BALTIMORE, March 22, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- As women across various arenas continue to make monumental strides and achieve recognition for their diverse strengths and capabilities, there is one organization that remains firm in its resistance to change: the Christian church. Evident in both the implicit biases that shape the perceived role of women in the church and the explicit refusal to allow women to advance into leadership roles, the church is steeped in a pervasive sexism that not only has negative implications for women’s personal and spiritual identities but also stands in the way of God’s highest calling for them.
In her new book, “Eve, Where Are You?: Confronting Toxic Practices Against the Advancement of Women,” Nicole L. Davis, PhD, offers her powerful and thought-provoking analysis of the current status of gender equality within the Christian church and marketplace, particularly as it intersects with leadership. Davis, an ordained pastor, Navy veteran and professional conflict coach and resolutionist, pairs her personal experience as a woman leader in both secular and spiritual settings with the perspectives of other men and women involved in ministry to illustrate how regressive attitudes and practices belittle women, discouraging and inhibiting them from using their God-given talents within the church.
“As a Christian woman in church, I have experienced the impact of gender bias and discrimination even though I possess spiritual gifts, leadership skills and ministry and work experience, said Davis. “I remember how I was treated years ago by the first pastor who ordained me . . . he struggled with the proper title to give me. He felt the title of evangelist was more fitting for a woman, even though the title chosen was not predicated on my role and responsibilities. It was only related to my gender. Only after I challenged the decision and threatened to reject the position altogether that he ultimately relented and ordained me as a minister.”
Davis also explores where the limiting beliefs about women originated, debunks scriptural myths that have been used to bar them from obtaining leadership roles in ministry and provides biblical evidence that men and women were created equally and share dominion over the earth. Drawing from her background in the social sciences, she also investigates the reluctancy to allow women into male-dominated spaces and the barriers around acquisitioning and transitioning power and changing the church environment.
Ultimately, Davis concludes that there is a pathway toward reconciling the bias toward women and welcoming their vast array of strengths and talents, however it requires women to be unyielding in their pursuit of God’s plan for their lives as well as a joint effort between both genders to shift the thinking within the church from a prejudicial perspective to a Christ-centered one. Through providing successful strategies and tools, including her tried-and-true R.E.F.R.E.S.H.® Model, Davis also illuminates how church leaders can introduce successful organizational change by nurturing a focus that meets the needs of all members and implementing conflict resolution techniques that bridges the divide between the congregation. Additionally, she provides an excellent resource for academic discussion, fostering a space for university and seminary students to contemplate the roles of women, and compare and contrast the challenges women have in church organizations against those in other industries.
“It is my mission to become a resource and an active contributor toward resolving this contentious topic to promote equality, unity, worth and hope for better church relationships between men and women, and to support women in leadership and those aspiring to be in leadership positions, whether in the church or in the marketplace,” said Davis.
“Davis’s book should find a welcoming place on any thoughtful church-goer’s bookcase,” wrote BlueInk Review.
“Eve, Where Are You?: Confronting Toxic Practices Against the Advancement of Women”
By Nicole L. Davis, PhD
ISBN: 9781664206366 (softcover); 9781664206380 (hardcover); 9781664206373 (electronic)
Available from Amazon, Christianbook and WestBow Press
About the author
Nicole L. Davis, PhD, is an ordained pastor, certified mediator, facilitator, conflict coach and Christian life coach, and a certified marriage trainer. As a social science researcher, her areas of interest include gender inequality, organizational leadership, women’s empowerment and family dynamics. With her husband, Tony, she has coauthored multiple books, including the three-book “Done Right” series that brings a voice to what God is speaking regarding family dynamics and the conduct of individuals within them: “Parenting Done Right Is Hard Work (But It’s Worth It!);” “Marriage Done Right Is Hard Work (But It’s Worth It!);” and “Leadership Done Right Is Hard Work (But It’s Worth It!)." The couple also coauthored the anthology “Speak to the Mountains!,” and Davis went on to write for the anthology “Junia Arise: Apostolic Women on the Frontlines.” Davis is the cofounder of Empower to Engage, a coaching and consulting firm that focuses on enhancing marriages, families and organizations, and equips men, women, and leaders with tools and techniques essential for effective and righteous leadership in their spheres of societal influence. She also hosts the “Eve, Where Are You?” podcast. To learn more about Davis, please visit evewhereareyou.com, listen to her or connect with her on Facebook (@evewhereareyou), Twitter (@DrNicoleDavis1) and Instagram (@evewhereareyou).
WestBow Press is a strategic supported self-publishing alliance between HarperCollins Christian Publishing and Author Solutions, LLC — the world leader in supported self-publishing. Titles published through WestBow Press are evaluated for sales potential and considered for publication through Thomas Nelson and Zondervan. For more information, visit www.westbowpress.com or call (866)-928-1240.
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