic about God’s glorious marriage design? Am I apologetic about a football team needing players and a coach? Is it unjust for some people to be just employees but others to be owners who have the final say? Should I apologize about a justice system that has some people in the role of judge, and others subject to his or her decisions? I can only conclude that the polluted oppressor/oppressed paradigm in the cultural water where I swim has gotten into my eyes making it hard to see. So, let’s try to clean the lens with a fresh view of biblical manhood. But before doing so we need an attitude check.
The rise of feminism in the seventies and the retreat from a biblical view of womanhood since then can certainly be attributed in part to bad male actors who have seriously and consistently harmed women. Toxic masculinity is real. And Christians have been slow to deal with the way “headship” has been twisted into an excuse for abuse. Our biblical worldview not only begins with the dignity of every woman; it is closely followed by the fall—the powerful will oppress the weaker. Women have been oppressed by males almost universally. Furthermore, we must recognize that many women are raw inside over this topic. Perhaps it is a raw subject because critical theory and feminism have enflamed it. Nevertheless, it is a tender subject that easily provokes an emotional reaction. We must wisely and graciously seek to guide those infected by critical theory into spiritual health.
GENESIS IS THE STARTING POINT
The very first mention of human beings in God’s creation account stresses that his creation design of human beings is binary. He made them male and female. There is no hierarchy of value; both share equally the dignity of bearing God’s image. Both share in the cultural mandate, to exercise dominion over their kingdom, earth. As the Triune God is three different persons joined in love, God created his image, “man” as the union of different beings to complete one another. God devoted just 5 verses in Genesis 1 to emphasize Adam and Eve’s equality, but 21 verses in Genesis 2 to emphasize their differences. Their differences are intentionally highlighted by God’s parallel structure of Adam and Eve’s creation:
- Adam is made for the ground. The creation of Adam begins with an explanation of why he was needed. When…there was no man to work the ground then the Lord God formed the man (Gen 2:5-6).
- Adam is given a name that means ground (Gen 2:7). Here the word for the man is ADAM and the word for ground is ADAMAH.
- Adam is made from the ground (Gen 2:7).
- Adam’s creation calling is to work the ground (Gen 2:9-15).
- When Adam sins, what is cursed is the ground (Gen 3:17).
In a perfect parallel structure, God explains Eve’s creation:
- Eve is made for the man (Gen 2: 18,20). The creation of Eve begins with an explanation of why she was needed, Then the Lord God said, “It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him a helper fit for him.” The next verses summarize a search through creation for such a helper with ended with the words, But for Adam there was not found a helper fit for him.
- Eve is given a name that means out of the man (Gen 2:23). The word for male is ISH the word for woman is ISHAH.
- Eve is made from the man (Gen 2:21-22).
- Eve’s creation calling is to assist the man (Gen 2:18, 20).
- When Eve sins, what is cursed is her relationship with the man & his kids.
This portrayal of designed gender differences by a holy God has no stains of evil oppression written upon it. The truth that role distinctions do NOT INFER INEQUALITY is written into God’s eternal Triune nature. It is the stain of critical theory’s oppressor/oppressed paradigm that makes humans question this truth.
NT WORLDVIEW OF MANHOOD
A. The NT clearly reinforces and builds upon the creation role distinctions revealed in Genesis 1 and 2.
- Peter points to Sarah’s respect for Abraham’s leadership role as the example for NT women to follow: For this is how the holy women who hoped in God used to adorn themselves, by submitting to their own husbands, as Sarah obeyed Abraham and called him lord. (1 Pt 3:5-6).
- Paul expands upon the creation design of male and female to complete one another. Such union for married Christians, argues Paul, is a picture of Christ and the church. Wives, submit to your own husbands, as to the Lord. For the husband is the head of the wife even as Christ is the head of the church, his body, and is himself its Savior. Now as the church submits to Christ, so also wives should submit in everything to their husbands. Husbands, love your wives, as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her (Eph 5:22-25).
B. Consistent with creation, and God’s design for marriage, the NT clearly teaches that the church’s leadership offices of elder and teacher were to be filled by men.
- Speaking with Apostolic authority about ordering worship, Paul wrote, I do not permit a woman to teach or to exercise authority over a man; rather, she is to remain quiet (I Tim 2:12). The teaching here is the authoritative teaching done by pastors from the pulpit. Although in Gal 3:28 Paul insists that women are full members of the Body of Christ, he sees no contradiction in God assigning the leadership role in the church to qualified men.
- An overseer must be above reproach, the husband of one wife (I Tim 3:2). Paul did not say or the wife of one husband, even though the church had a strong group of Christ-following women, including Mary the mother of Jesus.
- The linguistic structure defining the requirements of those called to serve the church in the office of deacon is less clear. This legitimate uncertainty about female deaconesses is a good caution. Although Scripture clearly teaches that the authoritative office of teaching and leading is to be filled by men, the spiritual gifts of serving (DIKONINIAN), from which the word deacon comes, teaching (DIDASKALIA) in many situations, and leading (PROISTEMENOS) in Romans 12:7-8 don’t appear to be limited to men.
C. Next week we will take a deeper dive into Paul’s character requirements in 1 Timothy 3 for effective spiritual leadership; but let’s close with just one: An overseer must MANAGE HIS OWN HOUSEHOLD WELL, with all dignity keeping his children submissive, for if someone does not know how to manage his own household, how will he care for God's church? (I Tim 3:4-5). The Greek word translated manage is the word for lead (PROISTEMI), literally to stand (HISTEMI before (PROS). Here is the clearest NT call to be the spiritual leaders of our homes. Notice that it requires us to be out in front of our troops, our families (if God has blessed us with one). As leaders we are not required to be perfect; but we do need to be out in front of our families, modeling allegiance to our Commander in Chief.
In today’s world, leading our homes well requires heading into the fierce cultural headwinds of critical theory. It means teaching our loved ones to recognize it. It means learning to wisely speak to refute its influence. Above all, it means NOT doubting the goodness of God’s gender design that calls you to lead your home. There are many forces arrayed against us—our fallen culture, our own hearts, our wife’s heart on her bad days, even churches that have forsaken Scripture and are calling men taking leadership in their homes and churches oppressive patriarchy.
I know that I speak to an audience that wants application—we will cover that more next week. This week there is only on:. Take a stand against critical theory’s anti-God attack. Ultimately the decision to take a stand for Biblical truth is about loyalty to Jesus. I want to repeat what Martin Luther, a GIANT in standing against fierce cultural headwinds, said. “If I profess with the loudest voice and clearest exposition every portion of the truth of God except precisely that little point which the world and the devil are attacking at that moment, I am not being faithful to Christ…Where the battle rages, there the loyalty of the soldier is proved” (cited by Chuck Colson, Who Speaks for God).
For Further Prayerful Thought:
- As you think of the cultural examples of critical theory’s oppressor/oppressed lens shaping cultural thinking, which examples stood out most to you? What other examples can you think of?
- Although we don’t know why God’s Word tells the stories of Adam and Eve’s creation in a very structured intentionally parallel way but postulate some reasons God might have done that.
- Summarize the evidence from Scripture that it is God who intends his household, the church to be led by men who are also assigned to lead their homes, not oppressive biblical patriarchy.
