A "Trad" Bit Theatrical

There are tremendous Biblical traditions that have been handed down that would be beneficial for the stability of our families. Titus 2 offers some insight for how older generations can impact the ones to come:
1 But as for you, speak the things which are proper for sound doctrine:
2 that the older men be sober, reverent, temperate, sound in faith, in love, in patience;
3 the older women likewise, that they be reverent in behavior, not slanderers, not given to much wine, teachers of good things--
4 that they admonish the young women to love their husbands, to love their children,
5 to be discreet, chaste, homemakers, good, obedient to their own husbands, that the word of God may not be blasphemed.
6 Likewise exhort the young men to be sober-minded,
7 in all things showing yourself to be a pattern of good works...

There is another social media trend that can help us to consider the Biblical roles for men and women, husbands and wives, a trend that mixes a longing for yesteryear with an uplifted hand toward to inauthentic content that is sometimes found online. 

An article at the Higher Ground Times states:

Since kicking into high gear around 2020, the #tradwife trend on TikTok and Instagram has painted a polished, pleasing picture of domesticity for modern women. With their chic homes, stylish children, multicourse dinners on the table by 5 each night or quaint farms snuggled alongside the Utah mountains, #tradwives have created a standard for stay-at-home moms.

What turns a traditional wife into a #tradwife is up for debate, especially among religious women who have been doing it for decades.

The article says, "Social media influencers, such as Estee Williams, describe their roles as women who 'submit to their husbands and serve them.' Other influencers seem to agree."  This isn't just a Christian thing, but the article explored women, including religious women, who reflect this concept.  Regarding one particular Christian, it states:

Hilda Shepherd, a nondenominational Tennessee Christian with eight children and a farm, had no idea what #tradwives were when The Times asked her for an interview. She had to ask her Gen Z son, whom she homeschooled with his siblings, to look up the definition. She said she sees women struggling to keep up with social media trends all the time.

“Because of the internet, because of social media, so many people feel they must meet the standard of someone else. ‘If I don’t do it like so-and-so does it. Oh, my goodness, she sets such the bar so high, I can’t do that,’” Mrs. Shepherd said. “So then we have all these girls feeling like they can’t do anything right. They feel very low self-esteem.”

The Higher Ground Times quotes Emma Waters, who is a senior research associate for the Richard and Helen DeVos Center for Life, Religion and Family at The Heritage Foundation, in this section of the piece:

“The tradwife movement … is in large part just a reaction against the atomizing forces of modern life,” Ms. Waters said, and many women are simply rediscovering the joy of domestic productivity.

Mrs. Waters, who is writing a book about modern femininity, said the attempt is superficial but she is optimistic about the trend. “Those depictions are pointing to something that’s much truer and long-lasting,” she said.

But, the article seems to note there is an inauthenticity out there in the #tradwife movement, as surmised by Amy Jay; it states:

Clad in denim overalls and a sweatshirt, Amy Jay milks cows, churns butter and slaughters poultry for her family of five on their homestead in western North Carolina. Instagram photos and TikTok videos of coiffed, high-heeled #tradwives preparing meals for their husbands amuse and bemuse the Catholic wife and mother.

“Gals all glammed up in aprons, trying to look pretty, it’s just not real,” Mrs. Jay told The Washington Times.

Writer Alicia Searl picked up on that in a Crosswalk.com piece, writing:

The phenomenon of a traditional, simpler, and older way of life is nothing new. After all, it’s the cycle of life as families pass down their traditions to their children. It is common for children to take on some of those customs and part ways with others, maybe starting something new. This is where we see old-fashioned ethics and new terms like “trad wife” come into play.

However, these homemade definitions are not synonymous with the biblical housewife portrayed in Proverbs 31 or Titus 2. Where the tradwife focuses on some biblical views, it completely misses the mark on others. While there are distinct gender roles noted in God’s Word, we are all called to submit to Christ, first and foremost (James 4:7), and then to one another in marriage (Ephesians 5:21).

The concept of a #tradwife has become a popular one because of the social media aspect - people are seeing this home-based lifestyle expressed on their screens.  But, is it real?  Or just another marketing tool, a branding effort?  

I would contend that these influencers wouldn't be receiving visitors if they weren't touching a nerve, scratching an itch.  I think a return to certain traditions would impact society well; such as an emphasis on the home and family.  In an age of fractured families and busy schedules, it wouldn't be such a bad thing to slow down and enjoy more of the simple pleasures of life. 

But, as Searl points out, for the Christian, we have to be connected to the Scriptures.  Submission to Christ is paramount, and then build our marriages and families on His foundation. Traditions are great, and we're entering a season in which tradition becomes emphasized.  But, tradition for tradition's sake, and especially to "build a brand" or project an image, lacks the authenticity to which God is calling us.