Good article with some very valid points. I also wonder about the idea that traditional church has robbed men of their natural authority. Instead of being a setting where men can meet and discuss scripture--or even church business--on an equal level, it's often more of the single-man government structure. Men would be more apt to be involved in church if they had more say-so over what goes on there and if teaching/preaching was more interactive and inclusive. The modern church structure where the pastor does most of the teaching/preaching and everyone simply listens is similar to me to the NT women being told to ask their husbands questions at home.
E.g., it's more of a passive, possibly feminine way of learning. Scripture seems to show that *church* in the local synagogue was different, with men taking an active role in the reading of scriptures and discussion.
I'm not for oppressing women in the church, but I do agree that men have been pushed into a passive, emasculating role. In the past, women have been accustomed to submissive, passive roles, so it was easy for them to fit into the traditional church picture. Men, not so much.
Essais, this is probably a place where "house-church" excels--it levels the playing field and makes church authority a little less intimidating.
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