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Aaron Hann's avatar

The more you write and develop this study, Anna, the more and more it makes sense, and the more I’m baffled by how the Spirit/city/woman typology has been missed for so long and by so many. Your first paragraph also reminds me of Dwelling in the Household of God by Mary Coloe. I can’t remember if you’ve read that (or her other book on temple typology in John), but this paragraph especially resonates with what you wrote:

“The household model [of the church] as imaged in the language of the Fourth Gospel essentially deconstructs the patriarchal household model of antiquity, since it takes as its point of reference the divine communion [between Father and Son]. The Fourth Gospel, while using “father-son” terminology, reconstitutes the relationship as a dynamism of mutual self-giving love…We do not have within this household a hierarchy of leadership other than the leadership of faith and love.”

In addition to the explicit sibling language in 20:17, Coloe points out the implication of 19:26-27 re the joining of Jesus’ mother and the beloved disciple. If the mother of Jesus becomes the mother of the BD, then logically the BD is now the brother of Jesus. The new family of God is a family of siblings who share a Father (God the Father, through union with the Son) and a Mother (the church/household through the indwelling Spirit).

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Beth Austin's avatar

Anna, your deep, Biblical thinking is so refreshing! Like Aaron says, the more I interact with what you're writing and have begun thinking about other aspects of theology in light of it, the more I am shocked (and grieved) that we've missed this for so long. It is so clear - and harmonizes so many fragmented shards of our theology that, to this point, have served only to injure rather than edify the church.

Your pointing out that our understanding of gender directly correlates to our understanding of our eschatology is profound - and truly, our vision of heaven is just as fragmented and murky as our vision of women is! It suddenly occurred to me that as we begin seeing women (and men!) more clearly, we may perhaps also begin to see heaven more clearly as well.

I have wrestled with these theological shards for my entire life, and have never been able to even consider talking with church leaders about them until recently. I couldn't exactly just go and say, "You're wrong!" with no coherent alternative to present and say "Is not this a better way to understand it?"

I currently am reading How God Sees Women: The End of Patriarchy by Terran Williams. His work, together with yours here, is giving me hope that I can begin to articulate a rigorous defense of this better way to understand and apply the theological lessons our gender is designed by God to teach us. Though to be honest, the thought of engaging my pastor and session on this is terrifying (my pastor is quite literally the smartest, most biblically astute person I know). For my children, and others though, I don't think I can in good conscience continue to kick the can further down the road for them to deal with. Reading, thinking, praying, and planning to do something - I'm just not quite sure what.

Until I figure out what that something is, I will continue to look forward to each of your posts. Thank you!

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