A Letter to the Friends of Five Aspects Ministries from the Editor:
The eulogy for William Mouser’s service was delivered by Pastor Tim Bayly of the New Geneva Academy and founder/contributor for Warhorn Media. His words were an ardent tribute to the life and ministry of a great man, but the thing that stood out to me the most was his summary of Father Bill’s ministry strategy, which was largely based upon his time in the Marines. The strategy was and is clear: go to where there is a hole in the wall—where the blood is being shed—and stand there and defend. Pastor Bayly rightly discerned that this is exactly what William and Barbara Mouser have been doing for decades. Issues of gender and sexuality are the place where the warfare has been waged most fiercely and where the most bloodshed and destruction have occurred. Regrettably, it is also the place where the most important battles have been lost. (For a more detailed analysis of the importance of William Mouser’s life and ministry, please use the following link: https://warhornmedia.com/2023/07/03/three-deaths-sharon-dykstra-bill-mouser-and-tim-keller-2/)
For instance, in June the Southern Baptist Convention, the largest Protestant denomination in the United States, convened for their annual meeting. Major issues discussed concerned the ordination of women as pastors and how the denomination would address the issues of sexual abuse within its churches. Issues of gender and sexuality dominated the discussion, important decisions were made, and a rift was widened. During this same time period, more than 6,000 congregations in the United Methodist church, the second largest Protestant denomination in the United States, left the denomination to form a new one. The schism resulted because of the disagreement of theology and the role of the LGBTQ people in the church. The same is true of so many conversations happening in our churches and in our culture at large. Sex and gender issues dominate the headlines and the conversation, and though many in the Church are taking a stand, the church at large is losing traction and surrendering sacred truths hand over fist. I would wager to say that in general, most of us who claim to be Christians have no idea what is truly at stake in this conversation of biblical sexuality. In addition, I also think that very few of us truly know or understand what Scripture truly says about gender and sexuality. Biblical illiteracy is growing at a phenomenal rate, and I cannot help but think at times that we are doomed.
It is into this state of affairs that I now announce the release of a new book: Five Aspects Theology of Man. I have personally advocated for the writing of this book for years, and I actually met some resistance from Bill and Barbara when I pitched it to them. The main reason for the resistance was the perception, and I think that they may be very correct in their perception, that “no one would read it.” This might be true. However, my argument was that this work needs to exist, to be extant, whether anyone ever reads it or not. I hold to my opinion. This work needs to exist, and the Church needs it now more than ever. I have personally worked on editing and formatting this book for over a year. I have read and reread it several times, and I must say that it is by far the best book the Mousers have ever written, and it is by far the most significant theology book that I have ever read (and I have read more than my fair share)!
Five Aspects Theology of Man is Five Aspects Ministry’s definitive theological statement concerning biblical masculinity in the Bible which ultimately leads to a clear theology concerning femininity and sexuality in general as well. This theology of masculinity is based upon the way language is used in Scripture, thus meaning that since God reveals Himself as a Father, Christ as the Son and Bridegroom, Israel as the Wife of God, and the Church as the Bride of Christ, these gendered roles, titles, and ideas actually mean something. Instead of changing the gendered language to conform to our current cultural trends, this theology keenly focuses in on the gendered language and shows how it is foundational to the Biblical Narrative and Orthodox Christianity and how it needs to be clearly articulated and adamantly defended. The Five Aspects Theology of Man is the essential articulation and the clarion defense of biblical sexuality that the Church desperately needs. God created men to be men, and men are called to live as men as fathers, sons, brothers, husbands, warriors, servants, disciples, priests, leaders, and kings. Masculinity is necessarily different from femininity and all its corresponding features. Biblical sexuality is the beautiful and complimentary combining of the two. As in all the Five Aspects materials, the teaching on masculinity is organized by the Five Aspects model. The Five Aspects of Man are: Lord of the Earth, Husbandman, Savior, Sage, and Glory of God. Each aspect is studied three times: as God created it, as sin marred it, and as Christ has and is redeeming it.
The Five Aspects Theology of Man, to be clear, is a comprehensive theology. The target audience is primarily for leaders in the church, those on the front lines defending the flock. Yet, this work is truly for all students of the Bible who are seeking to understand what the Scriptures teach about sexuality and gender. It is truly worth every minute it exacts in the reading.
In Christ,
Kristine Vermillion
