This Sunday, our church begins a four-week series on biblical manhood and womanhood. That could raise dozens of questions to answer and a person’s understanding of manhood and womanhood is applied in many ways. There’s a lot we won’t get to cover, but we’ll consider what it means to be made in God’s image, what biblical manhood and womanhood looks like, and how that applies to singleness and roles in marriage. Our church holds to the theological position known as complementarianism, and this will show up throughout the series.
Here’s a helpful definition from Mary Kassian in her article, “Complementarianism for Dummies.”
Complementarians believe that God created male and female as complementary expressions of the image of God—-male and female are counterparts in reflecting his glory. Having two sexes expands the view. Though both sexes bear God’s image fully on their own, each does so in a unique and distinct way. Male and female in relationship reflects truths about Jesus that aren’t reflected by male alone or female alone.
Below are a number of books, articles, and sermons on applying complementarianism.
What Is Complementarianism?
- Complementarianism for Dummies by Mary Kassian
- Summaries of the Egalitarian and Complementarian Positions by Bruce Ware
- 5 Myths About Complementarianism by Andreas and Margaret Kostenberger
- Why is the Gospel Coalition Complementarian? video
Image-Bearers or the Imago Dei
- Books: Made for More by Hannah Anderson; Created in God’s Image by Anthony Hoekema; Identity Theft, edited by Melissa Kruger
- “Made in His Likeness” by Jeanie Layne
- “What is the Imago Dei?” by Andrew Hebert
- “Men, Women, and the Place of True Equality” by Trillia Newbell
- “What Does It Mean to be Made in God’s Image?” Ask Pastor John episode
- “What Does It Mean to be An Image-Bearer?” by Dustin Crowe
- “In His Image”Matt Chandler sermon
Manhood & Womanhood
- Books: Designed for Joy, edited by Jonathan Parnell & Owen Strachan; The Grand Design by Owen Strachan; Recovering Biblical Manhood and Womanhood by John Piper; 50 Crucial Questions about Manhood and Womanhood by John Piper & Wayne Grudem
- “10 Things You Should Know about the Bible’s Teaching on Men and Women” by Andreas and Margaret Kostenberger
- “The Church Needs Men and Women to be Friends” by Jen Wilkin
- “The Beauty of Complementarity Goes Beyond Gender” by Brett McCracken
- “Male and Female He Created Them in the Image of God,” John Piper sermon
- Sermon series on Manhood & Womanhood from The Village Church
Manhood
- Books: Disciplines of a Godly Man by R. Kent Hughes; Manhood Restored by Eric Mason; Reformational Manhood by Greg Gibson; The Godly Man’s Picture by Thomas Watson; A Guide to Biblical Manhood by Randy Stinson and Dan Dumas (free download); Masculine Mandate by Richard Phillips
- Biblical Manhood study by Sam Alberry
- ESV Men’s Devotional Bible
- “The Meaning of Manhood” by Phillip Holmes
- “The One Ingredient Essential to Biblical Manhood” by Thabiti Anyabwile
- “4 Areas Where Men are Called to Spiritual Leadership” by Mike Ruel
Womanhood
- Books: The Accidental Feminist by Courtney Reissig; Is the Bible Good for Women? by Wendy Alsup; The Gospel-Centered Woman by Wendy Alsup; Women and God by Kathleen Nielson; True Woman 101 by Mary Kassian and Nancy Leigh DeMoss; Identity Theft, edited by Melissa Kruger.
- Biblical Womanhood study by Sarah Collins
- ESV Women’s Devotional Bible
- Course on Biblical Womanhood at The Gospel Coalition
- “Beginning at the Beginning” by Jasmine Holmes
- “The Beauty of Womanhood” by Abigail Dodds
Complementarianism (Men & Women in the Church)
- Books: Women in the Church by Andreas Kostenberger; Word-Filled Women’s Ministry, edited by Gloria Furman; 50 Crucial Questions by John Piper and Wayne Grudem; Jesus, Justice, and Gender Roles by Kathy Keller; No Little Women by Aimee Byrd; Two Views on Women and Ministry, edited by Stanley Gundry
- College Park Church Fishers statement from the elders on our beliefs and practices
- E-journal on Complementarianism and the Local Church at 9marks.org
- “Complementarianism for Dummies” by Mary Kassian
- “Why I’m Complementarian” and“Four Dangers for Complementarians” by Gavin Ortlund
- “But what should women do in the church?” by Wayne Grudem
- “Confessions of a Conflicted Complementarian” by Wendy Alsup
Marriage and Complementarity
- Books: The Exemplary Husband by Stuart Scott and The Excellent Wife by Martha Peace; God, Marriage, and Family by Andreas Kostenberger; The Meaning of Marriage by Tim Keller; Designed for Joy, edited by Jonathan Parnell & Owen Strachan; The Grand Design by Owen Strachan
- “Four Truths About Complementarian Marriage” by Gavin Peacock
- “How the Cross Shapes a Husband’s Love” by Tim Savage
- “The Shape of Complementarian Husbanding” by Jared Wilson
- “Submission: A Biblical Principle with a Bad Rap” by Casey Lewis
- “The Challenge and Joy of Respecting Your Husband” podcast episode
- “Six Things Submission is Not” by John Piper
Singleness and Manhood & Womanhood
- Books: 7 Myths about Singleness by Sam Alberry; Redeeming Singleness by Barry Danylak; Not Yet Married by Marshall Segal
- “Some Basic Thoughts on Manhood: Singleness” by Thabiti Anyabwile
- “We’re Not on Hold: Biblical Femininity and the Single Woman” by Carolyn McCulley
- “Complementarianism and the Single Man” by Mathew Freeman
- “Complementarianism and the Single Woman” by Katie Van Dyke
- “The Beauty and Challenge of Singleness” by Drew Hunter
- “Singleness Shows us the Gospel Too” by Lore Ferguson Wilbert
- “Single in Christ: A Name Better than Sons and Daughters” sermon by John Piper
Gender and Complementarity
- Books: Designed for Joy, edited by Jonathan Parnell & Owen Strachan; The Grand Design by Owen Strachan; Rewriting Gender? by David Martin; God and the Transgender Debate by Andrew Walker
- “Gender within the Framework of the Gospel Story” by Mathew Sims
- “The Beauty of Complementarity Goes Beyond Gender” by Brett McCracken
- “The Battle of the Sexes Isn’t Our Battle to Fight” by Courtney Reissig
- “Men, Women, and the Place of True Equality” by Trillia Newbell
- “Better Together” by Margaret Bronson
- “What to Do if my Child Doesn’t fit with Typical Gender Norms” by Jared Kennedy
- “3 Things to Tell Your Children About Gender” by Dan Doriani
*I do not necessarily agree with or support everything in each these resources, but have found them to include truth and be helpful in understanding some of the issues and positions involved.
**If you’d like more resources on a specific issue, or something not mentioned, email me.
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