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truly forgiven by God, women must bear children (1 Tim. 2.14-15). First
Corinthians reiterates the message of 1 Timothy, stating, “[a]nd if
[women] will leam anything, let them ask their husbands at home” (1
Cor. 14.34-35). Throughout his essay “Thy Name is Grace/Thy Name is
Shame: Christian Fundamentalism and the Oppression of Women,”
Michael Jones addresses the topic of women in the workforce through
the eyes of the Baptist Church. Jones proposes that the tendency to blame
Eve for the fall of mankind leads to the oppression of women throughout
religious communities, while also marking women as unfit for the work
force. The Bible continually emphasizes the woman’s role in the home,
making it clear that the ideal Christian woman would embody prominent
traits of the classic homemaker.
Though little is known about Dekker’s personal beliefs
concerning women, Howard notes that Peretti often targets “assertive,
professional women,” while presenting admirable women “in very
traditional gender roles, supporting their husbands through thick or thin”
(204). According to Peretti’s formula, Leslie fits the cast for a punishabl B