| Book Reviews |
 
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Belleville provides a clear, easy to read, yet academic treatment of women's role in the church and society. She asks three basic questions (the format for this series): "In Which Ministries Can Women Be Involved?", "What Roles Can Women Play in Society?" and "Can Women Play in Society?" and "Can Women Hold Positions of Authority?" To answer the first question she begins by exploring the leadership roles of women in various Greek, Roman and Jewish societies. I found her work on women in Judaism fascinating and well presented. She provides examples from inscriptions of women donors, heads of synagogues, elders and priestesses. I've read this information before, however, she manages to present it in a more concise and understandable form than I have seen previously. She also considers challenges to her statements, then provides the response to those challenges. "Some have suggested," she writes on pages 25, "that synagogue ruler was merely a title of honor given to women whose husbands functioned in this capacity (rather than designating an actual ministry). There is no evidence, however, that any of the leadership titles were honorific in early centuries. Moreover, none of the women so named in these inscriptions carries the standard surname for a married woman (such as, "Deborah,... wife of Lapidoth," Judg. 4:4)." While presenting the relevant cultural information, she relies heavily on Scripture. Her section on women in the early church provides a wonder exegesis on leadership in relation to spiritual gifts that natural flows into specific women of the NT. In fact, Belleville's strength seems to be merging scholarly excellence with Scriptural understanding. Through out her work she avoids the pitfall making the Bible "fit" the academic evidence as well as avoiding the opposite pothole of divorcing the Bible from its context. She demonstrates through out the work a comfort with Greek and other ancient languages. In the second chapter she focuses on the roles of women in society. Again, she begins by reviewing the various cultures represented in the NT. After an overview of women in society in general, she proceeds to reference both OT and NT accounts to develop her theme. Marriage in particular receives a great deal of attention. Belleville attempts to delineate what the Bible specifically says and what we often assume it says. For instance, though we often understand Genesis 3:16 to be the "definitive" Scripture on marriage in a fall world, she points out that it is never referenced in the New Testament. Both Paul and Jesus remind us that "two will be made one", not that one should have dominion over the other. From a general understanding of biblical marriage she narrows down her study to the obligations of husbands and wives. Interestingly she proceeds to the "should do's" before addressing the kephale issue--a step forward in presenting egalitarian view points. Belleville points out a Greek word in 1 Peter 2:13 that I have never seen addressed. She points out that ktsis means "creature"---which adds a nuance to translations of "human authority". She then moves on to one of the best discussions of Biblical authority I have encountered. In honesty, I would have paid the price of the book just to get this one chapter. She examines when authority was given in the NT and for what purposes. From that point to begins to examine offices and positions within the church. By the end of this chapter she has analysed each of the "problem" chapters.
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