TheologyThoughts

One of the arguments advanced by biblically conservative Christians concerning Sarah Palin is that a woman's primary calling as a mother is to stay at home and take care of the kids, and that this will be very difficult for the governor to do as vice-president or president should that eventuality occur (and I hope it would only occur after our eight years under McCain!).

I don't agree that this principle necessarily prohibits a woman from working outside the home, though in some circumstances it may -- this is a wisdom matter, not a matter of absolute rule. This idea that the woman must remain at home while the husband goes out and kills the mammoth is a cultural idea rooted more in evolutionary presuppositions than a biblical ideal. In the agrarian period of ancient Israel, and even during the Greco-Roman period of the NT and the ancient church, it was common for both parents to remain at home and to be actively involved in raising the kids. Since that was the cultural norm when the Bible was written, should that be the norm that Christians are working toward in their own lives? Should husbands and fathers eschew their careers and take up cottage industries or telecommuting in order to spend more time with their families?

Another point is that the majority of Governor Palin's children are, by biblical standards, adults, and her girls certainly may be actively involved in raising and caring for their little brother. This is also a norm that we see in all societies, including the ANE and the Roman Empire -- older siblings become active in taking on responsibilities, including raising and caring for younger siblings. This has the effect, in agrarian cultures, of freeing the parents for other types of productive activities. There is no reason it shouldn't have that effect in our society.

This is the kind of household I think we see in Prov 31...

My overall point is that we need to be cautious about applying a particular cultural norm as though it is the biblical norm. As we examine the cultural background of the various passages regarding family in the Bible and compare it with the actual biblical instructions and descriptions, the "hyper-conservative" reaction of some evangelicals doesn't seem quite as cogent as when first presented.