Women in the Earliest Churches (Society for New Testament Studies Monograph Series, Series Number 59)

This book examines the roles and functions that women assumed in the early Christian communities from AD 33 to the Council of Nicaea. It surveys, too, the views about women held by various New Testament authors including Paul and the Evangelists.Ben Witherington III is Amos Professor of NT for Doctoral Studies at Asbury Theological Seminary and doctoral faculty at St. Andrews University, and the author of over thirty-five books, including New York Times Best Seller The Brother of Jesus. Ann Witherington is Instructor of Biology and Environmental Sciences at Asbury University. Ben and Ann have been married for over thirty years. Front Cover......Page 1 Title......Page 5 ISBN......Page 6 Contents......Page 7 Preface......Page 11 Abbreviations......Page 12 Introduction......Page 17 A. Women and their roles in Greece, Macedonia, Asia Minor and Egypt......Page 21 B. Women and their roles in Rome......Page 32 2. Women and the physical family in the Pauline epistles......Page 40 A. 1 Corinthians 7......Page 42 B. The Haustafel......Page 58 1. The Colossian Haustafel (3.18–4.1)......Page 63 2. The Ephesian Haustafel (5.21–33)......Page 70 C. Incidental Pauline references to women's roles in marriage and the family......Page 77 1. Exclusive monogamy and the marital bond (Rom 7.1–3)......Page 78 2. ἑαυτοῦ σκεῦος κτᾶσθαι (1 Thess 4.3–8)......Page 80 3. Mixed marriages? (2 Cor 6.14–7.1)......Page 85 4. 'Honor your father and mother' (Eph 6.1–4, Col 3.20–21)......Page 86 5. Conclusions......Page 87 D. Conclusions......Page 89 A. Rite and rights for women (Gal 3.28)......Page 92 B. An unveiled threat? (1 Cor 11.2–16)......Page 94 C. Silence in all the churches? (1 Cor 14:33b–36)......Page 106 D. Paul and his co-workers (Phil 4.2–3; Rom 16.1–6)......Page 120 1. Trouble in Paradise? (Phil 4.2–3)......Page 127 2. Ancient greeting card? (Rom 16.1–16)......Page 129 E. The Pastoral epistles: proto-gnostic problems......Page 133 F. Conclusions......Page 141 A. Women in the ministry of Jesus......Page 144 B. Women in the resurrection narratives......Page 146 C. Women in the birth narratives......Page 150 1. Incidental references to male–female parallelism, male–female role reversal, and female prominence......Page 159 2. Women as prominent converts and μητέρες συναγωγῆς......Page 161 3. Mary, mother of John Mark......Page 162 4. Lydia......Page 163 5. Women as deaconesses......Page 165 6. Women as prophetesses......Page 167 7. Women as teachers......Page 169 8. Conclusions......Page 171 1. The ministry and passion......Page 174 2. The resurrection narrative......Page 177 1. The Birth Narratives......Page 182 2. Women in Jesus' ministry......Page 185 3. The resurrection narrative......Page 187 C. John......Page 190 2. The Samaritan woman (John 4)......Page 191 4. The passion narrative (John 18–19)......Page 192 5. The resurrection narrative (John 20)......Page 193 D. Conclusions......Page 198 6. Trajectories beyond the New Testament era......Page 199 A. Asceticism and views of human sexuality......Page 200 B. Gnosticism......Page 206 C. Prophecy, prophetesses, and Montanism......Page 208 1. Deaconesses......Page 215 2. Widows......Page 217 3. Virgins......Page 219 E. Types, examples, and images......Page 222 F. Conclusions......Page 225 Conclusions......Page 227 1......Page 237 2......Page 247 3......Page 269 4......Page 281 5......Page 291 6......Page 297 Conclusions......Page 302 Bibliography......Page 303 Back Cover......Page 320 This book examines the roles and functions that women assumed in the early Christian communities from AD 33 to the Council of Nicaea. It surveys, too, the views about women held by various New Testament authors including Paul and the Evangelists. In a careful and judicious study, Ben Witherington shows that early Christianity was neither unreservedly patriarchal nor adamantly feminist in its view of women and their roles, but rather charted a middle course which combined a reforming of the predominantly patriarchal framework of society with an affirmation of new religious roles for women. Now available in paperback, this is the first book to survey such a large amount of material exegetically, and make use, at the same time, of original languages and texts

this Book Examines The Roles And Functions That Women Assumed In The Early Christian Communities From Ad 33 To The Council Of Nicaea. It Surveys, Too, The Views About Women Held By Various New Testament Authors Including Paul And The Evangelists.

No study of women in the NT can be undertaken without looking at the larger historical context in which the events of NT history transpired.