Feminist Theologies - Bible

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    Representative passages on women from the Bible

    compiled, with notes and headings, by Adam Kotsko

    Hebrew Bible (Old Testament)........................................................................................................2Genesis 1:26-31 (The creation of hmanit! in the ima"e of God)..............................................2

    Genesis 2:1#-3:2$ (The creation of woman and the first sin)......................................................2

    Genesis 6:1-% (&n"els slee' arond with hman women God "ets mad)..................................$Genesis 16 (Ha"ar the srro"ate mother)....................................................................................#

    Genesis 1 (&ttem'ted "an"-ra'e sccessfl incest).................................................................#

    Genesis 21:1-21 (Ha"ar sent awa! for "ood)..............................................................................%*+ods 1#:2,-21 (The son" of iriam sister of oses and &aron)........................................../

    0mbers 12 (iriam 'nished for trash-talin" oses)............................................................/

    eitics 1/ (aws abot se+al defilement)..............................................................................

    4eteronom! 22:13-3, (aws abot se+ marria"e and ra'e)..................................................1,5osha 2 (ahab the 'rostitte saes the 7sraelite s'ies)...........................................................11

    5osha 6:22-2# (8ollow-' on ahab).......................................................................................12

    5d"es $ (4eborah a woman 9d"e; of 7srael)........................................................................13

    5d"es 11:2-3 (5e'hthah

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    Hebrew Bible (Old Testament)

    Genesis 1:26-31 (The creation of humanit in the ima!e of God)

    In what is known as the first creation account, God creates the world piece by piece over thecourse of six days. On the sixth day, he creates land animals and then turns to humankind. e issaid to create humankind in the !image of God," which will become one of the most important

    concepts of #hristian theology. One of the ma$or points of debate among theologians is whether

    !male and female" counts as part of the !image of God."

    26 Then God said Det s mae hmanind in or ima"e accordin" to or lieness and let them

    hae dominion oer the fish of the sea and oer the birds of the air and oer the cattle and oer

    all the wild animals of the earth and oer eer! cree'in" thin" that cree's 'on the earth.e ma! eat of the frit of the trees in the "arden 3bt God said 9Eo shall

    not eat of the frit of the tree that is in the middle of the "arden nor shall !o toch it or !o

    shall die.; < $Bt the ser'ent said to the woman DEo will not die #for God nows that when !o

    eat of it !or e!es will be o'ened and !o will be lie God nowin" "ood and eil.< 6o when

    the woman saw that the tree was "ood for food and that it was a deli"ht to the e!es and that thetree was to be desired to mae one wise she too of its frit and ate and she also "ae some to

    her hsband who was with her and he ate. %Then the e!es of both were o'ened and the! newthat the! were naed and the! sewed fi" leaes to"ether and made loincloths for themseles.

    / The! heard the sond of the ord God walin" in the "arden at the time of the eenin" bree?e

    and the man and his wife hid themseles from the 'resence of the ord God amon" the trees of

    the "arden. Bt the ord God called to the man and said to him D>here are !oF< 1,He said D7heard the sond of !o in the "arden and 7 was afraid becase 7 was naed and 7 hid m!self.ho told !o that !o were naedF Hae !o eaten from the tree of which 7

    commanded !o not to eatF< 12The man said DThe woman whom !o "ae to be with me she

    "ae me frit from the tree and 7 ate.hat is this that!o hae doneF< The woman said DThe ser'ent triced me and 7 ate.< 1$The ord God said to the

    ser'entDBecase !o hae done this

    crsed are !o amon" all animals

    and amon" all wild creatres

    'on !or bell! !o shall "o and dst !o shall eat

    all the da!s of !or life.1#7 will 't enmit! between !o and the woman and between !or offs'rin" and hers

    he will strie !or head

    and !o will strie his heel.ilderness.

    10ow arai &bram

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    work, and the odomites' inhospitality is on graphic display when they demand that /ot,

    Abraham's cousin, hand over the angels so that they may !know" them )in the +iblical sense*.

    /ot offers up his virgin daughters in place of the angels, a gesture that is repeated withvariations in the book of 0udges. As a kind of postscript to the story, /ot's daughters seduce him

    in order to make sure they will have progeny.

    1The two an"els came to odom in the eenin" and ot was sittin" in the "atewa! of odom.

    >hen ot saw them he rose to meet them and bowed down with his face to the "rond. 2Hesaid D=lease m! lords trn aside to !or seranthere are the men who came to !o toni"htFBrin" them ot to s so that we ma! now them.< 6ot went ot of the door to the men sht the

    door after him %and said D7 be" !o m! brothers do not act so wicedl!. /oo 7 hae two

    da"hters who hae not nown a man let me brin" them ot to !o and do to them as !o'lease onl! do nothin" to these men for the! hae come nder the shelter of m! roof.< Bt the!

    re'lied Dtand bacK< &nd the! said DThis fellow came here as an alien and he wold 'la! the

    d"eK 0ow we will deal worse with !o than with them.< Then the! 'ressed hard a"ainst the

    man ot and came near the door to brea it down. 1,Bt the men inside reached ot their handsand bro"ht ot into the hose with them and sht the door. 11&nd the! strc with blindness the

    men who were at the door of the hose both small and "reat so that the! were nable to find the

    door.

    12 Then the men said to ot DHae !o an!one else hereF ons-in-law sons da"hters oran!one !o hae in the cit!brin" them ot of the 'lace. 138or we are abot to destro! this

    'lace becase the otcr! a"ainst its 'eo'le has become "reat before the ord and the ord hassent s to destro! it.< 1$o ot went ot and said to his sons-in-law who were to marr! hisda"hters DN' "et ot of this 'lace for the ord is abot to destro! the cit!.< Bt he seemed to

    his sons-in-law to be estin".

    1# >hen mornin" dawned the an"els r"ed ot sa!in" DGet ' tae !or wife and !or two

    da"hters who are here or else !o will be consmed in the 'nishment of the cit!.< 16Bt helin"ered so the men sei?ed him and his wife and his two da"hters b! the hand the ord bein"

    mercifl to him and the! bro"ht him ot and left him otside the cit!. 1%>hen the! had bro"ht

    them otside the! said D8lee for !or life do not loo bac or sto' an!where in the =lain fleeto the hills or else !o will be consmed.< 1/&nd ot said to them DOh no m! lords 1!or

    serant has fond faor with !o and !o hae shown me "reat indness in sain" m! life bt 7

    cannot flee to the hills for fear the disaster will oertae me and 7 die. 2,oo that cit! is neareno"h to flee to and it is a little one. et me esca'e thereis it not a little oneFand m! life

    will be saedK< 21He said to him DAer! well 7 "rant !o this faor too and will not oerthrow

    the cit! of which !o hae s'oen. 22Hrr! esca'e there for 7 can do nothin" ntil !o arrie

    there.< Therefore the cit! was called oar. 23The sn had risen on the earth when ot came tooar.

    6

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    2$ Then the ord rained on odom and Gomorrah sl'hr and fire from the ord ot of heaen2#and he oerthrew those cities and all the =lain and all the inhabitants of the cities and what

    "rew on the "rond. 26Bt ot

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    woman 7 will mae a nation of him also becase he is !or offs'rin".< 1$o &braham rose earl!

    in the mornin" and too bread and a sin of water and "ae it to Ha"ar 'ttin" it on her

    sholder alon" with the child and sent her awa!. &nd she de'arted and wandered abot in thewilderness of Beer-sheba.

    1# >hen the water in the sin was "one she cast the child nder one of the bshes.16

    Then shewent and sat down o''osite him a "ood wa! off abot the distance of a bowshot for she said

    D4o not let me loo on the death of the child.< &nd as she sat o''osite him she lifted ' heroice and we't. 1%&nd God heard the oice of the bo! and the an"el of God called to Ha"ar from

    heaen and said to her D>hat trobles !o Ha"arF 4o not be afraid for God has heard the

    oice of the bo! where he is. 1/@ome lift ' the bo! and hold him fast with !or hand for 7 willmae a "reat nation of him.< 1Then God o'ened her e!es and she saw a well of water. he went

    and filled the sin with water and "ae the bo! a drin.

    2, God was with the bo! and he "rew ' he lied in the wilderness and became an e+'ert with

    the bow. 21He lied in the wilderness of =aran and his mother "ot a wife for him from the land of

    *"!'t.

    *odus 1":2+-21 (The son! of ,iriam sister of ,oses and %aron)

    After the famous crossing of the 2ed ea, in which the army of 3haraoh is drowned once 4oses

    stops parting the waters, the Israelites celebrated with a long song, which is followed by thisbrief number from 4oses's sister, 4iriam. Along with other female biblical figures, a later

    !4iriam" )ebrew for 4ary*, the mother of 0esus, will offer up a similar, though much longer,

    song.

    Then the 'ro'het iriam &aronhile the! were at Ha?eroth iriam and &aron s'oe a"ainst oses becase of the @shite

    woman whom he had married (for he had indeed married a @shite woman) 2and the! said DHas

    the ord s'oen onl! thro"h osesF Has he not s'oen thro"h s alsoF< &nd the ord heardit. 30ow the man oses was er! hmble more so than an!one else on the face of the earth.$ddenl! the ord said to oses &aron and iriam D@ome ot !o three to the tent of

    meetin".< o the three of them came ot. #Then the ord came down in a 'illar of clod and

    /

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    stood at the entrance of the tent and called &aron and iriam and the! both came forward.6&nd he said DHear m! words:

    >hen there are 'ro'hets amon" !o 7 the ord mae m!self nown to them in isions

    7 s'ea to them in dreams.%

    0ot so with m! serant oses he is entrsted with all m! hose./>ith him 7 s'ea face to faceclearl! not in riddles

    and he beholds the form of the ord.>h! then were !o not afraid to s'ea a"ainst m! serant osesF< &nd the an"er of the ord

    was indled a"ainst them and he de'arted.

    1, >hen the clod went awa! from oer the tent iriam had become le'ros as white as snow.

    &nd &aron trned towards iriam and saw that she was le'ros. 11Then &aron said to osesDOh m! lord do not 'nish s for a sin that we hae so foolishl! committed. 124o not let her be

    lie one stillborn whose flesh is half consmed when it comes ot of its mother

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    naedness of !or mother

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    2, 7f howeer this char"e is tre that eidence of the !on" womanhere the men went 7 do not now. =rse them Micl! for !o can

    oertae them.< 6he had howeer bro"ht them ' to the roof and hidden them with the stals

    of fla+ that she had laid ot on the roof. %o the men 'rsed them on the wa! to the 5ordan asfar as the fords. &s soon as the 'rsers had "one ot the "ate was sht.

    / Before the! went to slee' she came ' to them on the roof and said to the men: D7 now that

    the ord has "ien !o the land and that dread of !o has fallen on s and that all the

    11

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    inhabitants of the land melt in fear before !o. 1,8or we hae heard how the ord dried ' the

    water of the ed ea before !o when !o came ot of *"!'t and what !o did to the two in"s

    of the &morites that were be!ond the 5ordan to ihon and O" whom !o tterl! destro!ed. 11&ssoon as we heard it or hearts failed and there was no cora"e left in an! of s becase of !o.

    The ord !or God is indeed God in heaen aboe and on earth below. 120ow then since 7 hae

    dealt indl! with !o swear to me b! the ord that !o in trn will deal indl! with m! famil!.Gie me a si"n of "ood faith 13that !o will s'are m! father and mother m! brothers and sisters

    and all who belon" to them and delier or lies from death.< 1$The men said to her DOr life for

    !orsK 7f !o do not tell this bsiness of ors then we will deal indl! and faithfll! with !owhen the ord "ies s the land.hen isera was told that Bara son of &binoam had "one ' to ont Tabor 13isera called

    ot all his chariots nine hndred chariots of iron and all the troo's who were with him from

    Harosheth-ha-"oiim to the >adi Lishon. 1$Then 4eborah said to Bara DN'K 8or this is the da!on which the ord has "ien isera into !or hand. The ord is indeed "oin" ot before !o.< o

    Bara went down from ont Tabor with ten thosand warriors followin" him. 1#&nd the ord

    threw isera and all his chariots and all his arm! into a 'anic before Bara isera "ot down fromhis chariot and fled awa! on foot 16while Bara 'rsed the chariots and the arm! to Harosheth-

    ha-"oiim. &ll the arm! of isera fell b! the sword no one was left.

    1% 0ow isera had fled awa! on foot to the tent of 5ael wife of Heber the Lenite for there was

    'eace between Lin" 5abin of Ha?or and the clan of Heber the Lenite. 1/5ael came ot to meetisera and said to him DTrn aside m! lord trn aside to me hae no fear.< o he trned aside

    to her into the tent and she coered him with a r". 1Then he said to her D=lease "ie me a little

    water to drin for 7 am thirst!.< o she o'ened a sin of mil and "ae him a drin and coeredhim. 2,He said to her Dtand at the entrance of the tent and if an!bod! comes and ass !o 97s

    13

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    an!one hereF; sa! 90o.; < 21Bt 5ael wife of Heber too a tent-'e" and too a hammer in her

    hand and went softl! to him and droe the 'e" into his tem'le ntil it went down into the

    "rondhe was l!in" fast aslee' from wearinessand he died. 22Then as Bara came in 'rsitof isera 5ael went ot to meet him and said to him D@ome and 7 will show !o the man whom

    !o are seein".< o he went into her tent and there was isera l!in" dead with the tent-'e" in

    his tem'le.

    23 o on that da! God sbded Lin" 5abin of @anaan before the 7sraelites. 2$Then the hand of the7sraelites bore harder and harder on Lin" 5abin of @anaan ntil the! destro!ed Lin" 5abin of

    @anaan.

    In 0udges 9, -eborah sings a lengthy song similar in spirit to 4iriam's.

    4ud!es 11:2-3 (4e&hthah;s rash ow)

    :et again, the Israelites have fallen on hard times, and this time it falls to 0ephthah, described as

    !the son of a prostitute," to lead them to victory6inadvertently sacrificing his daughter alongthe way.

    2 Then the s'irit of the ord came 'on 5e'hthah and he 'assed thro"h Gilead and anasseh.He 'assed on to i?'ah of Gilead and from i?'ah of Gilead he 'assed on to the &mmonites.3,&nd 5e'hthah made a ow to the ord and said D7f !o will "ie the &mmonites into m! hand31then whoeer comes ot of the doors of m! hose to meet me when 7 retrn ictorios from

    the &mmonites shall be the ord

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    4ud!es 1 (%nother woman offered u& for !an!-ra&e)

    %hroughout the book of 0udges, the author emphasi5es the lawlessness of the pre8king period of

    Israel's history1 this story and its aftermath provide a fitting climax to this trend of depravity. Asin the story of odom, a woman is offered as a substitute for a man threatened with rape1 this

    time, however, the rapists accept the substitute6and things only get worse from there.

    7n those da!s when there was no in" in 7srael a certain eite residin" in the remote 'arts of

    the hill contr! of *'hraim too to himself a concbine from Bethlehem in 5dah. 2Bt hisconcbine became an"r! with him and she went awa! from him to her fatherhen he reached her fatherhen the man "ot ' to "o his

    father-in-law e't r"in" him ntil he s'ent the ni"ht there a"ain. /On the fifth da! he "ot 'earl! in the mornin" to leae and the "irle will not trn aside into a cit! of forei"ners who do not belon" to the

    'eo'le of 7srael bt we will contine on to Gibeah.< 13Then he said to his serant D@ome let s

    tr! to reach one of these 'laces and s'end the ni"ht at Gibeah or at amah.< 1$o the! 'assed b!

    and went on their wa! and the sn went down on them near Gibeah which belon"s to Benamin.1#The! trned aside there to "o in and s'end the ni"ht at Gibeah. He went in and sat down in the

    o'en sMare of the cit! bt no one too them in to s'end the ni"ht.

    16 Then at eenin" there was an old man comin" from his wor in the field. The man was from

    the hill contr! of *'hraim and he was residin" in Gibeah. (The 'eo'le of the 'lace wereBenaminites.) 1%>hen the old man looed ' and saw the wa!farer in the o'en sMare of the

    cit! he said D>here are !o "oin" and where do !o come fromF< 1/He answered him D>e are

    'assin" from Bethlehem in 5dah to the remote 'arts of the hill contr! of *'hraim from which7 come. 7 went to Bethlehem in 5dah and 7 am "oin" to m! home. 0obod! has offered to tae

    me in. 1>e !or serants hae straw and fodder for or done!s with bread and wine for me

    and the woman and the !on" man alon" with s. >e need nothin" more.< 2,The old man said

    1#

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    D=eace be to !o. 7 will care for all !or wants onl! do not s'end the ni"ht in the sMare.< 21o he

    bro"ht him into his hose and fed the done!s the! washed their feet and ate and dran.

    22 >hile the! were eno!in" themseles the men of the cit! a de'raed lot srronded thehose and started 'ondin" on the door. The! said to the old man the master of the hose

    DBrin" ot the man who came into !or hose so that we ma! hae intercorse with him.ho is this who een for"ies sinsF< #,&nd he

    said to the woman DEor faith has saed !o "o in 'eace.hat !o hae said is treKoman beliee me the hor is comin" when !o will worshi' the 8ather neither on thismontain nor in 5ersalem. 22Eo worshi' what !o do not now we worshi' what we now

    for salation is from the 5ews. 23Bt the hor is comin" and is now here when the tre

    worshi''ers will worshi' the 8ather in s'irit and trth for the 8ather sees sch as these toworshi' him. 2$God is s'irit and those who worshi' him mst worshi' in s'irit and trth.< 2#The

    woman said to him D7 now that essiah is comin"< (who is called @hrist). D>hen he comes he

    will 'roclaim all thin"s to s.< 265ess said to her D7 am he the one who is s'eain" to !o.oman where are the!F Has no one condemned !oF< 11he said D0o one sir.hen she had

    said this she trned rond and saw 5ess standin" there bt she did not now that it was 5ess.1#5ess said to her D>oman wh! are !o wee'in"F 8or whom are !o looin"F< ''osin" himto be the "ardener she said to him Dir if !o hae carried him awa! tell me where !o hae

    laid him and 7 will tae him awa!.< 165ess said to her Dar!K< he trned and said to him in

    Hebrew DabboniK< (which means Teacher). 1%5ess said to her D4o not hold on to me becase

    7 hae not !et ascended to the 8ather. Bt "o to m! brothers and sa! to them 97 am ascendin" tom! 8ather and !or 8ather to m! God and !or God.; < 1/ar! a"dalene went and annonced

    to the disci'les D7 hae seen the ord

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    written by later followers in his name. As will become clear, however, the !bad" stuff is not

    limited to the pseudonymous letters.

    Galatians 3:23-2 (.o more male and female)

    %he concluding verse of this passage is a call for radical e7uality6unfortunately, 3aul does notalways seem to follow up on this insight.

    23 0ow before faith came we were im'risoned and "arded nder the law ntil faith wold bereealed. 2$Therefore the law was or disci'linarian ntil @hrist came so that we mi"ht be

    stified b! faith. 2#Bt now that faith has come we are no lon"er sbect to a disci'linarian 26for

    in @hrist 5ess !o are all children of God thro"h faith. 2%&s man! of !o as were ba'ti?ed into@hrist hae clothed !orseles with @hrist. 2/There is no lon"er 5ew or Gree there is no lon"er

    slae or free there is no lon"er male and female for all of !o are one in @hrist 5ess.

    Galatians #:21-31 (

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    1 ?orinthians 11:2-16 (Gender and hairstle)

    In addition to arguing for a clearly hierarchical relation between the sexes, this passage

    demonstrates that 3aul is the first of many #hristian theologians to display a pronouncedanxiety about maintaining clear expectations for gender difference in dress and hairstyle.

    2 7 commend !o becase !o remember me in eer!thin" and maintain the traditions st as 7

    handed them on to !o. 3Bt 7 want !o to nderstand that @hrist is the head of eer! man andthe hsband is the head of his wife and God is the head of @hrist. $&n! man who 'ra!s or

    'ro'hesies with somethin" on his head dis"races his head #bt an! woman who 'ra!s or

    'ro'hesies with her head neiled dis"races her headit is one and the same thin" as hain" herhead shaed. 68or if a woman will not eil herself then she shold ct off her hair bt if it is

    dis"racefl for a woman to hae her hair ct off or to be shaed she shold wear a eil. %8or a

    man o"ht not to hae his head eiled since he is the ima"e and reflection of God bt woman isthe reflection of man. /7ndeed man was not made from woman bt woman from man. 0either

    was man created for the sae of woman bt woman for the sae of man. 1,8or this reason a

    woman o"ht to hae a s!mbol of athorit! on her head becase of the an"els.

    11

    0eertheless inthe ord woman is not inde'endent of man or man inde'endent of woman. 128or st as woman

    came from man so man comes thro"h woman bt all thin"s come from God. 135d"e for

    !orseles: is it 'ro'er for a woman to 'ra! to God with her head neiledF 1$4oes not natre

    itself teach !o that if a man wears lon" hair it is de"radin" to him 1#bt if a woman has lon"hair it is her "lor!F 8or her hair is "ien to her for a coerin". 16Bt if an!one is dis'osed to be

    contentioswe hae no sch cstom nor do the chrches of God.

    1 ?orinthians 1#:33b-3$ (=omen be silent)

    %his is one of the most infamous biblical passages wielded against women's ordination. 4any

    scholars regard it as a later interpolation, as it does not appear to fit in context, and the (ew2evised tandard @ersion places it in parentheses.

    &s in all the chrches of the saints 3$women shold be silent in the chrches. 8or the! are not

    'ermitted to s'ea bt shold be sbordinate as the law also sa!s. 3#7f there is an!thin" the!

    desire to now let them as their hsbands at home. 8or it is shamefl for a woman to s'ea in

    chrch. 36Or did the word of God ori"inate with !oF Or are !o the onl! ones it has reachedF

    At

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    1/ >ies be sbect to !or hsbands as is fittin" in the ord. 1Hsbands loe !or wies and

    neer treat them harshl!.

    2, @hildren obe! !or 'arents in eer!thin" for this is !or acce'table dt! in the ord.218athers do not 'rooe !or children or the! ma! lose heart. 22laes obe! !or earthl!

    masters in eer!thin" not onl! while bein" watched and in order to 'lease them btwholeheartedl! fearin" the ord. 23>hateer !or tas 't !orseles into it as done for the

    ord and not for !or masters 2$since !o now that from the ord !o will receie theinheritance as !or reward !o sere the ord @hrist. 2#8or the wron"doer will be 'aid bac for

    whateer wron" has been done and there is no 'artialit!.

    &hesians ":21-33 (The ?hristian household a!ain)

    %his is a more detailed version of the passage above, believed to be written by a later imitator of3aul. %he image of the church as the bride of #hrist will become very influential.

    21 Be sbect to one another ot of reerence for @hrist.

    22 >ies be sbect to !or hsbands as !o are to the ord. 238or the hsband is the head of

    the wife st as @hrist is the head of the chrch the bod! of which he is the aior. 2$5st as thechrch is sbect to @hrist so also wies o"ht to be in eer!thin" to their hsbands.

    2# Hsbands loe !or wies st as @hrist loed the chrch and "ae himself ' for her 26in

    order to mae her hol! b! cleansin" her with the washin" of water b! the word 2%so as to 'resent

    the chrch to himself in s'lendor withot a s'ot or wrinle or an!thin" of the ind!es so thatshe ma! be hol! and withot blemish. 2/7n the same wa! hsbands shold loe their wies as

    the! do their own bodies. He who loes his wife loes himself. 28or no one eer hates his own

    bod! bt he norishes and tenderl! cares for it st as @hrist does for the chrch

    3,

    becase weare members of his bod!. 31D8or this reason a man will leae his father and mother and be oinedto his wife and the two will become one flesh.< 32This is a "reat m!ster! and 7 am a''l!in" it to

    @hrist and the chrch. 33*ach of !o howeer shold loe his wife as himself and a wife shold

    res'ect her hsband.

    1 Timoth 2:-1" (=omen be silent and don;t dress li/e sluts)

    %his passage, from a letter supposedly written to 3aul's young companion %imothy, combines

    the concern for men's authority with anxiety about dress in one tidy package, and it innovates in

    connecting this issue to ;ve.

    / 7 desire then that in eer! 'lace the men shold 'ra! liftin" ' hol! hands withot an"er or

    ar"ment also that the women shold dress themseles modestl! and decentl! in sitable

    clothin" not with their hair braided or with "old 'earls or e+'ensie clothes 1,bt with "oodwors as is 'ro'er for women who 'rofess reerence for God. 11et a woman learn in silence

    with fll sbmission. 127 'ermit no woman to teach or to hae athorit! oer a man she is to

    ee' silent. 138or &dam was formed first then *e 1$and &dam was not deceied bt the

    31

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    woman was deceied and became a trans"ressor. 1#Eet she will be saed thro"h childbearin"

    'roided the! contine in faith and loe and holiness with modest!.

    1 Timoth ":3-16 (How to mana!e the widows of the church)

    In early #hristian communities, widows appeared to be a large and especially problematicgroup, which later formed the basis for women's monastic groups. ere !3aul" provides

    !%imothy" with advice on how to manage them.

    3 Honor widows who are reall! widows. $7f a widow has children or "randchildren the! shold

    first learn their reli"ios dt! to their own famil! and mae some re'a!ment to their 'arents forthis is 'leasin" in God

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    5eelation 1$:1-6 (The =hore of Bablon)

    %he +ook of 2evelation follows up on the ebrew prophets' use of female imagery and takes it

    up a notch.

    1Then one of the seen an"els who had the seen bowls came and said to me D@ome 7 willshow !o the d"ment of the "reat whore who is seated on man! waters 2with whom the in"s

    of the earth hae committed fornication and with the wine of whose fornication the inhabitants

    of the earth hae become drn.< 3o he carried me awa! in the s'irit into a wilderness and 7saw a woman sittin" on a scarlet beast that was fll of blas'hemos names and it had seen

    heads and ten horns. $The woman was clothed in 'r'le and scarlet and adorned with "old and

    ewels and 'earls holdin" in her hand a "olden c' fll of abominations and the im'rities of herfornication #and on her forehead was written a name a m!ster!: DBab!lon the "reat mother of

    whores and of earthhen 7 saw her 7 was "reatl! ama?ed.