Arlene

Interesting post. Have you read the work of Carrie Miles? She has an interesting perspective on the world of thorns as an economic reality after the fall. In the world of thornes there is a struggle for life and because of the multiple conceptions, women gravitate toward roles that keep them near the home and able to care for the children. Roles evolved according to economic need in the world of thorns. This vulnerability also created the circumstances in which the woman was dominated by the man. Close to the hearth, the woman did not experience nor did she have the time to engage in the outside world. This led to views of women intelligence as lesser ect, that women needed beauty to attract a man who would be able to provide for her and her many children. It was about survival. children also were born as workers…so the family could survuve in a agraian culture in a world of thorns.

Miles then goes on to speak about redemption and reversing the effects of the fall. It’s a fascinating book and very relevent. I love her discussion on Redemptive Love that returns to the vision for marriage that moves beyond survival toward the kind of mutual love God intended for us to have. And for the lives of shared reigning as God’s vice regents. It is about a restoration of mutual reign and God-based love.

I think Ortberg is really off based when he grounds original sin as insubordination of women and failing to be head in men. Sin corrupted the world after the fall in all ways. If Ortberg were correct, we would not need Jesus to redeem us. We would only need roles.

I think Christ did much more than that. Orberg has reduced salvation to living out roles.

Christ redeemed us and the world… we are in the already but not yet period. One day, all things will be put to rights at the return of Christ. In Ortbergs world, women will remain in subordination eternally.