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Emily Renée Ellis

Dr. Parker

English 113: Feminist Perspectives

10 November 2018

A Source of Adequacy

In “Staying Faithful: Reflections on an Academic Journey,” Howard Louthan observes the

“paradox that lies at the heart of the Christian faith” (Louthan 84). Specifically, Louthan points

out that “the ideals manifest in the life of Christ and upheld as a pattern for his followers—

service, sacrifice, self-denial—are clearly not the skill set needed to rise to the top in a ruthlessly

competitive world” (Louthan 86). As the author himself put it, “God’s primary call for our lives

is not success, but faithfulness” (Louthan 89). In sum, then, his view is that “our greatest witness

is how we live in a world and workplace deeply corrupted by sin” (Louthan 89).

I have mixed feelings about some the claims made by Louthan in this reading. In my view,

his ideas of what faithfulness and success mean to him may not be different from what it means

to other people. In other words, while, for him, success and faithfulness may mean lowering his

professional sights, disciplining his natural instincts, and pursuing “a more modest scholarly

agenda” for the sake of his family, it may not mean that for everyone (Louthan 82). For instance,

some may feel their primary calling is to raise their professional sights and pursue a less modest

scholarly agenda. In addition, to some, success may not be faithfulness. Some might object, of

course, on the grounds that I am taking his ideas way to literally. Yet I would maintain that his

argument, while valid, is, due to its reflective and personal nature, not universally applicable.

That being said, personally, I do agree with a lot of his beliefs. For example, I believe, like

Louthan, that “faithfulness comes first. All else follows” (Louthan 90). In addition, I felt his
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sentiments that “God wants us to be in a position of spiritual dependence, to acknowledge our

inadequacies, limitations, and failures. To feel off-balance is not a bad thing, for it forces all of

us to turn daily if not hourly to the one source of adequacy there is in life” was one I really

needed to hear (Louthan 94). In that sense, it innovated and expanded my ideas about my

feminist identity because I think as a woman in the twenty-first century it is nearly impossible to

live up to societal expectations. This, in turn, can make it really easy to get down on yourself and

feel inadequate (Louthan 94). In other words, this message of our acknowledging our

inadequacies, limitations, and failures and giving them to God, who is the one and only source of

adequacy in our lives, has influenced my ideas about my feminist identity by reassuring me that

it is okay to be human and to struggle, to be inadequate, to have limitations, and to fail because

that is how I was created.

I see women, as women, wives, and mothers, being expected to put having a partner or

family ahead of having a career, and, as feminists, being expected to put their careers ahead of

having a partner or family. In other words, when a woman puts her career first, she is criticized

by patriarchal society, but when she puts her family first, she is criticized by feminist society.

Therefore, she is expected to simultaneously put both her personal life and her professional life

first and not let the other get in the way. I believe I might understand this particular feminist

perspective in a contemporary moment or see it playing out in society as I see more and more

women reject this idea of having to do it all and be it all and accept this feminist idea of

accepting and acknowledging our humanity. Recognizing that it is okay to struggle, to be

inadequate, to have limitations, and to fail because that is how we are all created. That it is okay

to be human. That it is okay to lowering professional sights, disciple natural instincts, and pursue

a more modest scholarly agenda for the sake of having a partner or family, and, although the
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reading does not say it, I believe that it is just as okay to raise professional sights and pursue a

less modest scholarly agenda for the sake of having a career. At the end of the day, I am of the

belief that if we place our faithfulness in God, everything else will fall into place.
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Works Cited

Louthan, Howard. "Staying Faithful: Reflections on an Academic Journey." Lewis, David E.,

Nathan Grills and S. Joshua Swamidass. Faithful is Successful: Notes to the Driven

Pilgrim. Denver: Outskirts Press, 2014. 78-95.