Created Or Constructed? The Great Gender Debate by Elaine Storkey

Are gender differences a fixed, biological part of the human make-up, or are they culturally determined by society? Widely acclaimed speaker, writer and commentator, Elaine Storkey investigates this controversial issue of gender roles and relationships from a biblical perspective. 'Created or Constructed: The Great Gender Debate' opens with a comprehensive look at the way Western society has structured the roles of women from the 19th century onwards, highlighting the success of women in roles traditionally reserved for men, both in missionary work abroad, and in industry at home during wartime. Storkey identifies different approaches to the female role which fall into three eras: the premodern, the modern, and the postmodern. A critique of a number of popular writings on gender is followed by a look at the biblical position on male-female roles in society and the church. Storkey makes a plea for humility and honesty in exegesis and hermeneutics, stressing that as Christians we should use the Bible, rather than culture, as a basis for our views on gender.