By Cynthia Long Westfall
Paul is the apostle most responsible for the spread of the good news through the gentile world. He is a brilliant writer and apologist, having composed numerous letters to the churches he founded. Yet some of his words regarding women's roles appear to be belittling and inconsistent with the high regard he generally afforded women. Prof Westfall goes through all of Paul's writings regarding women, providing extensive notes and references. Her contribution to Pauline research is to study Paul's remarks in the context of history and contemporary society. In 1 Cor 11, for example, she addresses Paul's admonition for wives to wear head coverings, while men should go bareheaded. This is a requirement that endured for nearly two millennia; when I was a little girl, my Roman Catholic friends were not allowed to enter their church without a hat or veil. (Absent a hat, a tissue secured with a bobby pin was acceptable.) Was Paul putting women down by requiring they cover their heads? Not according to Prof Westfall, whose research into Roman culture suggests that a hatless women was announcing her "availability", or even that she was a harlot. It's also possible that some of the low-status Corinthian house churches included women who had been slaves or prostitutes. By requiring head coverings for all, Paul is saying that they, too, are respectable and should be able to wear a sign of modesty.
This will be a useful resource in understanding Paul's writings regarding creation, male/female relationships, authority, etc.
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