Patriarchy is a social system in which the role of the male as the primary authority figure is central to social organization, and where fathers hold authority over women, children, and property. It implies the institutions of male rule and privilege, and is dependent on female subordination.On the whole I have no problem with this clinical definition EXCEPT for the part about privilege. I would replace that word with "responsibility."
The standing definition seems to imply (without directly saying of course) that the purpose of a patriarchy is to serve the desires of men if a man's role in a patriarchy were limited to sitting around having grapes plopped in his mouth by beautiful women. History of course has never allowed any society to be run this way and the few households that ran this was were not sustainable. And whatever criticism can be laid at the feet of patriarchy it must be acknowledged that it does have the ability to sustain itself across generations.
What is missing in the modern discussion of patriarchy is that the role of the patriarch is to serve his dependents NOT to be served by them. His role is provider and protector. He worked in the fields, fought in wars and built the city walls, that was his job.
Of course many will still be glad that patriarchy is greatly diminished in Western Society. And I have never solved the struggle between egalitarian and patriarchical models for myself and my family BUT if we are to reject patriarchy, let us reject it for what it is rather a straw man.
Which leads me to my reaction of the Prosperity Gospel argument that God provides material wealth to those he loves just as a good father provides material needs to his children.
The problem with Prosperity Gospel which is most difficult is that it does have a Biblical basis. to listen to the Christian critics one would think that those who teach to Prosperity Gospel basically throw the Bible out the window and make the whole thing up for their own interest. The Bible has a ton to say about God providing for the needs of His people, Old and New Testament. However the Prosperity Gospel defenders make the same mistake of the critics of patriarchy: they assume that the purpose of wealth and power is for those who have it simply to enjoy to it without regard to responsibility to others.
To be sure one aspect of wealth is gain your desires. But that is only one part of it and by itself lacks meaning leading to despair. Those who celebrate the Prosperity Gospel state, with great faith, that they are the King's Kids... and that IS how Christians should see themselves. But imagine a good King who had a child who took all of the gifts and privileges of royalty and squandered them on pleasure and vanity and self interest. Wouldn't that King be grieved and ashamed of their child? Wouldn't the good King want their child to serve the Kingdom?
This is especially troubling of metaphor if you continue the metaphor and say the Kingdom is in a state of emergency and many of the King's Kids have been kidnapped and lost (like Disney's Tangled). What an outrage if a prince and princess were delighting themselves with balls and tourneys while their royal brothers and sisters were in enemy hands!
So I agree those of us who trust in Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior have been adopted into the family of God and can expect help and provision from our Heavenly Father. We truly are King's Kids but the Kingdom requires responsibility and not privilege.
