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Carolyn Goodman Plampin http://home.netcom.com/~cplampin
Series-Subjects Relevant to an Informed Opinion about Christian Women in Ministry
"POSITIVE" PASSAGES ON WOMEN IN MINISTRY
IN THE GENERAL LETTERS AND REVELATIONS
First created in January, 1996, Revised January 10, 2007
Baptist Women in Ministry http://www.bwim.info/index.php/welcome
c/o McAfee School of Theology
3001 Mercer University Drive
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(678) 547-6475
e-mail: BWIM@hotmail.com
Questions, comments, or suggestions
of bibliography or sites to include may be sent to
Carolyn Goodman Plampin
Coordinator Subjects Relevant to an Informed Opinion
1220 Vienna Dr., #504
Sunnyvale, CA 94089-2007
(408) 734-5141
Master of Teaching, Universidade Federal do Paraná, Brazil, March 20, 1968
Master of Divinity, Golden Gate Baptist Theological Seminary, June 2, 1978
Missionary to Brazil of the International Mission Board of the Southern Baptist Convention, 1957-1988
Academic dean (without title) and professor, Instituto Biblico Batista, A.B. Deter and
Seminário Teológico Batista do Paraná, Curitiba, 1959-1979
Academic dean and professor, Seminário de Educacao Crista, Recife, 1980-1986
e-mail: cplampin@ix.netcom.com
CONTENTS
PRISCILLA'S LETTER, FINDING THE AUTHOR OF THE EPISTLE TO THE HEBREWS
For nearly all of us, the idea comes as a great surprise that Priscilla was in all probability the author of the Epistle to the Hebrews. It is the only book in the New Testament whose author has been lost. But this is not a new idea among theologians. It is just that, in general, men pass on information about women when there is a problem involved and do not pass on positive information.
It is hard to maintain the belief that women cannot be teachers of men if you believe that the book of Hebrews was written by a woman, for it has been teaching men for about 2000 years. Priscilla was an aristocratic Roman woman and well able to be the author of Hebrews. In Hoppin's fascinating book the arguments for Priscilla's authorship of Hebrews are better than those of any other proposed author.
Bibliography on Priscilla as the Author of Hebrews
Ruth Hoppin, PRICILLLA'S LETTER, FINDING THE AUTHOR OF THE EPISTLE TO THE HEBREWS. (Fort Bragg, CA: Lost Coast Press, 1997)
Harris, J. Rendel."Authorship of the Epistle to the Hebrews," in SIDE-LIGHTS ON NEW TESTAMENT RESEARCH. (London: The Kingsgate Press, 1908)
Peake, Arthur S. "The Epistle to the Hebrews," in A CRITICAL INTRODUCTION TO THE NEW TESTAMENT. (New York: Charles Scribner's Sons, 1912)
Harnack, Von A., of Berlin. "Probability about the Address and Author of the Epistle to the Hebrews," ZEITSCHRIFT FÜR DIE NEUTESTAMENTLICHE WISSENSCHAFT, 1900) Translated by Mrs. Emma Ruge Peter, of Bellevue, Pennsylvania, U.S.A. Appendix A in Starr, Lee Anna. THE BIBLE STATUS OF WOMAN. (Zarephath, NJ: Pillar of Fire, 1955) pp. 392-415.
WOMEN PASTORS (ELDERS) CALLED WIDOWS
Women pastors (elders) called widows should be called by the sick to pray over him/her. The prayer of the women pastors (elders) offered in faith will restore the sick. (James 5:14-15) The widows were criticized in an early church manual for shirking their pastoral duty:
"But thou, O widow who art without discipline, seest thy fellow widows or thy brethren in sickness, and has no care to fast and pray over thy members, and to lay hand upon them and to visit them, but feignest thyself to be not in health, or not at leisure," (Connolly, R. Hugh, ed. DIDASCALIA APOSTOLORUM. Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1929, p 140.)
See the section on "Positive" Passages on Women in Ministry in the Pastorals (I and II Timothy and Titus) for more on women pastors (elders) called widows.
BIBLIOGRAPHY ON WOMEN PASTORS (ELDERS) CALLED WIDOWS
Davies, Stevan L. Chapter V. "Widows and the Apocryphal Acts," pp. 70-94, in THE REVOLT OF TYE WIDOWS, THE SOCIAL WORLD OF THE APOCRYPHAL ACTS. Carbondale and Edwardsville: Southern Illinois University Press, 1980.
Thurston, Bonnie Bowman. THE WIDOWS, A WOMEN'S MINISTRY IN THE EARLY CHURCH. Minneapolis: Fortress Press, 1989
THE CHOSEN LADY, PASTOR OF A CHURCH
II John - The pastor (elder) writes to the chosen lady, a woman in charge of a house church, and her children, the church members. He expresses his love for them. He was glad to find some of her children walking in truth. He tells her to exercise her authority and not let anyone into her house church who does not bring right teaching, she is not even to greet such a one. The pastor (elder) says he has many things to write to her, but does not want to do so with paper and ink, but hopes to come and speak face to face, that their joy may be made full. He transmits a greeting from the children of her chosen sister.
Even though we have the examples of all of the women in the New Testament that had churches in their homes, and a number of women ministers are known to have served in the area of Asia Minor where the missionary (apostle) John was including the four daughters of Phillip, we have been taught that the name "chosen lady" (eklekte kuria) refers to a church, and the "children" refer to the members of the same church! By this interpretation the writer would have addressed the letter: To the church and the members of the church!
JEZABEL, A CHRISTIAN PREACHER (PROPHETESS)
Rev. 2:18-29 - Jezabel was a Christian preacher (prophetess) who brought
the practices of her ancient Goddess religion into her Christian teaching and
leading. The Son of God did not reprimand her for preaching, teaching, and
leading, but gave her time to repent. She had a loyal following.
WOMEN OF THE APOCALYPSE
Kim S. Vidal has written Bible study material on the women of the Apocalypse.
This Bible study material reflects the use of women images in the book of Revelation and offers a modest contribution for raising consciousness toward a theology of "persistent resistance" against political idolatry, all forms of oppression and exploitation, sexual and gender discrimination, degradation of human worth and dignity, and destruction of the earth.
There are only four women images mentioned by the author of the book of Revelation (for the purpose of this study, I will be referring to "John" as the writer of Revelation). Three of these four images are metaphors: THE WOMAN CLOTHED WITH THE SUN, THE GREAT WHORE, AND THE BRIDE. Only one historical woman is mentioned, the prophetess "JEZEBEL," but her name has allusions beyond her known role in history.
Susan Garrett's interpretation of Revelation in the WOMEN'S BIBLE COMMENTARY strongly emphasized that the language remains disturbing and dangerous because women are stereotyped as wholly good or wholly bad. The good are those whose sexuality is effectively controlled. They are women who do not question authority and prefer submission instead of resistance. The "good" metaphors are the woman clothed with the sun and the bride.
The wholly bad are those whose sexuality escapes management and manipulation. Obviously, these images include the Great Whore and Jezebel. These definitions might leave the readers confused and divided. They want to identify with the good but are reluctant to do so because the images deny self-determination. They hesitate to identify with the bad because of the strong social stigma attached to them, even though they may support the defiance of the "whores" against those who would control or destroy them. This imagery is dangerous because, intentionally or not, it promotes ethos in which women are discouraged to control their own bodies and their own destinies. Violence against women in some cases is condoned, and this is a sad reality confronting women in their faith journey.
Primarily designed for use by women, this book can be offered to anyone who is interested in learning more about female images in the Book of Revelation, or those who are supportative of women's issues and concerns. The suggested time frame for each Bible study is one-and-a-half to two hours, depending on the length of sharing and discussion. There are eleven sessions with the following themes: WOMEN'S PROPHETIC VOICES; WOMEN'S OPPOSITION TO WAR; WOMEN'S LEADERSHIP AND EMPOWERMENT; HEALING OF PROSTITUTED WOMEN; THE PLIGHT OF "DOMESTICATED" WOMEN; WOMEN REFUGEES, ECOFEMINISM; AND WOMEN'S UTOPIAN VISION. Hymns, songs, responsive readings, prayers, and suggested readings are included to enhance exploration of the issues, pp. 11-12.
WOMEN OF THE APOCALYPSE
This Bible study material reflects the use of women images in the book of Revelation and offers a modest contribution for raising consciousness toward a theology of "persistent resistance" against political idolatry, all forms of oppression and exploitation, sexual and gender discrimination, degradation of human worth and dignity, and destruction of the earth.There are only four women images mentioned by the author of the book of Revelation (for the purpose of this study, I will be referring to "John" as the writer of Revelation). Three of these four images are metaphors: THE WOMAN CLOTHED WITH THE SUN, THE GREAT WHORE, AND THE BRIDE. Only one historical woman is mentioned, the prophetess "JEZEBEL," but her name has allusions beyond her known role in history.
Susan Garrett's interpretation of Revelation in the WOMEN'S BIBLE COMMENTARY strongly emphasized that the language remains disturbing and dangerous because women are stereotyped as wholly good or wholly bad. The good are those whose sexuality is effectively controlled. They are women who do not question authority and prefer submission instead of resistance. The "good" metaphors are the woman clothed with the sun and the bride.
The wholly bad are those whose sexuality escapes management and manipulation. Obviously, these images include the Great Whore and Jezebel. These definitions might leave the readers confused and divided. They want to identify with the good but are reluctant to do so because the images deny self-determination. They hesitate to identify with the bad because of the strong social stigma attached to them, even though they may support the defiance of the "whores" against those who would control or destroy them. This imagery is dangerous because, intentionally or not, it promotes ethos in which women are discouraged to control their own bodies and their own destinies. Violence against women in some cases is condoned, and this is a sad reality confronting women in their faith journey.
Primarily designed for use by women, this book can be offered to anyone who is interested in learning more about female images in the Book of Revelation, or those who are supportative of women's issues and concerns. The suggested time frame for each Bible study is one-and-a-half to two hours, depending on the length of sharing and discussion. There are eleven sessions with the following themes: WOMEN'S PROPHETIC VOICES; WOMEN'S OPPOSITION TO WAR; WOMEN'S LEADERSHIP AND EMPOWERMENT; HEALING OF PROSTITUTED WOMEN; THE PLIGHT OF "DOMESTICATED" WOMEN; WOMEN REFUGEES, ECOFEMINISM; AND WOMEN'S UTOPIAN VISION. Hymns, songs, responsive readings, prayers, and suggested readings are included to enhance exploration of the issues, pp. 11-12.
Bibliography on Women of the Apocalypse
Vidal, Kim S. MOON UNDER HER FEET, WOMEN OF THE APOCALYPSE. Cleveland, The Pilgrim Press, 2001.
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