Susan Harris Howell Unearths a Hopeful Vision for Women and Power
IVP
What if the problem in some churches isn’t a lack of gifted leaders, but our failure to recognize them?
In this episode of The Disrupters, psychologist, author, and retired professor Susan Harris Howell joins Caleb Campbell for a conversation about power, gender, and the assumptions that quietly shape life in the Church. Drawing from her book Buried Talents, Susan explores how culture influences the ways we think about leadership, calling, authority, and whose voices are heard.
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Together, they examine why Jesus consistently made space for women's participation, and how churches can unknowingly reinforce the patterns of the world by burying God-given gifts beneath assumptions about gender. Susan argues that gifts and callings don't come in "pink and blue," explores the link between power and abuse, and challenges listeners to consider what the Church loses when some voices are consistently overlooked. At the same time, she offers a hopeful vision of churches where women and men are empowered to steward all that God has entrusted to them.
If you've ever wondered how culture shapes the church, wrestled with questions of leadership and belonging, or longed to see healthier uses of power in Christian community, this conversation will challenge you to notice what you've stopped seeing and imagine what the Church might become.
Ready to disrupt for the good of the Church? Tune in now.
This episode highlights the following themes:
✅ Why abuse thrives when power is hoarded by a few
✅ How churches unintentionally copy harmful cultural patterns
✅ The difference between wanting power over others and claiming agency for oneself
✅ Practical advice for people who feel silenced in their own congregations
Links from the episode:
✅ Learn more about Susan Harris Howell (https://www.ivpress.com/susan-harris-howell?utm_source=ivpod25&utm_medium=ivp_dsr&utm_campaign=season7)
✅ Read Susan Harris Howell’s book, Buried Talents
