Book review: A holy vision for a happy marriage, vol. 2 of building a Godly home by William Gouge

and “comes dangerously close to resurrecting heresies the church has long buried” (Barrett 225). Whether or not the ontological subordination in “biblical manhood and womanhood” begat the EFS/ESS/ERAS position or vice versa, the two positions are conceptually complementary and historically associated with one another. This connection is of great concern to Byrd. Byrd presents and revisits each of these issues throughout her argument. She boldly repudiates teachings which devalue the unique and independent contributions of women. She seeks to unveil the obscure, revealing visible ramifications of “biblical manhood and womanhood.” Regardless of one’s evaluation of her argumentation, these key concerns cannot be discarded. The purpose of this review is not to substantiate Byrd’s claims—though such an exercise is entirely possible and necessary—but rather to draw attention to her reasons for writing, her concerns which have, thus far, remained unanswered. Byrd’s book is not a battleground of sides, categorizations, and camps. Instead, she fights for the image-bearing dignity of men and women, their shared purpose, and the richness of eternal siblingship. “Our installation as male or as female imagebearers situates us to speak distinctly and fruitfully in our join mission under God” (47). Byrd writes for the attention of Christian practitioners, “church leaders, the ones entrusted with shepherding God’s people, the ones who can prescribe a better approach” (19). Only when Christian leaders seriously consider the concerns raised by Byrd—the devaluing of women, the over-valuing of gender roles, and errant trinitarian doctrine—can practitioners “lead the way forward to a richer culture in God’s household” (19).