How would we know that women are less intellectual than men? The bible certainly doesn't say that they're made that way. Is there something about being given the task of homemaker that makes women less intellectual? I don't see why this would be the case. Men, like women, also have callings, yet they are still expected to know the Bible and study theology. Why not women, too (under the leadership and guidance of their husbands of course)? Since there is no logical link between authority and intellect, we have no logical reason to believe that a woman's place under the authority of man means she is less inclined to contemplation. I would rather my wife be good with children and be able to explain the doctrine of imputed righteousness than only the former.

We shouldn't make Aristotle's mistake. He surveyed Athenian culture and said, "Hmmm, well, all of these slaves are big and strong, but stupid. Therefore, they must naturally be made for slave labor" when the fact was that the slaves were doing more manual labor and had less education, so of course they were stronger and less intelligent. He did the same thing with women. He saw a bunch of dumb Athenian women who were such because they had never been given an education and thought, "well, all of these women seem to be dumb, therefore they must lack the strongly rational part to the soul which men have." Coincidentally it was the men who received formal educations. If men can learn how to be carpenters, teachers, scientists, etc., etc., and also become theologically astute, why can't women be homemakers and become theologically astute?

Many men are emotional. Many women are intellectual. I think it is wrong and potentially dangerous to make any broad psychological assumptions about how men and women "are" without biblical warrant.

__________________
DAVIDIVS DOCTVS VTRIVSQVE LINGVAE
Husband of Emilia
Member: First Reformed Presbyterian Church of Durham (RPCNA) - Durham, NC
Currently in the process of transferring membership to an as-yet-undecided church in Chapel Hill
Student: University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, German Literature and Classics