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Lost in translation: rethinking words about women in 1–2 Timothy

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  15 March 2021

Fergus J. King  and
Dorothy A. Lee
Fergus J. King*
Affiliation:
Trinity College Theological School and the University of Divinity, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
Dorothy A. Lee
Affiliation:
Trinity College Theological School and the University of Divinity, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
*
*Corresponding author. E-mail: fergusk@trinity.unimelb.edu.au
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Abstract

St Paul and the tradition which follows in his wake have often fallen victim to the circumstances and ideologies of their interpreters: used as ambassadors for patriarchy by some and rejected as misogynistic by others. This article reviews some of the contentious passages in 1 and 2 Timothy and concludes that they both challenge the mores of their environment and resonate with other (deutero-)Pauline teachings. To ensure that such claims do not fall prey to circularity in their arguments, a methodology is developed and applied in which claims of resonance are not predicated on the content of other writings.

Keywords

‘the Childbirth’comparative interpretive methodology1 and 2 Timothywidowswomen teaching
Type
Research Article
Information
Scottish Journal of Theology , Volume 74 , Issue 1 , February 2021 , pp. 52 - 66
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Copyright
Copyright © The Author(s), 2021. Published by Cambridge University Press

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