Genesis to Junia by Preston Sprinkle: A Review

From Genesis to Junia was intended as a research project on the egalitarian-complementarian debate with Preston postponing his conclusion until after his study. As such, the reader is taken on a journey though Scripture (stopping, for example, in Genesis 1-3, with Deborah in Judges, alongside dusty Nazareth roads with Jesus, and in the busy city centres of Corinth and Ephesus) and evaluating each passage and theme for their teaching on Women in Leadership without a predetermined aim or conviction. It is only in the book’s final pages that Preston lays out his well-earned belief and tells the reader definitively where he lands on the topic. Spoiler alert: Preston’s conclusion is toward egalitarianism, recognizing that “men and women are different by design, I just don’t think our differences determine who can teach or lead our churches” while maintaining his general hesitancy over “labels” (291-2).

The book’s approach is profound in and of itself. As Christian leaders, we must practice a similar posture. Regardless of where you stand on this debate (or any other, for that matter), we must listen first and allow a genuine study of Scripture with its manifold interpretations to guide our convictions. And especially for today, we must do so with recognition of how our traditions and practices have excluded countless voices, including those of many would-be women leaders in the church.

Preston’s endeavour covers much of Scripture, and it would be too much for a review to dive into each section, but allow me a brief look at two which I found particularly important: Genesis 1-3 and Jesus’ teaching on leadership.

As Tom Schreiner says in his rather critical review of From Genesis to Junia, “The argument from creation has always been a linchpin for the complementarian interpretation.” So it has. And so it was especially fascinating that Preston’s ultimately egalitarian reading overturns it. Does the complementarian “linchpin” hold up under the weight of careful exegesis? That Eve was made from Adam’s side not Adam’s rib should call to mind images of completeness as seen in the tabernacle or temple rather than subordination. For another point, the word helper (used to describe Eve’s relation to Adam) elsewhere describes God helping Israel without the notion of subservience needed for the complementarian reading. These topics fall among many others in creation (primogeniture, naming, the fall, etc) and so it is fair to say that while Genesis 1-3 is a linchpin for the complementarian view, the more I look at it, the more I wouldn’t trust it to hold much weight. Preston concludes the same. And this is only chapter 1; readers shouldn’t worry that Preston has forgotten Paul’s later use of Genesis, as this gets substantial (and compelling) treatment later in the book.

Second, and perhaps Preston’s greatest contribution, is the redefinition of leadership necessary for the conversation. Here we turn to Jesus. By studying Mark 10 (and Paul’s later echoes) we realize we’ve gotten the whole notion of leadership wrong. We have sounded more like James and John, wondering who gets to sit beside the heavenly throne (or, in our case, who gets to stand behind the pulpit or manage the budget) instead of recognizing Christlike leadership is to be a servant. While I doubt any reader of Scripture would object here, what is compelling is Preston’s application of this servant-leadership model to discussion about early church leadership in Paul, and the immediate recognition that all throughout the New Testament, there is extensive evidence that women were leading the church in just this way.

And for readers wondering, "But what about 1 Corinthians? What about 1 Timothy?" I hear you. That is a love of Scripture and a desire to submit to its teaching which I share. We ought, as Preston says repeatedly, not to import our modern beliefs or hopes onto the text. In closing, I will only say: Pick up the book. You will not be disappointed. Chapter 10 on 1 Timothy 2-3 is the longest by far, and 1 Corinthians 11 and 14 are both covered extensively. Throughout these discussions, I found the arguments for both the complementarian and egalitarian positions strong in some instances and frail in others. And in response, I share Preston’s practically egalitarian landing place makes the best sense of the cumulative evidence, and I believe this to be a deeply important realization (or re-affirmation) for the church.

Ultimately, From Genesis to Junia stands out as a stellar survey on Scripture’s teaching about women in leadership. Preston carefully explores the best of both complementarian and egalitarian arguments, and shares his resulting belief “the Bible says that women can teach and exercise leadership at every level in the church” (288). I believe the same, and it is in line with Preston’s book that I want to stress further, we need women teaching and exercising leadership at every level in the church. The Body is at a loss when this is not done.

Parker Steeves is a Master's Theology student, fantasy author, and passionate believer that the future Kingdom ought to shape our present faith. He has been a fan of Preston Sprinkle’s work (mainly his Theology in the Raw podcast) for quite some time, so when the opportunity presented itself to join the release team for Preston’s latest book From Genesis to Junia, he leapt from my seat, signed up, and pushed his homework off till the weekend (he apologizes to his professors). A hearty thank you is extended to both Preston and David C. Cook Publishing for their early e-copy of the manuscript. Parker currently lives in Sherwood Park, Alberta, with his wife and daughter.