by
VOW
We reviewed carefully the Horizons Bible Study for 2006-2007, In the Beginning: Perspectives on Genesis, by Celia Brewer Sinclair with Suggestions for Leaders by Kikanza Nuri Robins. We reflected on the lessons in light of the evaluative questions that appeared in our March 2004 newsletter and in our 2005 Horizons review:
1) Does the author take the Scriptural “context” seriously? That is to say, does she carefully note when the passage was written, why it was written, and to whom it was written? Further, does she set forth the clear and plain sense of the passage before she attempts to apply its meaning to the lives of women today?
2) Is there a contemporary political, philosophical, or theological “agenda” that the author “reads into” her understanding of the text, or is the text allowed to speak for itself?
3) What speaks with the most authority to the author — the plain meaning of Scripture itself, or other, extra-biblical sources?
4) Does the writer consistently write from a Trinitarian perspective, lifting up the one God who has been revealed to us as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit?
5) What is the mission emphasis of the study? Does it hold up the person and work of Christ, and His power to transform individual lives, as of equal importance to political, social, and economic change?
6) When you have finished studying each lesson, do you have a deeper understanding of what it means to be an obedient disciple of Jesus Christ?
We also considered the needs and concerns of the various women in our constituency.
As a result, we voted to adopt the following statement:
A. We cannot recommend this study for use by groups of Presbyterian women in local congregations.
B. We suggest that a possible alternative study to consider may be Genesis: God’s Grace from the Beginning, by Debbie Schmidt, provided by the Network of Presbyterian Women in Leadership (NPWL). This study has been reviewed by VOW board member Marcia Slentz-Whalen. To investigate the study for yourself go to
http://www.npwl.org/biblestudies/genesisandwomenswords/genesisindex.shtml
C. We have also prepared a word of caution [click here [1] ) for those women who may find themselves using the Horizons study, to guide them in discerning the difficulties we encountered. This is not intended to be a supplement to a study we do not recommend.
Remember, the final responsibility for the use of all curriculum in the congregation rests with the Session (often through its Christian Education committee) and the pastor (Book of Order — G10.0102, e, f, m).
As always, we encourage those who use or refuse to use the Horizons material to voice their concerns directly to PW Horizons staff at 100 Witherspoon Street, Louisville, KY, 40202.
[1] http://layman.wpengine.com/Documents/Doc0167.aspx