Synopses & Reviews
Christian tradition has generally used a patriarchal lens through which to view the emerging Church, a lens that privileges male leaders while minimizing the role of bold and fervent women in proclaiming the gospel message and ministering to God's people. Author Karen M. Elliott challenges this view, providing solid evidence for women's important and vibrant role in the life of Christian communities. Particularly, she examines the writings of Paul to identify in Church history women engaged as fellow missionaries and affirmed as energetic and valuable contributors to the spread of Christianity.
In her discussions on the contribution of women in Church ministry from the second century to the present, Elliott closely examines the life, times, and writings of the Apostle Paul. Elliott offers compelling insights into the person of Paul by considering his religion, philosophy, and influence, as well as his theology of baptism, in an effort to establish a Church legacy that includes a strong ministerial role for women.
Through writing that is intimate and thought-provoking, Elliott produces an engaging and easy-to-read text for college students--regardless of their religious background or belief--that establishes and affirms women as ministers in the life of the Church.
Synopsis
From the beginnings of Judeo-Christian history, women have performed significant ministries in the life of the Church. In Women in Ministry and the Writings of Paul, author Karen M. Elliott, inspired particularly by the experiences and writings of the Apostle Paul, reflects on historical and contemporary issues of ministry within the Christian community. Paul implored the early Christian communities to reject insularity, to eliminate divisions that impeded their faith, and to focus instead on their oneness in Christ Jesus. Paul wrote: "For all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free person, there is not male and female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus" (Galatians 3:27-28).
Writes Elliott, "I invite you, whatever your religious background or belief, to encounter here the witness of women of faith throughout the ages, and to encounter Paul, the passionate disciple of Jesus Christ who urged the early Christian communities to focus on oneness in Christ Jesus rather than on that which separates and divides."
Table of Contents
1.The Ministry of Women in the New TestamentWomen as Ministers in the Gospels
Mary Magdalene: Apostle to the Apostles
Initial Impressions of Paul's View of Women as Ministers
Questions for Discussion
2.Paul and His Times
The Person of Paul
Paul's Cultural Context
Religion and Philosophy
Legacy and Influence
Questions for Discussion
3.Paul's Theology of Baptism
Baptism: A Beginning
Baptismal Formulas
Freedom in Christ
Questions for Discussion
4.Scriptural Evidence of Paul's Views on Women
Paul's Use of Feminine Imagery
Equality in Marriage
Equality in Ministry
Women Ministers in Paul
Regarding Women's Veils
Women Keeping Silent in the Churches
A Red Herring
Concluding Reflections
Questions for Discussion
5.Post New Testament to Modern Times
The First Five Centuries
Deaconesses
Abbesses
Mystics
The Later Centuries
Questions for Discussion
Epilogue
Glossary
Bibliography
Index