How should a woman read Paul's Letters in the light of the experience of women theologians and other women of the Third World? Some who have tried Paul have been put off by his apparent dogmatism and patriarchy. The same persons may know little about Third World women theologians. A dialectic makes Paul contemporary and gives voice to women who are speaking prophetically for a new century.

A Coherent Pauline Theology of Gender Respected New Testament scholar Cynthia Long Westfall offers a coherent Pauline theology of gender, which includes fresh perspectives on the most controverted texts. Westfall interprets passages on women and men together and places those passages in the context of the Pauline corpus as a whole. She offers viable alternatives for some notorious interpretive problems in certain Pauline passages, reframing gender issues in a way that stimulates thinking, promotes discussion, and moves the conversation forward. As Westfall explores the significance of Paul's teaching on both genders, she seeks to support and equip males and females to serve in their area of gifting.

The reception and interpretation of the writings of St Paul in the early modern period forms the subject of this volume, from late medieval Paulinism and the beginnings of humanist biblical scholarship and interpretation, through the ways that theologians of various confessions considered Paul. Beyond the ways that theological voices construed Paul, several articles examine how Pauline texts impacted other areas of early modern life, such as political thought, the regulation of family life, and the care of the poor. Throughout, the volume makes clear the importance of Paul for all of the confessions, and denies the confessionalism of previous historiography. The chapters, written by experts in the field, offer a critical overview of current research, and introduce the major themes in Pauline interpretation in the Reformation and how they are being interpreted at the start of the 21st century. Honorable Mention Roland H. Bainton Book Prize 2010; Category Reference Works.

This major new collection of readings demonstrates the range and vitality of feminist theology and its increasing influence on Christian women and men throughout the world. Here are thirty-eight key texts, representing the voices of women in Africa, Asia, and Latin America as well as those working among minorities in places such as Israel, the US, and the Pacific. The readings are grouped under five headings: --Doing Theology from Third World Women's Perspective --Women's Oppression and Cries of Pain --The Bible as a Source of Empowerment for Women --Challenging Traditional Theological Thinking --A Newly Emerging Spirituality All texts are placed in context by brief introductory comments, while the main introduction to the whole book provides a helpful overview of the major issues and developments in Christian-feminist thinking throughout the Third World and beyond. Among the contributors are Chung Hyun Kyung (Korea), Ivone Gebara (Brazil), Kwok Pui-lan (Hong Kong), Mercy Amba Oduyoye (Ghana), Delores S. Williams (USA).

The Ministry of Women in the church for has for a long time attracted scholarly attention. This book investigates Paul's Gender Theology in the book of Galatians in the light of understanding contentious biblical texts and on the background of the position of women in the Greco-Roman World. The results attained are then related to wides issues about the role of women, particularly in CCAP Zambia, and divergent positions are noted. A historical critical reading of these texts, especially Gal 3:28, provides an alternative Pauline Gender Theology to achieve respect, equal opportunities and equal roles for all.

Christian theology is increasingly recognized to be now a non-western enterprise since the high concentrations of Christians in the world are no longer found in the Western societies. Christian Theology and African Traditions takes seriously this present recognition of the southward movement of Christianity from the western world to a non-western setting. It seeks to reposition Christian theology and faith to engage the African traditions in classical category of theology proper, bibliology, anthropology, Christology, pneumatology, soteriology, ecclesiology, and eschatology and provides unique insights and problems that these classical and systematic categories poses to African Christianity. Similarly, it provides theological blueprint for non-Africans who are interested in knowing the nature and shape of the Christian theology in non-western settings. Consequently, Christian Theology and African Traditions goes beyond the mere criticism of Western misrepresentation of African traditions to seeing how the Christian theology in its systematic character engages the African traditions. With this methodological template, the work describes in the space of twelve chapters the different classical teachings of the Christian faith on God, scriptures, spirits and demons, the nature of the human person, the persons of Christ, salvation, the Holy Spirit, the church, and the future life in dialogue with some specific traditions of the African people.