Description
Trade Review"Huizenga has written an extremely insightful, richly informed, and very readable commentary on the Pastoral Epistles. Her searching analysis defines the patriarchal tenor of the letters with cutting precision, showing how this ideology once worked and works still. This study is an impressive example of feminist biblical criticism, well attuned to the rhetorical cast of the epistles and their socio-historical location. The commentary also features nicely integrated excerpts from other women commentators, which enrich the discussion and symbolize a collaborative interpretive method. I highly recommend this commentary to both students and teachers."Charles H. Cosgrove, Professor of Early Christian Literature, Garrett-Evangelical Theological Seminary
"Annette Huizenga invites us into a difficult conversation about the Pastor's instructions regarding slavery and gender roles. Huizenga's interpretation, joined by the voices of numerous others, is a provocative starting point for contemporary appropriation of the Pastoral Epistles. Accessible and clearly written, this book will be a useful resource for years to come."Susan Hylen, Candler School of Theology, Emory University
"Dr. Annette Bourland Huizenga assembles a multitude of voices to expound upon these confounding epistles. With unflinching clarity, the scholars examine the text, wading through troubling waters, plunging into perilous depths, and finding refreshing life. The result is a commentary of indispensable wisdom, which every pastor should read and understand."Rev. Carol Howard Merritt, Pastor and author of
Healing Spiritual Wounds"Professor Annette Huizenga clearly situates the Pastoral Letters within their ancient Greco-Roman context, demonstrating how they mirror the patriarchal society out of which they emerged, thus allowing the twenty-first-century reader to understand the epistles on their own terms. With great pastoral sensitivity, she is able to help readers discern how these texts might be liberative for both men and women today."Laurie Brink, OP, Associate Professor of New Testament Studies, Catholic Theological Union
"Another interesting aspect of this commentary is the role that other authors contribute to it. Huizenga does not try to convince the reader that one author is correct or not, but rather the reader is allowed to decide amongst the different presentations. This aspect brought a richness and diversity to the commentary that I have not seen with other commentaries and I would hope that other commentary series would incorporate this method."
Catholic Library World"Huizenga's is a good-quality, cohesive commentary, making a well-contextualized case for a reading of the Pastoral Epistles as patriarchal texts to be resistently engaged with."
Journal for the Study of the New Testament"Through the provision of thoughtful and informed commentary, through the inclusion of lived experiences of international Christians grappling with this Scripture, and through masterful attention to specific translation matters, Huizenga has produced what I think is the best commentary on the Pastoral letters to date."
The Catholic Biblical Quarterly"Clearly written and cogently argued analysis of the Pastoral Epistles. Huizenga's strongest contribution is bringing her deep knowledge of the Greco-Roman context to bear on these documents, often exposing layers of meaning otherwise lost to the casual reader and disclosing gender bias not only in the textual vines but also in the social lattice work around which they weave."
Interpretation: A Journal of Bible and TheologyTable of ContentsContents List of Abbreviations ix
Acknowledgments xi
List of Contributors xiii
Foreword: “
Come Eat of My Bread . . . and Walk in the Ways of Wisdom” xvii
Elisabeth Schüssler Fiorenza
Editor’s Introduction to Wisdom Commentary:
“
She Is a Breath of the Power of God” (Wis 7:25) xxi
Barbara E. Reid, OP
Author’s Introduction: Gendered Letters xli
1 Timothy 1
Order and Disorder 1
1 Timothy 2
Praying Men and Silenced Women 10
1 Timothy 3
Leaders for the Household of God 31
1 Timothy 5
Older Women/Older Men 50
1 Timothy 6
Home Economics: Enslavement and Wealth 69
2 Timothy 1
A Letter from “Father” to “Son” 97
2 Timothy 2
Manly Men 106
2 Timothy 3
Insiders and Outsiders 115
2 Timothy 4
Take It Like a Man 126
Titus 1
Rungs on the Social Ladder 133
Titus 2
Staying in Your Place 145
Titus 3
Orderliness Is Next to Godliness 174
Conclusion 181
Works Cited 185
Index of Scripture References and Other Ancient Writings 191
Index of Subjects 201
