Evangelical Christian women naturally want to be "biblical" women. Yet there is a deep-seated divide in evangelical circles amongst women regarding what "biblical womanhood" specifically looks like. One camp (the "Fearlessly Feminine"), argues that biblical womanhood is characterized by Calvinistic theology, complementarianism (male headship in both the home and Church), and Western, stereotypical expressions of femininity. 1 Another camp (the "Liberated Christian Women"), argues that biblical womanhood rejects complementarianism as patriarchy, and endorses feminism or egalitarianism (interchangeable gender roles in both the home and Church), and a missional view toward oppressed groups like women. This latter group often maligns Western, stereotypical expressions of femininity.
In this series of post, my incredible wife Osheta reflects upon her: a) encounters with both groups of Christian women; b) the values she appreciates from both groups; and c) where her journey has led her to now—which is not to identify entirely with either camp. She calls the journey she's on "Third Way Womanhood."