Paul King Jewett

Paul King Jewett (October 6, 1919 – September 10, 1991) was an American Christian theologian, author and prominent advocate of the ordination of women and of believer's baptism. He taught systematic theology at Fuller Theological Seminary in Pasadena, California. He is credited with helping develop Fuller into one of the largest seminaries in the country.

Early life and education Jewett was born on October 6, 1919 in Johnson City, New York, the older of two children. His father was a carpenter and his mother was a homemaker. His family attended a Regular Baptist church.

Jewett studied at Wheaton College and received his B.A. in 1941, studying with Gordon H. Clark and majoring in philosophy. He then attended Westminster Theological Seminary and graduated in 1945 with Th.B. and Th.M. degrees. He obtained a doctorate in theology from Harvard in 1951, with much of his dissertation research done in Switzerland at the University of Berne, the University of Zurich, and the University of Basel.

Career Jewett taught at Gordon Divinity School from 1950 until 1955. He was a professor of systematic theology at Fuller Theological Seminary in Pasadena from 1955 until his death in 1991. In 1975 his book Man as Male and Female was published. This work reconsiders the biblical evidence for the role of men and women and argues that Paul was speaking as inspired by God when he argued from the equality of women, but with a Jewish rabbinic mindset when speaking of women as subordinate to man. Jewett called Galatians 3:28 the "Magna Carta of humanity".

Jewett was a controversial figure in evangelicalism beginning with his book Man as Male and Female which reconsidered traditional theology on the male/female relationship going so far as to suggest Paul was at times chauvinistic and uninspired in some areas of the New Testament epistles. His last work, co-authored with Marguerite Shuster was meant to be part of a larger systematic theology he was writing but died before completing. It revealed liberal views on evolution, abortion, capital punishment, and homosexuality.

Books