Have you ever wondered how egalitarian and complementarian marriages play out differently on a day-to-day level? In this unique book Aida and William Spencer and Steve and Celestia Tracy, two couples from the differing perspectives of egalitarianism and soft complementarianism, share a constructive dialogue about marriage in practice. They cover a variety of topics like marriage discipleship, headship and submission, roles and decision-making, and intimacy in marriage. Also included are responses from three additional cultural frameworks: North American Hispanic, Korean American and African American. Whether you're still working out your views on marriage or have found an approach you're comfortable with, this book will help you better understand the two perspectives on the ground level. While the theological starting points are different, you may be surprised to see the degree of convergence on practical issues as the dialogue unfolds.

Going against the false perception that all Latinx views on the Bible are homogeneous, the contributors in this book use different hermeneutic perspectives to interpret the New Testament. Each chapter examines one of the 27 documents thematically instead of following the traditional verse-by-verse commentary format.

Paul's Literary Style determines quantitatively how Paul varies the style of his writing to assist communication with different communities and to ascertain some constant characteristics of his writing. Using 2 Corinthians 11:16-12:13, Romans 8:9-39, and Philippians 3:2-4:13, the author uncovers the performance of ten stylistic operations: sentence changes, complexity of the writing, adverbs and adverbial clauses, propositional reduction; logical diagrams, abstract versus concrete nouns, imagery, Leo Spitzer's philological circle, verb density, and variety of sentence length. In this study, stylistics denotes the use of linguistics as a tool of literary criticism by which to investigate the aesthetic effects of language. This methodology produces an investigation to compare Paul's style of communication to three different communities and discover his adaptations to different audiences.

In a thorough and insightful commentary on Paul's letter to his co-worker Timothy, which the Apostle wrote before and during Nero's persecution, Aida Besancon Spencer carefully examines each part of the letter and relates it to the overall flow of the argument and in light of the larger biblical, historical, social, and cultural contexts. How Paul's writing related to the ancient communities is highlighted in the light of original data gleaned from her explorations on location in Ephesus and throughout Greece. In addition, Paul's rhetorical and ministry strategies, especially as they relate to women and their role in the church, are explored. Throughout, Spencer presents an in-depth exegesis in a readable format enhanced by forty years of ministry.

About the Contributor(s): Seong Hyun Park (PhD, Harvard University) is the Assistant Dean of Boston Campus and Assistant Professor of Old Testament at Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary. He coedits the Africanus Journal, the Africanus Monograph Series, and the Urban Voice Series. Aida Besancon Spencer (PhD, Southern Baptist Theological Seminary) is Professor of New Testament at the Hamilton Campus of Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary. Among her books are Beyond the Curse: Women Called to Ministry, Paul's Literary Style, 2 Corinthians, and Pastoral Epistles. William David Spencer (ThD, Boston University School of Theology) is Ranked Adjunct Professor of Theology and the Arts at the Boston Campus of Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary. He is the author of Mysterium and Mystery: The Clerical Crime Novel, Dread Jesus, Name in the Papers: An Urban Adventure Novel, and coeditor of Chanting Down Babylon: The Rastafari Reader.

With issues such as the ordination of women and the call for "inclusive" language affecting the church today, Aida Spencer has provided a helpful and important study of how the Scriptures really speak to these and other issues related to the role of women in the church.
From the biblical account of creation and "the fall" to other relevant Old Testament passages, "Beyond the Curse" carefully examines the attitudes toward and teachings about women--especially those of Jesus and Paul.
"Beyond the Curse" sheds light on instances in the New Testament of feminine authority and on feminine metaphors used in Scripture to define God, the church, and society. Jesus is shown to have broken through the cultural barriers of first-century Palestine in his attitudes toward and dealings with women. Paul's later works are found to be consistent with Jesus' views, as Spencer notes the vital place of women in Paul's ministry.
Women in leadership roles and the many implications are viewed firsthand by Spencer--herself a minister. William David Spencer, the author's husband, gives an afterword, explaining his personal journey as the spouse of an ordained minister.
Timely and vital to an understanding of the growth of a woman's role in the church, "Beyond the Curse" is a compelling and important work.

About the Contributor(s): Chip M. Anderson (MATS, Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary; BA, Crown College) is a consultant for community- and faith-based nonprofits. He has been a pastor, a professor (Prairie Bible College, AB), and for over sixteen years has been involved in social action. His articles appear in His Dominion, The Evangelical Journal, Trinity Journal, Priscilla Papers, and Africanus Journal. He is the author of a lay-commentary on Philippians, Destroying Our Private Cities, Building Our Spiritual Life.

About the Contributor(s): Aida Besancon Spencer is Professor of New Testament at Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary and Extraordinary Lecturer of North-West University. Besides teaching, Dr. Spencer has worked as a Spanish community organizer and Presbyterian minister. She was born and reared in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic. She is the author of twelve books and hundreds of articles including 2 Corinthians: Daily Bible Commentary and Paul's Literary Style: A Stylistic Comparison of II Corinthians 11:16-12:13, Romans 8:9-39, and Philippians 3:2-4:13.

About the Contributor(s): Aida Besancon Spencer (PhD, Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, Louisville, KY; ThM, MDiv, Princeton Theological Seminary) is Professor of New Testament at Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary, South Hamilton, MA, and Extraordinary Researcher for North-West University, Potchefstroom, South Africa. She is the author or coauthor of thirteen books, including 2 Corinthians (Bible Study Commentary), Beyond the Curse: Women Called to Ministry, and Paul's Literary Style."