Yes, Women Need Apologetics, But More Importantly, Apologetics Needs Women
Hey friends! It’s Hillary of Mama Bear Apologetics, a partner of Ratio Christi International. Mama Bear Apologetics exists for the sole purpose of equipping moms to answer the tough questions of the faith. These questions start in the home, and moms are usually the first ones to hear them. So ladies, let’s band together, and educate ourselves. You can follow Mama Bear Apologetics on the web, Facebook, twitter, youtube, and iTunes. Today’s topic is why apologetics needs women.
My nephew once asked me “Since God and Jesus are both referred to as “He,” does that mean that men are better than women?” It was such a beautifully honest question coming from his little 8-year old mind. The answer to this question is, “Absolutely not!” and I’ll explain why in point 6. However, I was glad that I was able to address this question with him at such a young age, because this belief has subtly infiltrated some of our churches for far too long. have known both men and women whom I suspect secretly believed this, though they would never say it out loud. Their actions said it for them. Ladies, we women have a unique role in the church, and if we are not manifesting God in our unique way, then the church is incomplete, and so is the field of apologetics.
As Alisa said in the first episode, “apologetics is simply the gathering of evidence for a belief, and then communicating that belief to the world and people we love,” especially our kids. 1 Peter 3:15 says that we are to give a ready defense for anyone who asks for the hope that is within. 2 Corinthians 10:5 says that we are to demolish arguments that set themselves up against the knowledge of God. Now with words like “defense” and “demolish,” it is not surprising that the field of apologetics has been dominated by men in recent years. But that is changing. We here at Mama Bear Apologetics believe that we can fiercely defend There exists a unique creature that is as soft, cuddly, and maternal as they come, but under certain circumstances, can turn into a warrior. That creature is a Mama Bear. If you would like to see the transformation in person, go try one of her bear cub. I don’t recommend it. You will learn the meaning of the words “defend” and “demolish” is a way you would rather not! Ladies there are times to be sweet, nurturing, and docile, and times for us to stand up and protect our children. When it comes to our kid’s eternal salvation, we need to understand the reasons for our faith. Without an intelligent, reasonable faith, we are handing our children over to secular worldview that will entrap, ensnare them, and ultimately damage their faith. But remember, we never demolish people while we are demolishing an argument.
Apologetics is important for all Christians, including women, but that’s actually not what we are here to talk about today. Whenever you hear people talk about “women in apologetics,” they are usually focusing on why we need to reach women with apologetics. And it’s true, we do! The mandate to love the Lord our God with all our hearts, souls, MINDS and strengths is a universal command. So yes, I get it. Apologetics for women is vital. However, the lesser talked about issue, and that is the one we will discuss today: why apologetics needs women!
For the record, whenever we begin introducing gender into a conversation, there are people who are ready to stand up and declare their non-conformity to gender norms. When we talk about the different qualities between men and women, I am of course using generalities, generalities which were self-evident up until about 50-70 years ago. As a diclaimer, I do acknowledge that there are some men and women who defy their gender stereotype. I’m actually one of those women. Let’s acknowledge that generalities are not absolutes. We are looking at trends, and every trend has an outlier. That’s my official disclaimer before we dive into why apologetics needs women.
1) Men pioneer, but women civilize.
It has long been recognized that women exhibit a civilizing influence on men. As mentioned above, I am speaking in generalities. And in general, men are the trail-blazers. They are the pioneers, and the ones who take pleasure in conquering uncharted territory. Apologetics is no exception. But what happens when a field remains predominantly male? You get something that looks similar to the wild west… or Lord of the Flies.
I have noticed many online conversations between skeptic and believer that have been less than civil. While truth itself must fortified without comproise, the manner in which we express these truths requires sensitivity to the individual with whom you are speaking. For some of our amazing warrior, pioneering men, this quickly becomes a bull in a china shop. Difficult truths must be applied gently, with compassion, and with mercy, all qualities for which women are more known.
2) Women can help make apologetics more practical
A common complaint I’ve heard from churches is that apologetics isn’t practical. When they say “practical,” what they usually mean is “I don’t see how this will promote new converts or more people in the pews.” Personally, I think the practicality issue could be addressed by adding more female voices to the mix. Women may not necessarily have something new or different to say about apologetics. However, they often approach it differently.
There is truth in the phrase “Men are waffles, women are spaghetti.” Waffles are made of a bunch of little compartments that don’t touch. With spaghetti, you cannot pull one noodle, without affecting allllllll the other noodles around it. Men have an amazing ability to compartmentalize, which is very helpful in some ways. However, when it comes to presenting apologetics in a practical manner, showing how it affect’s everyday life, I think that women’s inability to compartmentalize becomes their strength.
I have rarely heard a woman speak on apologetics topics without including how her topic has affected her personal relationship with God, and her relationships with others. Not everyone knows how to incorporate apologetics into their everyday lives. They go to conferences, and are filled with knowledge, and go home and have no idea how to implement what they have learned. I’m not saying that women alone hold the key to application. However, I will make the case that it often comes more naturally for us, and thus, we could play a vital role in making apologetics more accessible to the common lay-person, and more attractive to the average pastor.
3) Apologetics already has a bad reputation, and a feminine face could help
I cannot count the number of times my husband and I have told someone that we did apologetics, and were met with skeptical looks, and warnings that “You can’t argue people into the kingdom of heaven.” Friends, if I could reach out and shake you right now, I would. This is important. If this many people think that apologetics is only about arguing, then we have not been doing it correctly.
I understand why men have retreated to apologetics. In many ways, the church has become very feminine, forcing men to hold hands and sing under candlelight. My push for women in apologetics is not about finding the last bastion of men, and invading it. However, there is a simple phenomena that I have observed through experience, both in the workplace, and as a teacher. When it comes to leadership, men and women can do and say the exact same thing.
The man will be seen as a strong leader, and the woman will be viewed as a [word I don’t say in polite company.] However, this exact same phenomena is true on the flip side. There are a lot of harsh truths that people will more readily hear from a woman than they will a man. Why is that? Is it because we are less intimidating? Is it because we intuitively know how to soften the blow? Is it because I’m 5’2” and it’s hard for someone to really take me seriously? Who knows. All I know is that if a man a woman both say something harsh with love, the love is often more readily perceived coming from a woman than it is the man.
Our society is a mess right now and there are a lot of harsh truths that need to be said. A feminine spin on a harsh truth can sometimes break down walls that might otherwise have been impenetrable if approached in a masculine manner.
4) Women are more relational in their ministry
Apologist MaryJo Sharp has pointed out an interesting observation that she has made when talking with people at apologetics conferences. Men and women often have different reasons for getting into apologetics. While men are usually trying to answer their own questions, women are often trying to answer the questions of someone they love – a child, spouse, or friend. When it comes to the ministry aspect of apologetics, women seem to be more missional, but they do it in a relational way.
5) Positive versions of femininity must be displayed if for no other reason than negative versions of femininity must be answered.
Some women having a gentle, quiet spirit means being a doormat, not speaking up, not voicing opinions. On the opposite end of the spectrum, some proponents of modern feminism think that they can elevate the status of women by attacking the value of men. Strength gained by tearing someone else down is not strength. True femininity is fierce strength wrapped in gentleness. As we women step into apologetics, we have the opportunity to model what truth wrapped in love looks like to a world that has forgotten what Biblical femininity should look like.
Finally, as to my nephew’s question, are men better than women since both God and Jesus are referred to as He? We are all image bearers of God, but we reflect different aspects His nature. In some scriptures, God manifests as a teacher, comforter, helper, and healer, all of which are traditionally feminine roles. In fact, the Hebrew word used to refer to God as helper is the same one used to refer to Eve as helper. Other times, God appears as a warrior, a defender, a provider, a judge, and a conqueror. All of these are traditionally masculine roles. If we are to ascribe one gender as having more inherent worth than the other, then we would have to say that some of God’s traits are more important than others, and that’s just not true. I rejoice because we serve a God who is both compassionate and just.
This ladies, is 5 reasons why apologetics needs women, why apologetics needs you.
To get more resources, please visit mamabearapologetics.com! Tune in next month as we hear from Cathryn Buse discussing how to incorporate apologetics into the home.
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Hillary's Bio
Hillary Morgan Ferrer is the founder of Mama Bear Apologetics, a ministry birthed from many sleepless nights. She feels a burden for providing accessible apologetics resources for busy moms on the go. Hillary has her masters degree in biology from Clemson University and is currently working on a masters in apologetics from Biola University. Her specialties are in scientific apologetics, critiques of the Darwinian mechanism, dealing with doubt, and identifying causes and solutions for youth leaving the church. She and her husband have been married for 10 years and minister together as an apologetics team in the local church. Hillary contributes to the ministry as Mama-Bear-in-Chief, coordinating the day-to-day efforts, outreach through Ratio Christi, editing blog submissions as well as writing her own, and recording the Mama Bear Apologetics Podcast with her close friend and partner, Rebekah. She can never sneak up on anybody because of her chronic hiccups, which you can hear occasionally on the podcast.
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