Title: Free to Speak: The Truth about silence of women ...
Author: Tombari Kpobe Tee
Reviewed by: Billy Hall
A PROMISING young theologian has put his head on the block for women pulpiteers. He argues for them being free to operate on par with men. He writes with passion and persuasive intent. But his likely success at converting the careful is doubtful.
In his home country, Nigeria, the rights of women have been given scant respect. A few years ago he came to Jamaica as a young adult to pursue higher education. Thus far, he has done quite well, obtaining first and second level degrees at different theological institutions here.
His stay has also exposed him to a more progressive treatment of women generally, and in churches. He is concerned, therefore, to see women having even greater freedom in churches, and so writes with that motivation.
Much engaged now in teaching at conservative theological institutions, he goes beyond his notes to produce a book on a controversial subject. For his courage he must be commended, and too, for his zeal. But his exegetical and communication skills need improvement.
For example, he should have been aware that great and able men before him have examined the subject and continue to do so, with impressive display of scholarship, even scholars whose views differ from his.
Therefore, it is disturbing to note that he should have implied, even declared, that the reason those of contrary views did not arrive at his conclusions is that they did not exercise his due care or competence in analysing the Scriptures. He said that they did not to use his own words "look into the cultural relevancy of the passage" he selected to focus on, in process, applying "sound hermeneutical principles" (.10).
That is a sweeping and serious charge and, regrettably, by adopting that intellectual posture he sets himself up to demonstrate correct skills. But in this regard, he flounders in fundamental areas, chief of which is his failure to restrict exegesis to his particular periscope - I Timothy 2: 11-15.
In the preface, he had stated strongly that his purpose in writing was to exegete this passage, to give "the right understanding and interpretation of what Paul said and meant". Alas, in chapter eight, he shifts his focus to the Parable of the Two Sons (Matt. 21: 28-32). Regrettably, he attempts to make the parable fit his thesis, but the parable will not. He even appeals to the Greek concept of "son" in the parable, and when that counts against his thesis, he dismisses the difficulties as "due to technical reasons, which may not be possible to explain at this point" (p.137).
Well, no other convenient "point" turned up in the work, yet, curiously, he makes the forced conclusion to his discussion on the teaching of the parable, by going outside the parable to declare a truth out of scope of the exegesis he was pursuing in the Parable. He says, "From God's perspective, and in Christ, there is neither male nor female because all are one" (pp. 137, 138).
For a work that sets out to discover and declare not merely truth, but as the title says, "THE Truth" (emphasis mine), there are just too many instances of tentativeness rather than certainty "it is very likely" (p. 23), "the assumption is" (p. 24), "the possibility exists" (p. 33). Such tentativeness should have been reflected more in his conclusiveness concerning, "THE truth".
In academic work, particularly biblical hermeneutics, the use of the definite article, as well as its absence (anarthrous use), should always be carefully noted. Therefore, when reference is made not merely to "Truth" but "The Truth", the use of the definite article makes the assertion to ring with a bell of authority that signals finality.
In the sub-title, he omits the definite article before "silence" and so leaves the statement unbalanced. It should have read more appropriately "THE Truth about THE silence of women in the church" (all capitals mine for emphasis).
Careful language use does not characterise the work. For example, in his arguing passionately, and quite rightly, against the concept of "gender inferiority" (p.127), he seems oblivious to a different, relevant notion, often confused, and that is "gender functionality". This is the more popular conservative position in the contemporary dialogue on the role of women in the church.
His bias against the Apostle Paul shows in his diction. He says the Apostle Paul "manipulated situations", by appealing, for example, to Pharisee identity "as a ploy to divide the Sanhedrin to his own advantage" (p.44). Such actions he defines in terms of "situational theology", which is a technical theological term with bad connotations, not applicable in this instance.
Clearly, the reference to "situational theology" does not fit, for Joseph Fletcher, a modern theologian, whose shocking philosophical theology has become widely known as situational theology, was focused not on strategy in situations, but principles of hermeneutics. Tombari's discussion is clearly about strategy rather than theology.
Also, his leap in logic at times amazes, such as when he declares that the Apostle Paul "had to appeal to the rabbinical interpretation of the second creation story, as the basis for the silence and ban of women teachers" (p. 44). He might be right, but how would anyone else be convinced that Paul "HAD TO" a make any such appeal? How is he able to know with such certainty Paul's possible motive? Furthermore, he seems to be conceding that the Apostle Paul did silence and ban women teachers. If so, how does he explain away the ban and silence?
Interestingly, while reviewing this book, another came to my attention, even one that more aggressively takes the same line in favour of women having freedom in pastoral and evangelistic pulpit ministry. The arresting title is 10 Lies the Church tells women: How the Bible has been misused to keep women in spiritual bondage by J. Lee Brady., Charisma House, published in 2000.
I mention this work because it deals with the same subject and comes to the same conclusion, but with a more careful academic style than characterises Tombari's work.
It serves also to let me express astonishment at some of the comments about Tombari's book by scholars whose comments on the back cover spoke of Tombari's effort as "thorough" and "impressive".
Casual remarks to console people can have devastating effect, as Senator Trent Lott in the United States discovered. Much more must be done to guard the gates of academia.
Tombari possesses the fundamental skills to go further in theological writing, and must be encouraged, but any fair intellectual appraisal of this work must come to the ineluctable conclusion that the author promised much more than he delivered.
Publisher: Pelican Press, Jamaica, 2002.
