Prominent male Christian leaders are consistently called to account for improper behavior with women in their organizations. There are certainly a few bad actors, but is something else systemically amiss in Christian organizations?
Leanne Dzubinski, an expert in organization development, shows how secular inequalities have been imported into Christian spaces and treated as sacred. Whether from ancient or modern culture, beliefs about women that do not align with Scripture and God's view of women have too often been promoted as biblical. She explains how organizational dysfunction is often caused by systems that prioritize men over women in ways that are detrimental to the organization as well as to the people in them--men and women alike. Dzubinski describes five pitfalls that often occur in Christian organizations that make it difficult for women to flourish:
- "Sex and the office" An undue focus on women's sexuality
- "Hey, guys!" Language that marginalizes women
- "I can't; I have to work" Assumptions about work culture that leave women feeling they constantly fall short
- "Are you sure that's right?" Ambivalence toward women
- "There are no good women leaders" Cultural and Christian stereotypes that frame leadership as male
Each chapter offers scriptural perspectives and practical suggestions to help leaders create organizational cultures where everyone can flourish and work together as siblings in Christ.
