Kevin Giles

In recent years the issue of domestic abuse and violence has gained a lot of attention as the extent of it has become known. Domestic abuse and violence is now of high concern to most churches because it is evident that domestic abuse figures are much the same in our churches, and possibly higher in evangelical churches where the headship of men and the submission of women is made the God-given ideal. In this book, Kevin Giles surveys competently the scientific information on this matter now available and notes that the consensus is that the most sure indicator of higher incidences of abuse are found in communities where men are privileged and expected to be in charge and women are subordinated. This, he argues, should make complementarians consider afresh if in fact the subordination of women is the God-given ideal, established in creation before the fall.

In recent years the issue of domestic abuse and violence has gained a lot of attention as the extent of it has become known. Domestic abuse and violence is now of high concern to most churches because it is evident that domestic abuse figures are much the same in our churches, and possibly higher in evangelical churches where the headship of men and the submission of women is made the God-given ideal. In this book, Kevin Giles surveys competently the scientific information on this matter now available and notes that the consensus is that the most sure indicator of higher incidences of abuse are found in communities where men are privileged and expected to be in charge and women are subordinated. This, he argues, should make complementarians consider afresh if in fact the subordination of women is the God-given ideal, established in creation before the fall.

Kevin Giles has been writing on women in the Bible for over forty years. In this book, What the Bible Actually Teaches on Women, he gives the most comprehensive account to date of the competing conclusions to this question and the issues surrounding it. To understand the bitter and divisive debate among evangelicals over the status and ministry of women, it needs to be understood that those who since 1990 have called themselves "complementarians" argue that in creation before the fall God set the man over the woman. Thus, the leadership of the man and the subordination of the woman in the home, the church, and wherever possible in the world (the whole creation) is the God-given ideal that is pleasing to God. It is this "theology" that Kevin Giles deconstructs and shows to be without a biblical foundation. Giles shows that he is fully conversant with the complementarian position and yet is unpersuaded by it. He sees it as an appeal to the Bible to preserve male privilege, similar to the appeals to the Bible to validate slavery and Apartheid; appeals to the Bible made by some of the best Reformed and evangelical biblical scholars, and now seen to be special pleading. Carefully studying the limited number of texts on which complementarians predicate their theology of the sexes, Giles finds not one of them actually teaches what complementarians claim. Furthermore, complementarians too often ignore the texts that are very difficult for them. In this book the ordination of women gets only passing mention. The constant focus is on whether or not the Bible subordinates women to men as an abiding theological principle. "At the end of a long faithfulness in the direction of the church, and at the end of one careful study after another, Kevin Giles has brought together his finest arguments for the full support of women in all levels of ministry in the local church . . . Running through the whole book is a graciousness of disagreement propped by a firmness of conviction. This book will be on my desk every time I think about church leadership." --Scot McKnight, Northern Seminary, Lisle, Illinois "As a 'soft-complementarian, ' I heartily endorse Kevin Giles' masterful work, What the Bible Actually Teaches on Women. As an academic who has written and taught on gender for almost twenty-five years, I found this to be one of the best and most enriching books I've read on the subject . . . This book evidences a lifetime of extensive biblical study and real world pastoral ministry. I am very grateful this book is now available to the body of Christ." --Steve Tracy, Professor of Theology and Ethics, Phoenix Seminary

Kevin Giles has been writing on women in the Bible for over forty years. In this book, What the Bible Actually Teaches on Women, he gives the most comprehensive account to date of the competing conclusions to this question and the issues surrounding it. To understand the bitter and divisive debate among evangelicals over the status and ministry of women, it needs to be understood that those who since 1990 have called themselves ""complementarians"" argue that in creation before the fall God set the man over the woman. Thus, the leadership of the man and the subordination of the woman in the home, the church, and wherever possible in the world (the whole creation) is the God-given ideal that is pleasing to God. It is this ""theology"" that Kevin Giles deconstructs and shows to be without a biblical foundation. Giles shows that he is fully conversant with the complementarian position and yet is unpersuaded by it. He sees it as an appeal to the Bible to preserve male privilege, similar to the appeals to the Bible to validate slavery and Apartheid; appeals to the Bible made by some of the best Reformed and evangelical biblical scholars, and now seen to be special pleading. Carefully studying the limited number of texts on which complementarians predicate their theology of the sexes, Giles finds not one of them actually teaches what complementarians claim. Furthermore, complementarians too often ignore the texts that are very difficult for them. In this book the ordination of women gets only passing mention. The constant focus is on whether or not the Bible subordinates women to men as an abiding theological principle. ""At the end of a long faithfulness in the direction of the church, and at the end of one careful study after another, Kevin Giles has brought together his finest arguments for the full support of women in all levels of ministry in the local church . . . Running through the whole book is a graciousness of disagreement propped by a firmness of conviction. This book will be on my desk every time I think about church leadership."" --Scot McKnight, Northern Seminary, Lisle, Illinois ""As a 'soft-complementarian, ' I heartily endorse Kevin Giles' masterful work, What the Bible Actually Teaches on Women. As an academic who has written and taught on gender for almost twenty-five years, I found this to be one of the best and most enriching books I've read on the subject . . . This book evidences a lifetime of extensive biblical study and real world pastoral ministry. I am very grateful this book is now available to the body of Christ."" --Steve Tracy, Professor of Theology and Ethics, Phoenix Seminary ""What the Bible Actually Teaches on Women, is nothing short of an egalitarian thesis hammered on the church's door . . . Giles exposes the theological abuses of Christian patriarchy while critiquing its heinous impact on human life globally . . . Few books are more comprehensive in tracing the river of destruction fueled by 'male headship' presented as God's ideal. This book is essential reading for ministry students and Christians concerned for the church's influence in our world today."" --Mimi Haddad, president, CBE International ""Through careful analysis of the Bible and tradition, Kevin Giles compellingly and convincingly . . . demonstrates that those who argue for the continued subordination of women to men are distorting the biblical witness with dire consequences, not only for Trinitarian doctrine but for women's rights and their very humanity . . . I highly recommend this book as the definitive study guide for understanding the theological basis for the equality of women and men."" --Paul D. Molnar, St. John's University, Queens, New York ""In . . . What the Bible Actually Teaches on Women, Kevin Giles upholds the clear teaching of Scripture that God has created, redeemed, and Spirit-gifted equally both men and women. This truth has breathed the fresh air of empowerment into women in the majority world culture

We all have a story. People's stories can make us laugh or cry, trigger joy or fear, inspire us or challenge us to step up and act. Rosemary's book is more than just a story. In telling her story, Rosemary shares her struggle with mental illness and the attitudes of those around her, laced with hope, recovery, and the grace of God. Rosemary explains in simple and engaging terms her own journey through various treatments, attitude changes, and management techniques for Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD). She gives constructive insights into the tension between oversimplified responses framed in spiritual language and the clinical explanations of medical practitioners. The beauty and power of this book is in the healthy perspectives that combine spiritual power and medical evidence. These life-changing perspectives break down the stigma of mental illness, especially among believers, and give hope through well-researched practical information and resources. Ultimately, this is an engaging journey of transformation from crippling fear, guilt, and anxiety to joyful hope, recovery, and freedom. It is an informative journey of the heart, soul, mind, and body. ""As a personal work from one who has suffered with Obsessive Compulsive Disorder, The Lava Tube makes a humane contribution to our understandings, care, appropriate responses, and therapeutic interventions, mainly for those who suffer directly from the condition, but also for those in relationship. It has clearly been a work of love--courageous, honest, and generous--forged from adversity, offered from a broadly integrated bio-psycho-social-spiritual health perspective. This is a worthwhile read, for both professionals and lay persons. Congratulations to the author "" --Rosemary Steer MAPS, Psychologist, The Andrews Centre, Endeavour Hills, Australia Rosemary Burke is an office coordinator with a twenty-year nursing background and mother of two. Her current work includes helping people in a range of not-for-profit, multicultural contexts. She is also qualified in pastoral care. Rosemary has held and continues to hold leadership roles in her local church, encouraging creativity and empowerment.

Should all Christians, especially evangelicals, hold on to the doctrine of the eternal generation of the Son? What is lost if we don't? Theologian Kevin Giles defends the historically orthodox and ecumenical doctrine of the eternal generation of the Son of God. He argues on biblical, historical and theological bases that, given its fundamental meaning, this formulation is indispensable, irreplaceable and faithful to Christian revelation. The book will be especially helpful in the current discussion of this doctrine. It will also be of interest to students, pastors and laypersons who want to delve into the Christian understanding of the identity of the Son of God and serious study of trinitarian theology.

What is the church? In a day when people increasingly view the church as a relic of the past, this may be the most important question Christians can ask themselves. The logical starting point is Scripture. In this thorough and engaging study of the church in the New Testament, Kevin Giles concludes that the church is first and foremost a Christian community. No other category offers greater breadth and depth of insight into its nature. No other category offers such a challenge to Western individualism, nor such promise for the revitalization of the church in the postmodern world. 'What on Earth Is the Church' is an exploration in New Testament theology, a careful study of the ecclesial community from Jesus to Paul and on through to Revelation. Each category of New Testament writings is carefully assessed, with attention given to the early, middle, and late Pauline letters, and to the theology of each Gospel. Giles finds in the New Testament a community in transition -- never perfect, always provisional, and forever living in the tension between its present imperfection and its eschatological ideal. The New Testament does not promise an original community to be recaptured but a variety of perspectives on being the community of God in changing social environments.

Jerry's Riot: The True Story of Montana's 1959 Prison Disturbance examines the explosion that resulted when the prison's new reform warden collided with career convict Jerry Myles, who wanted to run the prison.

Subordination has been and still is a controversial subject within the church. The concept has been vigorously debated in relation to the doctrine of the Trinity since the fourth century. Certain New Testament texts have made it part of discussions of right relations between men and women. In recent years these two matters have been dramatically brought together. Indeed, today the doctrine of the Trinity is being used to support opposing views of the right relationship between men and women in the church. At the center of the debate is the question of whether or not the orthodox view of the trinitarian relations teach the eternal subordination of the Son of God. In this book Kevin Giles masterfully traces the historic understanding of the doctrine of the Trinity from the patristic age to our own times to help resolve this important question. But he does not stop there. Giles goes on to provide an illuminating investigation of a closely related question--whether or not women, even in terms of function or role, were created to be permanently subordinated to men. By surveying the church's traditional interpretation of texts relating to the status of women and inquiring into the proper use of the doctrine of the Trinity, Giles lays out his position in this current debate.