The Guardian reports on Rachel Held Evans’ experiment in living biblically:
Rachel Held Evans, who lives in Dayton, Tennessee, started following the literal instructions for women in the Bible last October. She refused to touch her husband during her period, sleeping for a weekend in a tent in her backyard and even carrying around her own cushion to sit on so she did not make anything else unclean (Leviticus 15-18). Then reading “it is better to live in a corner of a roof than in a house shared with a contentious woman” in Proverbs 21:9, she did so whenever she nagged. She also stood on the highway in front of the “Welcome to Dayton” sign holding a poster saying “Dan is awesome” – because a virtuous woman’s husband is “praised at the city gates” (Proverbs 31:23). And never once during the 12 months did she cut her thick hair (1 Corinthians 11:15).
…while women in the bible command armies, it was always the strict gender roles and emphasis on women’s subservience that was spoken of.
So what did Rachel, a committed Christian and feminist, learn? “To call into question that there is a single blueprint of how to be a woman…”





I love Rachel Held Evans, but I must say I agree with one of the user comments in the Guardian story. “There are already women that follow all of the Bible’s rules. They’re called Orthodox (or ultra-Orthodox Jews.”
I love the word, “Biblians!” Can we start a trend right here, right now, to use it whenever we encounter the “plain meaning” sorts?
FWIW
jim Beyer
Yet another reminder of why we are called “Christians,” not “Biblians.” We are not to follow the Bible; we are to follow Christ Jesus, and all things, including the Bible are subject to him. He himself said: “You search the Scriptures because you think they give you eternal life. But the Scriptures point to me!” (John 5:39). Without him, “following the Bible” can lead us into many a silly, strange, dangerous or destructive thing. Our minds have to be open to him to understand it aright: “Then he opened their minds so they could understand the Scriptures” (Luke 24:45). Jesus said, “Come, follow me” (Matthew 4:19), not “Come, follow the Bible.” We’re called to become ever more Christlike — not Bible-like.