Christianity faces a dilemma with regard to the status of women. Despite political, social and scientific advances, female subordination remains a predominant social and religious paradigm in a number of modern cultures. Among Christians, the primary justification for patriarchy has been the story of Adam and Eve, along with seven key New Testament texts rooted in the notion that female subordination is the will of God. This book provides a critical analysis of womanhood in the major cultures that formed the backdrop for the emergence of Christianity, covering Mesopotamia, the Abrahamic Semites and Egypt. The status of women in Judaism is discussed. The author connects the subordination of women with slavery and other forms of social and political dominance that were taken for granted in the ancient world, and demonstrates their influence on various New Testament texts concerning the status of women in the home and church.

The status of women in the church is one of the most hotly debated issues of our time. Some Protestant churches have either abandoned or radically modified their interpretations of Biblical passages to allow women to take leadership roles and to accommodate social change; for others, the Old and New Testament passages forbid women to take leadership roles, even though equality between the sexes was taught by Jesus Christ and demonstrated in the early Christian community. The current fervor concerning women in the church is examined in this book, which also traces the status of women through 2,000 years of church history. Chapters are devoted to women in the life and ministry of Jesus, women in the earliest Christian community, solutions to transitional problems, the church's reversion to patriarchal models, Alexander Campbell and the American Restoration Movement in the 19th century, the antislavery movement and modern feminism, and the differing stances taken by churches concerning women in leadership roles.

The Status of women has been a source of controversy throughout history; in all societies it seems linked to religion. Even in Christendom, where the elevation of women has been pursued to the greatest extent, there continue to be major disagreements among religious leaders. This book is a critical examination of New Testament teachings on the social and religious status of women, in light of the mores of New Testament times. A provocative and challenging alternative to the traditional interpretation of relevant passages is offered. The author sees the liberation of women from male dominance as a significant underlying theme in the New Testament, and Christian fundamentalism as a major hindrance to it.