Women and marriage in Paul and his early interpreters / Gillian Beattie.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Beattie, Gillian.

Series:

Journal for the study of the New Testament. Supplement series ; 296.

Journal for the study of the New Testament. Supplement series ; 296

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Bible. Epistles of Paul--Theology.

Bible.

Bible. Epistles of Paul.

Theology.

Women--Biblical teaching.

Women.

Marriage--Biblical teaching.

Marriage.

Nag Hammadi codices.

Women--Religious aspects--Gnosticism--History of doctrines.

Marriage--Religious aspects--Gnosticism--History of doctrines.

Marriage--Religious aspects.

Gnosticism.

Women--Religious aspects.

Physical Description:

xii, 181 pages ; 24 cm.

Place of Publication:

London ; New York : T & T Clark International, [2005]

Summary:

Beattie undertakes a comparative survey of the treatment of women and marriage in three different kinds of text: an authentic Pauline letter (namely 1 Corinthians); the deutero-Pauline literature (Colossians, Ephesians and the Pastoral Epistles); and some tractates from the Nag Hammadi library (giving particular attention to the Gospel of Philip, the Exegesis on the Soul, the Hypostasis of the Archons and the Gospel of Thomas). The theoretical position she takes is based upon the neo-pragmatist thought of Richard Rorty and Stanley Fish, the former's notions of 'contingency' and 'redescription' being of particular importance.

Contents:

Women and Marriage in Paul and his Early Interpreters 1

Theoretical Perspective: 'The Pragmatist's Progress' 4

Redescribing 'Gnosticism' 7

The Selection of Nag Hammadi Texts 10

Part I Paul 13

Chapter 1 Marriage in 1 Corinthians 15

The Context for Paul's Teaching on Marriage 19

7.1-5: Behaviour in Marriage 20

7.6-9: Paul's Preference for Celibacy 24

7.10-16: Divorce 27

7.17-24: 'Remain as you are' 30

7.25-35: Marriage as a Source of Anxiety 32

7.36-40: The Betrothed and the Widowed 35

Chapter 2 Women in 1 Corinthians 37

A Note on the Authenticity of 11.2-16 38

11.2: Evoking a Favourable Response 39

11.3: Headship: the Source of Authority 40

11.4-6: (Un)covering the Head and Shaming the 'Head' 41

11.7-9: The Argument from Creation 47

11.10: The Woman's Authority and the Angels 49

11.11-12: A Cautionary Note 51

11.13-16: 'Judge for yourselves'? 52

11.2-16: Overall Assessment 54

14.34-35: The Question of Authenticity 54

14.33b-35: The Veil of Silence 55

14.33b-40 and 11.2-16: Making Sense of the Contradiction 56

14.36-40: The Concluding Challenge 59

Part II Deutero-Pauline Letters 63

Chapter 3 Marriage in the Deutero-Pauline Literature: Colossians and Ephesians 65

'Absent in the flesh but present in spirit': Colossians as Pseudepigraphy 66

'Philosophy and empty deceit': The Opponents in Colossians 69

'As is fitting in the Lord': Marriage in Colossians 74

The Context of Ephesians 76

Marriage as an Image of Salvation in Ephesians 5.21-33 76

Chapter 4 Women in the Deutero-Pauline Literature: The Pastoral Epistles 83

The Question of Authorship 84

(False) Teaching and the Purpose of the Pastorals 88

1 Timothy 2.9-15: 'I do not permit a woman to teach ...' 91

1 Timothy 5.3-16: 'Honour widows who are really widows' 98

Part III Nag Hammadi 107

Chapter 5 Marriage in the Nag Hammadi Texts 109

The Stereotype of 'Gnostic' Morality 110

'Libertinism' 113

'Asceticism' 119

'Truth in types and images': The Gospel of Philip on Language and Imagery 122

'The mystery of marriage' in the Gospel of Philip 127

Marriage as Salvation in the Exegesis on the Soul 132

Chapter 6 Women and Feminine Imagery in the Nag Hammadi Texts 137

Women and 'Heresy' 138

Reading Genesis in the Hypostasis of the Archons 141

'Protest Exegesis'? 146

Male and Female in the Gospel of Thomas 150

Mary Magdalene in the Gospel of Thomas and Other 'Gnostic' Texts 157.

Notes:

Includes bibliographical references (pages [162]-173) and indexes.

ISBN:

0567030504

OCLC:

60590201