142 - Reformed and Feminist.- A Challenge to the Church

Reformed and Feminist.- A Challenge to the Church
By Johanna W.H. Van Wijk - BoS
Louisville, KY, Westminster/John Knox, 1991. 117 pp. $12.95.

Johanna van Wijk-Bos's Reformed and Feminist is a well-written, accessible work, which should be of interest to women both within and outside the Reformed tradition. Weaving together personal history, theological discussion, and engagement with the

143 - Reformed and Feminist.- A Challenge to the Church

Hebrew Bible, Wijk-Bos asks whether it is possible "in view of the patriarchal cast of the Bible ... for feminists to maintain a belief in the centrality of scripture and its authority." In answer, she suggests applying Calvin's doctrine of accommodation to the problem of patriarchy; it is part of the "lisp of God," as God accommodates divine revelation to human weakness. She demonstrates her approach through a close reading of several biblical narratives.

Such an application of the doctrine of accommodation demands more elaboration than this slim volume affords. Readers may wonder, for example, how this approach might apply to those nonnarrative passages that make actual proscriptions limiting women's participation in social and religious life. However, this book makes no pretense of being a comprehensive discussion of Calvin's hermeneutics. It attempts, rather, to address the pressing issue of patriarchy and biblical authority in a way that will be helpful to the nonspecialist. In this, it succeeds admirably.

Emily H. Brooker-Langston
Emory University
Atlanta, Ga.