The Pastoral Letters have often been marginalised in modern New Testament studies. Regarded as not authentically Pauline, not very theological, and mostly evidence of the church settling down in the world, their patriarchal orientation has more recently futher alienated readers. Yet it was these little letters which mediated Paul to the Patristic church, and then provided scriptural material for debate about church order and ministry from the Reformation to the present. This study attempts to re-read the Pastorals in their original setting, revising many of the standard scholarly assessments in the light of recent work (especially developments in sociological study of the New Testament), and exploring the development of a tradition which proves to be theological in its fundamental structure and in its mode of addressing practical and organisational issues. The letters are then related to the very different context of the modern world.

Frances Young explores the ways in which the earliest theologians and preachers read the Bible, and seeks to recover a sense of the importance of the spiritual meaning of the text, as much as the literal or historic meaning. She attempts to bridge a gap between the work of biblical scholars and what is practised and believed by faithful church-goers, by drawing on the wisdom of the church Fathers and exploring their relationship with scripture. Brokenness and Blessing brings together Frances Young's years of work as a scholar in the field of Biblical Studies, and as a preacher, as well as her personal experiences of caring for a son with profound learning disabilities and her journey with him. What emerges is a spirituality which offers both a realistic view of the human condition as well as 'the wonderful gift of grace which brings hope of transformation'.