Don’t let the “f-word” scare you off: This book treats both sides of the Christian gender debates with respect and carves a novel and persuasive path through the thicket of Biblical, theological, historical, and practical issues involved.

Discussions about gender continue in many Christian denominations. With good people and solid arguments on each side of the divide, there seems to be little hope for a synthesis or even constructive dialogue.

In Finally Feminist, John Stackhouse proposes a way forward by affirming both the patriarchal and the feminist (or complementarian and egalitarian) reading of Scripture. He argues that these emphases exist side by side in the Bible. He then provides biblical, theological, and practical arguments for his own understanding: Equality is the biblical ideal, but patriarchy is allowed and regulated by a God who has larger kingdom purposes in mind. Stackhouse then tests his understanding by exposing it to the objections of other theories and concludes with two appendixes that tease out some practical implications.

Thought provoking and distinctive in its clarity and honesty, Finally Feminist will be a useful text for college and seminary courses, for pastors and church leaders, and for anyone interested in deepening their understanding of the role of women in the church and in society.