Gender, Tradition, and Romans

Book excerpt: From a gender perspective, Romans differs from many biblical texts. It contains few explicit mentions of gender, no household code and it has been understood as promoting universalism. This volume joins several feminist commentators in showing how crucial Romans is for understanding Paul's view of gender. Divided into three parts: mapping traditions in Romans, challenging gendered traditions in Romans, and gender and the authority of Romans, the concluding essays ask: Does scriptural criticism really do justice to feminist concerns? Both avenues and obstacles for feminist scholars interpreting Romans are pointed out.