The term “complementarian” was coined in 1988 to describe the view that God created men and women equally in his image, with equal dignity and purpose, and equal standing before him as sinners and as recipients of his grace. However, in marriage and in the leadership of the church, some roles and responsibilities for men and women are not identical or interchangeable; there is ordered complementarity of equals. Even though the term “complementarian” was new, this view reflects twenty centuries of biblical interpretation and church practice.
This evening seminar will examine the history of complementarianism not just for its own sake, but to help us gain a greater understanding of our current context and to identify areas of future focus.
When: 13 August 2025, 7-9 PM
Where: Moore Theological College
Who: Claire Smith
Claire Smith lives in Sydney with her husband, Rob. They attend Naremburn Cammeray Anglican Church. Her doctoral thesis examining the place and practice of education in early Christian communities is published as Pauline Communities as ‘Scholastic Communities’: A Study of the Vocabulary of ‘Teaching’ in 1 Corinthians, 1 and 2 Timothy and Titus (WUNT 2/335, Tübingen: Siebeck, 2012). She has contributed chapters to many books, most recently, “Ethics of Teaching and Learning in Christianity Today. Insights from the Book of Titus” in Ready for Every Good Work (Titus 3:1): Implicit Ethics in the Letter to Titus (WUNT 1/484, Contexts and Norms of New Testament Ethics 13. Tübingen: Siebeck, 2022). She is also the author of God’s Good Design: What the Bible Really Says about Men and Women (2012, 2019), and The Appearing of God our Savior: a Theology of 1 and 2 Timothy and Titus (2025). She is currently writing a commentary on Titus.
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