Charles Grandison Finney was a 19th-century American revivalist and theologian who was a leading figure in the Second Great Awakening. In his Lectures on Revivals of Religion, Finney discusses the roles of men and women in revivals.
Finney argues that men have a special responsibility to lead in revivals because they are typically the ones who are in positions of authority in the church. He writes, “Men are more generally in the habit of thinking, and they are more accustomed to take the lead in all matters of importance.” (Lecture III, Section 2)
Charles Finney believed that men are more naturally suited to leadership roles because they are typically more assertive and decisive. He wrote, “Men are more naturally active and energetic, and they are more accustomed to take the lead in all matters of importance.” (Lecture III, Section 2)
However, Finney also acknowledges that women can be effective leaders in revivals: “There are many instances in which women have been remarkably useful in revivals.” (Lecture III, Section 2) He goes on to say that women are often more sensitive to the spiritual needs of others, and they can be very effective in reaching out to those who are lost.
Overall, Finney believed that men and women have different but complementary roles to play in revivals. He argues that men should take the lead in organizing and leading revivals, while women should focus on providing spiritual support and encouragement.
How Finney’s Ideas Resonate Today
Finney’s insights into the nature of leadership are still valuable, and they can be applied to both men and women in today’s world.
In particular, his emphasis on the importance of both men and women in revivals is still relevant today. Revivals are not just about the work of individual leaders, but about the collective work of the entire church. Both men and women have important roles to play in revivals, and we need to work together to reach out to those who are lost.
Finney’s views on the role of women in leadership were ahead of his time. He acknowledged that women can be effective leaders in revivals, and he encouraged them to use their gifts and talents to serve the church. Today, we see more and more women in leadership roles in the church, and Finney’s insights can help us to understand the importance of women’s leadership in the church.
In a world that is increasingly divided, Finney’s insights can help us to build a more united church and a more just society.
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Jeff Hagen
President & Founder
Hill Cities, Inc.
I see men leaving their positions of responsibility and more women taking a leadership role. The question u have is Why is this occurring? I find women take over leadership because men do not care to. There is no doubt women are more sensitive in most situations, but men no longer step into the leadership role. Is it due to the breakdown of the family and time and Christian honored tradition of the role of men?
Pat, you bring up good points. The family is the center of God’s plan. He looks to Fathers to take the lead and instruct their families in the ways of God.
When men fail their call the family drifts. We need to pray for the hearts of the fathers to be restored to their children. Malachi 4:6
Jeff,
Although Finney may have been ahead of his time, his comments and logic about men and women are outdated and nonspiritual and dwells in the paternalistic past. For millennia women have been treated as second class citizens at best and property of men at worst. In ancient Israel a husband could divorce his wife for merely burning the bread or not cleaning the house as he desired. Paternalism has been around for as long as men and women have been together.
Finney discounts the intellectual abilities of women when he says “ “Men are more generally in the habit of thinking, and they are more accustomed to take the lead in all matters of importance.” (Lecture III, Section 2). I would ask Finney why does that occur? During his time women could not even vote and were discriminated against in all shorts of ways, from who they could marry, to what jobs they could hold. This is outright discrimination not a spiritual directive.
Lots of the notion that only men should be in church leadership comes from reading I Timothy 2:
11 A woman[a] should learn in quietness and full submission. 12 I do not permit a woman to teach or to assume authority over a man;[b] she must be quiet. 13 For Adam was formed first, then Eve. 14 And Adam was not the one deceived; it was the woman who was deceived and became a sinner. 15 But women[c] will be saved through childbearing—if they continue in faith, love and holiness with propriety.
However, there is very good evidence and scholarly debate that Paul did not write 1 and 2 Timothy, or Titus. Beginning in the early 19th century, many German biblical scholars began to question the traditional attribution of these letters to Paul. The vocabulary and phraseology used in the Pastorals is often at variance with that of the other epistles. Over 1/3 of the vocabulary is not used anywhere else in the Pauline epistles, and over 1/5 is not used anywhere else in the New Testament, while 2/3 of the non-Pauline vocabulary is used by 2nd-century Christian writers.[57] For this reason, and because of a claimed precedence of 1 Clement, some scholars have associated these works with later 2nd-century Christian writings.[58] The precedence of 1 Clement was challenged by R. Falconer,[59] while L. T. Johnson challenged the linguistic analysis as based on the arbitrary grouping of the three epistles together: he argued that this obscures the alleged similarities between 1 Timothy and 1 Corinthians, between Titus and the other travel letters, and between 2 Timothy and Philippians. So, my conclusion is that we should not follow the message in 1 and 2 Timothy when deciding on leaders in the church or revivals.
For Finney and leaders in some denominations like the Southern Baptist Convention, have held onto this dubious passage and book to keep “women in their place.” Bishop N.T. Wright stated in his book When the Revolution Began, the three most prevalent idols are sex, power, and money. I suggest that the fear of losing power have led men to discriminate against women in leadership positions in the church and business. Women can be a leader in a spiritual revival just as well as men. God does not discriminate. Paul states in Galatians 3:28: There is neither Jew nor Gentile, neither slave nor free, nor is there male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.
Your partner in Christ…Todd
Todd, great to hear from you!
Finney discounts the intellectual abilities of women when he says “ “Men are more generally in the habit of thinking, and they are more accustomed to take the lead in all matters of importance.” I agree that this is a harsh statement. The larger question is calling, do men have a different role than women in the Body of Christ. We know there are lots of members and roles. I use the phrase, “men are the tip of the spear.” They charge the beach. They have been designed by God to fight and defend. We know we are locked in a great “war” with evil. This becomes more clear every day.
You stated this: Lots of the notion that only men should be in church leadership comes from reading I Timothy 2:
11 A woman[a] should learn in quietness and full submission. 12 I do not permit a woman to teach or to assume authority over a man;[b] she must be quiet. 13 For Adam was formed first, then Eve. 14 And Adam was not the one deceived; it was the woman who was deceived and became a sinner. 15 But women[c] will be saved through childbearing—if they continue in faith, love and holiness with propriety.
However, there is very good evidence and scholarly debate that Paul did not write 1 and 2 Timothy, or Titus.
I think you can find plenty of so called scholars on both sides. There are always those who don’t agree with a point and will find their own evidence to try and undercut God’s Word. So, I don’t agree with you here.