Kevin Swanson is NOT a patriarchal-ist

Thank goodness Kevin Swanson has let us know that he is not a "patriarchal-ist."

I'm sensing some damage control from the Doug Phillips scandal. Kevin Swanson, I believe, is following on the heels of Michael Farris in declaring that patriarchy is wrong, wrong, wrong.

Swanson, in the first link, makes some clarifications for why he does not toe the patriarchal line:

It is no sin for a woman to take college level classes.

It is no sin for a woman to obtain an M.D. degree. One of our favorite presenters at our Family Economics conferences is a family whose mom is a dermatologist. And, I’ve referred to my daughter operating on her brother’s appendix (perhaps a hundred times on the conference tours across the nation).

It is no sin for my 20-year-old daughter to take to the mission field in Uganda as she has done this year.

Also, I have never believed it to be a sin for a woman to lead in civil government. I cannot believe that Deborah was sinful in her work. Nonetheless, I distinguish between de-ontological ethics and teleological ethics. This is a highly critical distinction in a hundred separate discussions.

I advocate the recently-abandoned, age-old concept of the family-based economy.

I still like the 5th commandment.

I advocate Eph. 5:22-33, and suggest that modern husbands and wives have a hard time keeping these commands. That’s why the divorce rate stands at record levels, a thousand times higher than it was in 1668.

Kevin is okay with women being educated, going on the mission field, and holding down government jobs, however, I have not once heard Kevin say that it is alright for a woman to have a leadership position in the church or for her to have a leading role in the family. I believe that Kevin runs a very fine line between complementarian and patriarchy. He may not think that a father needs to keep his daughter at home until she is married, but he does think that there are definite gender specific roles.

Here is my other concern with Kevin's rhetoric about not being a patriarchal-ist. On December 2, 2013, Kevin made a list of people he likes. He clarifies his list by saying that it is better to "define yourself by who you like." His list is:

I like Al Mohler. 

I like Franklin Graham.

I like Gene Edward Veith.

I like Mike Farris.*

I like Tedd Tripp.

I like R.C. Sproul and Jr.*

I like (liked) Johnny Cash.

I like Nathan Clark George.

I like Brian Cosby.

I like James Dobson.

I like G.I. Williamson.

I like Erwin Lutzer.

I like Jay Adams.

I like Phil Kayser.

I like John Morris.

I like Larry Pratt.

I like Ken Ham.*

I like James and Stacy MacDonald.*

I like Voddie Baucham.*

I like Carl Bobb.

I like Bo Skeen.

I like Douglas Wilson.*

I like Scott Brown.*

I like Hal and Melanie Young.

I like Martin Selbrede.

I like Norm Wakefield.

I like Brian Ray.*

I like Joe Morecraft.

I like Marvin Olasky.

I like Ray Comfort.

I like Joel Belz.

I like Geoff Botkin.*

I like Al Martin.

I like Gregg Harris.*

I like Bill Downing.

I like Joel Beeke.

I like the guy who runs SermonAudio.

I like Mike Richardson.

I like Israel Wayne.*

I like Marcus Serven.

I like the guys who run Samaritan Ministries.

I like Jeff Pollard.

I like Jason Young.

I like Frode Jensen.

I like Jeff Meyers.

I like Richard "Little Bear" Wheeler.

I like Marshall Foster.

I like John Piper.

I like Joseph Pipa.

I like Alex Kendrick.

I like Colin Gunn.

I like Sam Allison.

I like Leonard Coppes.

I like John Macarthur.

I like Jerry Bridges.

I like David Barton.

I like Gary Demar. 

And I like Jesus Christ, and people who like Jesus Christ. 

I placed an asterisk by the names that may approve patriarchy as well as those who are well known patriarchy apologists. I find it interesting that Swanson cannot name one woman independent of her husband that he likes. 

Of course, Swanson states at the end of his list that he may not agree with everything those on his "like list" adhere to. However, he starts off his list by saying that he is "defined" by these people.

So which is it Swanson? Do you agree with patriarchy or do you not? Because some of these folks would definitely define you in leaning towards it.

P.S. - I don't believe for one second that he likes all people who like Jesus Christ. He makes that very clear on his shows.