Customer Reviews

Paul, Women, and Wives: Marriage and Women's Ministry in the Letters of Paul

5 star:		(10)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

Paul, Women & Wives, written by Craig Keener, is a recently published book that deals with Paul's views of women in the ministry and their role in the home. Its intent is to "be useful to the general reader, as well as to the biblical scholar" (p. 1). Keener's sole purpose of this book is to examine four passages from Paul's letters that are frequently used to force the subordination of women. He takes these passages and places them in their contextual setting in order that his readers may better understand their true meaning. Keener is not shy about sharing his perspective on the issue. He is a practicing Christian who strongly feels that women should play an integral role in the church as well as in the home.

In keeping with his intended audience, Keener includes extensive endnotes. Roughly 1/3 of each chapter is devoted to extra documentation and references. This allows Keener to write a book that is readable by a general audience, yet still appeals to his scholarly readership.
Keener divides his book into two marked sections. The first section, comprising chapters one through three, looks at three passages that deal with women and their role in the church. The second section examines exclusively Ephesians 5:22-31. Here Keener looks at Paul's most complete argument on wives' call to submission. He presents these arguments by setting forth many of the most popular interpretations of each passage, and then defends the one he feels is most accurate.

Chapter one of this book examines 1 Corinthians 11:2-16, wherein Paul requires women of the church to wear head coverings. Keener analyzes the use of head coverings in antiquity, as well as Paul's arguments as to why women in the church should wear them. Keener concludes that the practice of wearing a head covering was a command for the Corinthian church, because of a specific problem they faced, and not a trans-cultural argument applicable to all generations. Perhaps most importantly, he states that Paul's reference to man being women's head has nothing to do with submission.

In chapters two and three Keener breaks down a couple of passages that are often used to argue that women are not allowed to teach, or even in some cases speak in church. He first looks at 1 Corinthians14:34-35 which examines the issue of women asking questions. If it is taken at its most literal interpretation, Keener argues, Paul would be forbidding all women from even talking in church. He is quick to point out that this cannot be the case because in chapter eleven of 1 Corinthians, Paul actually expects women to pray and prophesy within the church. Keener also looks at 1 Timothy 2:9-15, a passage that deals with women as teachers. In both cases, he emphasizes that Paul's letters were written to a specific church with a specific problem. 1 Corinthians and 1 Timothy both address the concern of women not being educated and therefore not knowing the issues in which they were speaking. He argues that Paul is not setting forth a strict prohibition on women's talk in church or teaching for that matter, yet rather addressing women's lack of education in a specific setting.

Over the next three chapters Keener builds an extended argument concerning women's role in the family as seen in Ephesians 5:18-33. Chapter four deals with Paul's rational for emphasizing submission among women. Here Keener argues that Christianity had to portray itself as "in line" with the model of an ideal family code that was presented by the Roman society. Christianity was not seen as a threat by doing this. In chapter five Keener seeks to elaborate on what Paul meant by submission in Ephesians. Keener lays out his views that Paul was talking about a mutual submission, and that he never meant for women to be obedient, but rather, respectful. He points out that society today tends to forget what Paul describes as being the man's role in mutual submission, that is to say, a willingness for self-sacrifice. In chapter six Keener places the capstone on his argument by drawing a parallel between slavery and the suppression of women. He explains that a person can disagree with an institution, such as slavery, yet still give instructions concerning it. In the same way, he can instruct women to be submissive, yet not approve the institution that oppresses them.

Keener finishes his book with a chapter that summarizes his views and what he hopes will be the end result of reading his book, namely the acceptance of women in the ministry. He also includes two appendixes, one on women in Paul's ministry and the other on the context of Ephesians 5:18-21. Keener also includes an extensive bibliography and multiple indexes.

Keener has done an excellent job in the writing of Paul, Women & Wives. He stuck to his foresaid purpose of writing a book that is useful for the layman as well as to the scholar. The passages Keener chose to look at adequately represent those examined by people who would argue for the subordination of women both in the church and in the home. Keener effectively develops his more egalitarian views, by giving these verses a correct understanding.

The most commanding aspect of this book is that for the most part Keener is right on with his discussions. He does an outstanding job of displaying the contextual relevance of all four passages. From the beginning, he demonstrates that if context were not brought into play when interpreting scripture then modern Christendom would still advocate, "women's head coverings in church, the practice of holy kisses, and parentally arranged marriages" (p. 4). In chapters two and three, he does a great job of explaining why Paul's calls for silence by women, and his prohibition on their teaching are not
trans-cultural. Throughout the book Keener strengthens his contextual argument by pointing out the many New Testament women that played an active role in ministry (appendix A), yet does not dwell on the issue, thusly keeping to his purpose of only examining passages used to argue the subordination of women (p. 10).

A second major strength to Keener's book is his explanation of biblical submission. Chapter five deals exclusively with the Pauline model of mutual submission. Here Keener points out what many who argue for wives subordination fail to see; that the man is required to submit as much, if not more then the wife. He reminds the reader that Paul calls the man to lay down his life, yet only requires respect from the women. This strengthens Keener's arguments immensely.

A final strength to this book is the extensive documentation that Keener provides his reader. Over half the space is dedicated to endnotes, indexes and a bibliography. This allows even the most scholarly reader to dig deeper into the issues at hand. His thirty-eight-page bibliography can point readers to additional material and sources.

Overall, Keener presents very persuasive arguments for his points, however he does have some shortcomings. Despite his impeccable use of context, on at least three occasions he reads into the text points that are not there. In chapter two Keener states that "Paul is advocating the most progressive view of his day" (p. 84) by expecting the husbands to educate their wives and consequently take care of the problem of uneducated women. While this does in fact sounds like a logical conclusion, there is no textual evidence to back it up. Secondly in chapter three Keener argues that Eve's deception in the garden was due to the fact that she was not at hand when God gave the commandment. This puts more of the blame and consequence on Adam because he did not properly educating her. This argument seems to make sense, and follows along nicely with Keener's point; however again there is no textual backing for his views. Finally, if we look to chapter six, where Keener deals with slavery, we find one more textual shortcoming. He crosses the line by assuming where Paul stood on the slavery issue. It is nice, and in fact quite probably, that Paul was an abolitionist; we however cannot get this information simply from reading the canonical texts as Keener seems to believe.

One final weakness displayed in this comes in the writing style itself. In the first several chapters, Keener makes his argument by presenting several possible interpretations of a passage or issue. He then proceeds to discredit many of views he just offered. This does provide a strong argument by displaying his knowledge of opposing sides, however it also leaves the reader in a clutter of shattered theories trying to extract the authors main point.

Despite these few apparent weaknesses, the book overall is quite good. The points that are in question do not jeopardize his arguments. Keener himself points out in his closing words that he himself is not certain of all details concerning the cultural background, but is convinced that the case as a whole is sound. He has done an outstanding job of placing questionable passages in their historical context in order to correct misconceptions about the biblical subordination of women.

Craig S. Keener, Paul, Women & Wives: Marriage and Women's Ministry in the Letters of Paul (Peabody: Hendrickson Publishers, 1992), 350 pp.

I highly recommend this to laity and seminary students alike. Too many women have been hurt in Paul's name. Women rediscover the depth and brillance of Paul's writing and men gain a deeper understanding of the issues Paul was addressing. For a detailed and honest look at Paul's views on women and the culture he lived in this is the tour de force!

There's nothing I respect more than Godly men who are not afraid to uplift women and credit us as their equal heirs to God's kingdom. In a new age where most seek equality but some still sadly reach for the 1850's, books like Keener's which explore the Biblical definition of women to its very roots are exactly what we need. This is certainly what I needed, anyway; after seeing book after book rip Paul's, Peter's, and several other Biblical men's words out of context to keep women from positions of leadership, this refreshing book is exactly what my tired soul craved. Keener goes straight to the heart of the issue, examining closely many passages in the Bible believed to elevate men over women and his revelations and arguements against mis-interpretation are simply brilliant. You think God meant for women to be followers and that the Bible supports this? I dare you to read this book and feel the same afterwards. Anyone who insists on keeping sexist roles in this day and age is, in my opinion, too concerned with their own insecurity to want to elevate others; I can never understand why some men are so terrified of the idea of women being in equal positions with them and why some women are so frightened at the idea of being credited with more than just house duties. This is perhaps the most thoroughly this topic has ever been explored and I strongly urge Christians of both sexes to read this. It is truly enlightening, especially if you're a woman who wishes to please God, but is afraid He doesn't value you as much because of your gender. Believe me, He does, and sometimes it takes wonderful men like Keener to reveal the truth. Yes, mutual submission IS true and Godly (to the fool who said it's not); this is very apparent in the Bible not just in the passages about marriage, but in teachings of Christian behavior. We are all meant to serve each other in Christ, and only by mutual submission and sacrifice will harmony be achieved. God, thank you for Keener and all those like him. Keener, thank you for this book.

Craig Keener is a remarkable scholar/writer. Conservative in methodology, nonetheless he explodes the idea that the view of women birthed in 1950s America is somehow rooted in the bible. Going to the root of the issue, Keener's historical reading places Paul's controversial texts about women in a world far different from ours. From that vantage point, the direction they point towards is greater inclusivity, greater mutuality, not the guarding of privilege and certainly not preserving the idea of Male as closer to God or Christ-likeness.

You cannot read this book seriously and attentively without at the very least rethinking your point of view.

This book is probably the best evangelical treatment of all of the biblical passages that relate to this issue. Keener looks at issues involving the original language and the cultural setting without making the book inaccessable to average readers. If this is a new issue for you the book may not answer all of your questions, but it is a great starting place

For several years I have struggled with my "role" as a female in the church and what Paul meant in the letters he wrote to the Epheisans, the Galatians, and to Timothy. The exegesis in this book is absolutely wonderful and the research that Keener presents at the end of each chapter is some of the best scholarly research I have seen. If nothing else the bibliography alone is worth the money.

Keener presents some of the hard passages and presents to the reader a context of which to base the reading and understanding of the texts. The greek word translations are also quite helpful.

In the prologue Keener states that before writing the book he considered himself to be one who simply believed in strict conservative views concerning women and the church. After researching the subject thouroughly he presents some new questions for us to consider.

As a woman who has spent several years considering the subject and wavering from side to side I did not feel that the book was offensive to either side of the spectrum but rather it presented some arguments and provides a space for the reader to consider their own place on the subject. Highly recommended!

Craig Keener has given us a clear, even-handed and updated exegetical work on the well-known 'problem texts' that hierarchichalists (otherwise known as complementarians) appeal to as advocating a subordinate role for women in the church and at home - namely 1 Cor 11:2-16, 14:34-35, 1 Tim 2:12-15 and Eph 5:21-33.

Keener argues persuasively that a straightforward reading of these texts does not necessarily do justice to their proper interpretation as these are part of Paul's epistolary address to specific churches who were struggling with certain contextual issues. Reading up the cultural and historical background of the first century setting is essential to the task of biblical interpretation.

In 1 Cor 11, he argues that 'kephale' is best interpreted as 'source' rather than 'authority over' in light of the context where Paul draws the parallel between 'woman came from man' and 'man being born of woman'. Yet, even if for the sake of argument, one should grant that kephale should mean 'head' in the authoritative sense, Paul is simply speaking to a patriarchal culture in which man is assumed to be the head of the woman and he is contextualizing his message to that culture without necessarily sanctioning or universalizing it. He counsels that women should exercise their God-given gifts to pray and prophesy in the public assembly without undermining gender distinctions by adopting the appropriate cultural symbols - in this case, the headcover. The point is to preserve gender mutuality and not gender hierarchy.

In 1 Cor 14, the injunction for 'women to keep silent in the churches' has specific reference to women asking (silly) questions and disrupting the assembly. This is a temporal and local pastoral measure aimed at the lack of education of the women at that time. The counsel for them to learn from their husbands at home was with a view that they could get up to speed in their learning of the scripture. This was already a departure from the then prevailing cultural bias against women studying the sacred texts at all since they were considered spiritually inferior.

In 1 Tim 2, Paul's prohibition for women to teach man should be understood against the background of false teachers in the Ephesian church who were worming around and preying on the women folks who were less educated and hence more vulnerable to being deceived. Unless Paul shares the cultural degrading of the woman's moral and intellectual abilities of his day, the text is not appealing to a universal order of creation that subordinates women permanently, as some hierarchichalists claim. Rather, Paul is drawing an *analogy* between the situation in Ephesus and the fall of Adam and Eve. Part of the parallels is that Eve was not there when the command was given - which was the implication of the statement 'Adam was formed first, then Eve'. In other words, Adam was given the headstart in receiving religious instructions compared to Eve. Paul's counsel therefore was for the women to learn in quiet submission because they were lagging behind in religious instruction due to the social conditions in which they lived and not because women were inherently more gullible.

Lastly, in Eph 5 Paul's speaking to the man as 'head of the wife' is another exercise in contextualization. He assumes the familial structure of the typical Greco-Roman household, that is largely patriarchal, as a given context of his pastoral work. What is revolutionary is that he juxtaposes that structure with the model of Christ's headship over the church and calls the man to lay down his life for his wife as Christ did for the church. There is nothing more submissive than that! It is this sort of sensitive and contextual approach that Paul uses to turn the oppressive structure of the old social order on its head.

Keener goes on to use the hermeneutical history of the issue of slavery as a test case, arguing that Gal 3:28 underscores the trajectory from the NT text that is to be realized as the church comes to grasp more fully the implications of our oneness in Christ. This is admittedly a good point, often made by egalitarians to further strengthen their case. To be complete though, perhaps, I wish that Keener would devote another chapter addressing the common fear, however misplaced, among some conservative evangelicals that the same trajectory could on the other hand be a short route from 'ordaining gay ministers'.

Much else can be said and harvested from this book, but I thought I would stop at summarizing the salient points of Keener's egalitarian reading, as I understand it, of these pertinent Pauline texts concerning women's ministry and raising a concern of where the egalitarian reading could potentially lead, or so it is argued by the other side.

This is a terrific book - well reasoned, exceptionally well researched,all the resources listed in detail. Very academic but easy for the lay person to read and understand. Thoroughly covers the topic in detail with enough of the author to make the author's thoughts and feelings on the topic come through as well as his academic research.

I really like his POV in this book. he does mention all sides of the debate, and thier weaknesses. I especially liked his observation of the parallels between slavery and women's issues. why is it that the rest of Eph is left out, like slaves obeying thier masters, and yet "wife only" submission is at the forefront still? hmmmm.
I also find that others "readers" down the page comment quite amusing. I can only guess by their review they never interacted with the book. None of the books, aside from Grudems work, are scholarly, if you could call Grudem and his obvious overarching bias against women disgusting, scholarly. I also find it sad that he finds it necessary to perpetuate something as ugly as fallen hiearchies among Christians. sad. I think its pretty obvious God has called us all "out of the world" and thier ways of thinking to a new radical community of believers serving and being in submission to one another...
I think that the truth will prevail as it did with slavery and I hope I am around to see it.

A fantastic book, highly recommended. Keener is a brilliant scholar and a equally great writer. Well worth the time it takes to read.