Ordained Inequality: How a Quiet Movement Redefined Women’s Roles in Christianity.
Ordainedinequality
Behind closed doors, a small group of leaders shaped a movement that would reach into churches, homes, and seminaries across America — redefining women’s roles for generations to come. Ordained Inequality is an investigative podcast uncovering how the rise of complementarian theology — and organizations like the Council on Biblical Manhood and Womanhood — quietly but powerfully redrew the lines for women in Christianity.
Ordained Inequality traces the origins, influence, and real-life consequences of a theology that claimed to honor women while systematically limiting their voices. This podcast peels back the polished language of “equal in value, different in role” to expose the cultural, institutional, and personal cost behind the rhetoric.
This isn’t just history. It’s the story of real women — silenced, shaped, and sometimes shattered — by a movement they were told was for their good.
Produced by Knotty Spies Inc.
Narrated by Shannon Patterson.
Ordained Inequality traces the origins, influence, and real-life consequences of a theology that claimed to honor women while systematically limiting their voices. This podcast peels back the polished language of “equal in value, different in role” to expose the cultural, institutional, and personal cost behind the rhetoric.
This isn’t just history. It’s the story of real women — silenced, shaped, and sometimes shattered — by a movement they were told was for their good.
Produced by Knotty Spies Inc.
Narrated by Shannon Patterson.
Episodes
Mentioned books
Jul 24, 2025 • 22min
Episode 12 - The Ones Who Spoke Anyway
In this season finale, we honor the women who spoke anyway.
From early church martyrs like Perpetua and theologians like Macrina the Younger, to revivalists like Jarena Lee, boundary-breakers like Addie Davis, and modern-day witnesses like Beth Moore and Aimee Byrd—this episode traces a bold, Spirit-led legacy of women who followed Jesus, even when the Church told them not to.
Host Shannon Patterson also shares her own story—how she moved from quiet encouragement to subtle resistance, and eventually to unapologetic obedience as a lead pastor and church planter.
This isn’t just a testimony.
It’s an invitation.
To remember.
To reckon.
To follow the Spirit—even when it costs you.
And to believe this truth:
The gospel was never afraid of gifted women.
Jesus never was.
This is the conclusion of Season One of Ordained Inequality.
Let’s finish with the ones who spoke anyway.
Jul 8, 2025 • 19min
Episode 11 - Paul & The Whole Submission Thing
“Women should be silent.” “I do not permit a woman to teach.” “Wives, submit…”
Three verses. One doctrine. End of discussion—or is it?
In this episode, we reexamine Paul’s most controversial words on women. What did he actually mean? And why do his actions tell a different story?
Because Paul didn’t silence women. He partnered with them.
And Jesus? He sent them.
Jun 13, 2025 • 16min
Episode 10: How Complementarianism Split the Trinity—and the Church
When complementarian leaders tied male authority to the Trinity itself, the fallout was fierce. This episode unpacks the rise of Eternal Subordination of the Son (ESS), the theological mutiny it sparked, and what’s really at stake when power rewrites doctrine. Because if the Son is eternally subordinate… is He still fully God?
Jun 3, 2025 • 20min
Episode 9 - God’s Design
“God’s design.”
It sounds holy. But it became a leash.
In this episode, we trace how a phrase meant to honor creation became a tool to control it—shaping churches, homes, and the women inside them.
What if “God’s design” was never God’s at all?
May 27, 2025 • 15min
Episode 8 - The Power Structure: How Submission Got Sanctified
What happens when theology doesn’t stay in the pulpit—but moves into the living room? In this episode, we follow complementarian doctrine from the page to the home, where “servant leadership” often translates into control, and submission becomes a spiritual mandate for silence. We examine how marriage books, sermons, and counseling models have used Scripture to justify hierarchy—and sometimes even excuse abuse. We’ll also unpack what Paul really meant in Ephesians 5, and how the gospel reframes power, not reinforces it. Because Christlike love doesn’t demand authority. It lays it down.
May 20, 2025 • 33min
Episode 7 - That’s What HE Said!
The discussion dives into the controversial remarks from prominent evangelical leaders, revealing their views on women's roles in the church. A notable incident at a pastor's conference highlights the contradictions in claiming equality while promoting silence. The podcast addresses the dangerous implications of certain theological teachings on female submission, especially concerning abuse. It also contrasts differing interpretations of scripture regarding women in leadership, advocating for a reevaluation of traditional gender roles within Christianity.
4 snips
May 15, 2025 • 26min
Episode 6 Part 2 - True Woman Manifesto
This discussion dives into the contentious True Woman Manifesto, unearthing how its theology impacts women's roles in Christianity. The speakers critically assess its claims of 'design' and 'submission,' revealing a hidden hierarchy that challenges true equality. With a focus on gender roles, they juxtapose complementarian and egalitarian perspectives, questioning whether this manifesto aligns with the gospel's vision for women. The insights provoke a thought-provoking look at authority, identity, and dignity in a faith context.
May 13, 2025 • 18min
Episode 6 - The Danvers Wives
This discussion dives into the overlooked stories of women behind the Danvers Statement. They balance domesticity and influence while promoting traditional gender roles. The conversation critiques how women's professional identities are often diminished alongside their domestic responsibilities. It also challenges the traditional framing of womanhood in complementarian theology, advocating for women's agency and leadership within the Christian community. A thought-provoking exploration of gender dynamics in evangelicalism!
May 10, 2025 • 19min
Episode 5 - The Gatekeepers
Why have so many Christians never heard a biblical case for women in ministry?
Maybe it’s not because the arguments weren’t strong.
Maybe they just weren’t… published.
In this episode, we follow the paper trail—from locked editorial doors to selective bookstore shelves.
We name the publishers.
We expose the platforms.
And we uncover how a small group of gatekeepers shaped what millions of Christians could read, hear, and believe.
This isn’t just about theology.
It’s about power, distribution, and whose voices got silenced before they ever had a chance to speak.
May 3, 2025 • 16min
Episode 4 - The Publishing Powerhouse
What happens when theology meets a printing press? In Episode 4 of Ordained Inequality, we pull back the curtain on the publishing empire that helped cement complementarianism into the evangelical bloodstream. From study Bibles to bestsellers, we trace how ideas once debated in academic corners became untouchable truth in the hands of everyday believers.
