Truly Us: Why Jesus—Not Feminism or Biblical Patriarchy—Is the Only Framework for Truly Understanding Gender (eBook)

What does it mean to be a woman or a man?

Should we be feminists? Does the Bible have anything to say about gender that isn't stuck in a patriarchal past? Aren't gender norms a cultural construct? How can I personally live in my own body? How can I love others well—especially if they view gender differently than me?

But for followers of Jesus, few responses feel fully missional, totally engaged in our culture and completely grounded in Scripture. It leaves us wondering where to start. What books to read, podcasts to listen to, which voices to subscribe to and which to avoid. And what if we follow the wrong ideology and hurt people along the way?

Ten years ago, I started asking questions about women in the Bible. Six years ago, I encountered thinkers like Judith Butler and started to study concepts like gender performativity and queer theory. For the past year, I have read over 20 books and engaged over 60 sources (in addition to many conversations), trying to get to the bottom of what gender truly means.

Honestly, I was blown away by what I found. And I'm not just trying to be click-baity.

I couldn't believe the types of battles that feminists had to fight for women over the past century, but I also couldn't fathom adopting the worldview of the philosophers behind the movement.

At the same time, as a follower of Jesus, I knew Scripture had to be my ultimate authority regardless of my personal preferences. And yet, I was stunned by how so many influential theologians and pastors had directed people to think about gender.

Truly Us is my best attempt at bringing together everything I found so that you can engage this topic with clarity, humility, and love.

And the conclusion I came to? Jesus—not feminism or biblical patriarchy—is the only framework for truly understanding gender.

Here's what you'll get:

A 119-page eBook PDF featuring...

Introduction: "I Am Not a Woman"
I'Il introduce you to my own story and set the stage for why this investigation matters so much.

Chapter 1: "The Future Was Female"
Your very own brief history of the three waves of feminism and an introduction to the biggest voices and underlying philosophies.

Chapter 2 "Carol Danvers vs. The Danvers Statement"How has the evangelical Church responded to feminism? Is Biblical patriarchy and complementarianism a bullet-proof argument?

Chapter 3: "Say Something"
We have to say something, right? Finally, we look at how Jesus, the image of God provides the only framework for truly understanding gender. I include a thorough investigation of Genesis 1-3, a four-part Jesus-shaped framework for understanding and living life as gendered beings, and a fresh perspective on Paul's theology in the New Testament that provides the context and lens for the challenging passages on men and women.

Chapter 4: "Conclusion"
I conclude with a summary of my findings and a few more anecdotes of how this transformative approach can radically create space for the Kingdom of God to change everyday life and relationships.

Epilogue: "Does Ambiguity Destroy Gender?"
At the end, I share a personal revelation for how a simple metaphor can give us the freedom to hold tensions well.

Details

Truly Us is my master's thesis in fulfillment of the program requirements for the Master of Theology on Mission with Northern Seminary. I tried to write in a way that was both engaging and accessible as well as rigorously academic.

By clicking "I Want This!" you are downloading an eBook PDF that I created for those who have expressed interest in reading my thesis project. (The images of a physical book are just mockups I made for fun! There is no physical version at this time.)

The cost is completely up to you! You are more than welcome to download for free! If you would like to pay for it, most books in this range would cost from $10-20.

[All income that was received between June 2023 and October 2023 was donated to the For the Sake of Others campaign to resource a church plant in Cap-Haitian, Haiti and build a family training center in southeast Fort Wayne, IN.]

Lastly, I'd love your thoughtful reflections or feedback! I'm @men_z on Instagram & Threads.