Minneapolis, MN (PRWEB) June 27, 2014
Dr. Mimi Haddad, president of Christians for Biblical Equality (CBE), recently spoke at Sojourners’ annual leadership conference, “The Summit.”
In her lecture, Dr. Haddad addressed the consequences associated with viewing men and women as fundamentally different, as two unique essences that are fixed and unchangeable. She posits that such a view is not compatible with Christian faith and has devastating social justice consequences around the world. In place of this view, Dr. Haddad suggests that Christian faith teaches a human-essentialism, which necessitates the full service of all people on the basis of their gifts rather than gender.
“Patriarchy is an injustice that must be overcome,” noted Dr. Haddad. “The face of poverty, abuse, disease, malnutrition, illiteracy, and hunger is mostly female. Full equality between men and women must be furthered if we are to address the injustices the world faces today.”
Dr. Haddad spoke as part of a session titled “The Stained-Glass Ceiling: Women’s Leadership in the Church” alongside Diana Butler Bass, Dr. Iva Carruthers, Hyepin Im, Jo Anne Lyon, and Rev. Sharon Watkins. “It was an immense honor to have the opportunity to speak at this important event,” stated Dr. Haddad. “Perhaps even more significantly, I was able to meet with many passionate leaders to discuss real challenges facing women within the church today.”
Hosted at Georgetown University in Washington D.C., “The Summit: World Change through Faith and Justice” brought together 300 leaders to discuss some of the most pressing issues in the world today. Topics included women and girls, immigration, racial justice, creation care, and economic opportunity. “The Summit” focused on discussing the larger issues associated with these topics with the aim of creating channels for practical application.
In its effort to advance a biblical foundation for gift-based rather than gender-based service, CBE sponsors annual conferences, facilitates local chapters, hosts an online book service, and publishes two award-winning journals. For more information, visit http://www.cbeinternational.org.