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Roman Wives, Roman Widows: The Appearance of New Women and the Pauline Communities
In Roman law you were what you wore. This legal principle became highly significant because, beginning in the first century A.D., a "new" kind of woman emerged across the Roman empire 'a woman whose provocative dress and sometimes promiscuous lifestyle contrasted starkly with the decorum of the traditional married woman. What a woman chose to wear came to identify her as either "new" or "modest". Augustus legislated against the "new" woman. Philosophical schools encouraged their followers to avoid embracing her way of life. And, as this fascinating book demonstrates for the first time, the presence of the "new" woman was also felt in the early church, where Christian wives and widows were exhorted to emulate neither her dress code nor her conduct. Using his extensive knowledge both of the Graeco-Roman world and of the New Testament writings, Bruce Winter shows how changing social mores among women impacted the Pauline communities. This helps to explain the controversial texts on marriage veils in 1 Corinthians, instructions in 1 Timothy regarding dress code and the activities of young widows, and exhortations in Titus for older women to call new wives "back to their senses" regarding their marriage and family responsibilities. Based on a close investigation of neglected literary and archaeological evidence, "Roman Wives, Roman Widows" makes groundbreaking contributions to our understanding of first-century women, including their participation in public life as lawyers, magistrates, and political figures, which in turn affected women's ministry in the Pauline communities.
254 pages, Paperback
First published November 1, 2003
33 people are currently reading
218 people want to read
About the author
Bruce W. Winter
24 books8 followersOriginally from Toowoomba, Bruce and his wife Lyn lived in Cambridge for over 20 years, where Bruce was the Warden of Tyndale House, a leading centre for evangelical biblical scholarship. Bruce previously lectured in New Testament at Moore Theological College and in Singapore. He is a widely respected authority on the historical background to the New Testament, having published many works in this area as well as on Paul’s letters to the Corinthians.
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Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews
March 14, 2019
This makes for a fine reading, but be warned that the writing style is very academic. Also, the author shies away from making theological conclusions (it’s a history book after all!). Overall, the book gave me a good understanding of some of the historical context of Paul’s letters.
December 27, 2014
An exceptionally well researched and written work. Important for anyone trying to better understand the passages specifically addressing women in the NT. Mostly convincing to my mind. Winter is apparently writing a commentary on 1 Cor. If this is anything to go by it should be worth purchasing.
February 5, 2018
This book has much to commend it. Winter analyzes the dress and texts available regarding women in Pauline communities. He deftly shows the changing societal norms that proved critical to Christian development at this time. Of particular interest to me, he also sources much of his material from Roman writers. For instance, in his letter from Lucius Annaeus Seca to his mother during his exile, “describes the alternative lifestyle of the Julio-Claudian married women as lavish with jewelry and pearls and the over-use of cosmetics, vainly putting great store on physical beauty, immoral dressing immodestly after the fashion of the ‘new Roman woman, using contraceptives to avoid pregnancy (and, if not successful, aborting the child), pursuing wealth, and pressuring others to embrace the trendy way of life.” Musonius Rufus set forth in his treatise on secular education the need for both men and women to be educated, as they shared a common set of virtues and vices. (66)
The main power of the argument comes, however, as Winter describes in detail the dress of the ‘new’ women in Corinth. Depending on how women dressed, they had different legal protections. He discusses the role of particular women in the community, and ultimately serves to explain the context behind confusing lines in 1 Corinthians and 1 Timothy. All in all, this is a very interesting study.
See my other reviews here!
The main power of the argument comes, however, as Winter describes in detail the dress of the ‘new’ women in Corinth. Depending on how women dressed, they had different legal protections. He discusses the role of particular women in the community, and ultimately serves to explain the context behind confusing lines in 1 Corinthians and 1 Timothy. All in all, this is a very interesting study.
See my other reviews here!
March 15, 2023
I’ve recently had conversations with some women who are curious about Christianity and know that controversial parts of Paul’s letters regarding women are likely to come up. For their benefit and to add to my own personal toolbox, I decided to read this.
I want to give Winter credit for doing the heavy lifting of studying Roman law and interpreting Greek text. His use of primary sources gave more clarity to the subject. However, I have to say that I didn’t learn much that I hadn’t already gotten from the Francine Rivers (entertaining and inspiring-to-me) trilogy, “The Mark of the Lion.” I know that Rivers did a fantastic amount of research to write those books and wouldn’t be surprised if Winter was one of her sources.
I want to give Winter credit for doing the heavy lifting of studying Roman law and interpreting Greek text. His use of primary sources gave more clarity to the subject. However, I have to say that I didn’t learn much that I hadn’t already gotten from the Francine Rivers (entertaining and inspiring-to-me) trilogy, “The Mark of the Lion.” I know that Rivers did a fantastic amount of research to write those books and wouldn’t be surprised if Winter was one of her sources.
October 2, 2021
Really informative and saturated with primary sources and literature. Learnt a fair number of things from this book, in particular how influential the imperial edicts of Augustus were and its profound impacts on 1st century cultural mores. This work illuminates tricky Bible passages, particularly those concerning women in the epistles, which without the understanding of their Sitz im Leben, are easy to misunderstand today. The only reason I would mark it down is accessibility really- this is a dense academic work. Not an easy read.
December 10, 2020
The content was fascinating from a historical perspective, and quite enlightening. Felt like the first time anyone has really taken the time to explore this topic thoroughly. The author can be a bit dry (how do you make orgies sound boring? Ask this guy.), but overall it’s worth the effort. Another ding on the review: he assumes the reader knows more Greek than the average layperson does, which at times was frustrating to muddle through. But the information was excellent, and I learned a lot!
August 27, 2010
THIS BOOK RECONSTRUCTS the life and role of the “new woman” in Roman society of the first century and posits the existence and popularity of such women in secular society as the background for the Pauline discussions of hairstyle and veiling in 1 Corinthians 11, dress, propriety and silence of women in 1 Timothy 2, widows and younger widows in 1 Timothy 5 and instructions to women in Titus 2. According to Winter, sexual mores of women were undergoing change in the first century so that women, even of respectable background, were flaunting the proper behavior of Roman matrons and widows and were behaving as independent and sexually free women.
Further,Winters argues that far from being relegated to the back rooms of houses, Roman women were moving about in public and serving in local politics, commerce, and the courts. Paul has the behavior of these women in mind when he requires the proper veiling of married women in Corinth, where women were emulating these “new women” and removing their marriage veils in the assembly. He is also encouraging women to forsake the behavior of “new women” with his discussion of proper dress and silence in Ephesus, where he also encourages younger widows to marry and behave properly, unlike the “new women” of Roman fame.Winter presents extensive evidence from Greco–Roman literature for the existence of this new category of independent and sexually free Roman women before going into the details of his exegetical analysis of each passage. His discussion of women in public is likewise supported by ample evidence from the inscriptional record.
This book has much to commend it. There is no doubt that women’s roles were undergoing change during the Roman period that Winter discusses. I too charted the progression of women into the public sphere from the late Republican through the early Imperial period in my analysis of changing patterns in women’s meal etiquette.Winter’s evidence contributes to the growing overall reconstruction of the relative “emancipation” of women during these centuries. The New Testament evidence for the roles of women in the early Christian churches is surely best understood within this continuum of change and progress for women.Winter’s overall thesis is certainly correct.
What remain are quibbles with his specific exegetical analyses and assumption of Pauline authorship of the Pastorals. For example, Winter assumes that Paul’s discussion of women’s proper dress and silence is merely “preventative” and not remedial (pp. 120, 122). Why not argue that certain women in Ephesus (if it is Ephesus) were indeed behaving as independent and vocal women in the assembly? Or, why not argue for the probable background of the univira (once married woman) ideal for Roman matrons in 1 Timothy 5 (p. 136)? Why assume that the role of deacon was not a position of actual status that women held in the community, particularly when it seems clear that Phoebe held economic and political status in the community (pp. 196, 199)? Finally, although it is clear that women went to dinner parties during the centuries in question, they probably did not usually stay for the symposium portion of the meal (the after dinner drinking party) but were only present for the deipnon (the dinner itself; p. 153). Further, although independent women during the Roman era were often known for sexual promiscuity, this could often be seen as a form of slander for being “liberated” women and not as social description of their actual behavior. But these are things honest scholars can disagree on. The overall thesis of Winter’s book is certainly sound, and his exegetical discussions based on his evidence are well worth reading.
Further,Winters argues that far from being relegated to the back rooms of houses, Roman women were moving about in public and serving in local politics, commerce, and the courts. Paul has the behavior of these women in mind when he requires the proper veiling of married women in Corinth, where women were emulating these “new women” and removing their marriage veils in the assembly. He is also encouraging women to forsake the behavior of “new women” with his discussion of proper dress and silence in Ephesus, where he also encourages younger widows to marry and behave properly, unlike the “new women” of Roman fame.Winter presents extensive evidence from Greco–Roman literature for the existence of this new category of independent and sexually free Roman women before going into the details of his exegetical analysis of each passage. His discussion of women in public is likewise supported by ample evidence from the inscriptional record.
This book has much to commend it. There is no doubt that women’s roles were undergoing change during the Roman period that Winter discusses. I too charted the progression of women into the public sphere from the late Republican through the early Imperial period in my analysis of changing patterns in women’s meal etiquette.Winter’s evidence contributes to the growing overall reconstruction of the relative “emancipation” of women during these centuries. The New Testament evidence for the roles of women in the early Christian churches is surely best understood within this continuum of change and progress for women.Winter’s overall thesis is certainly correct.
What remain are quibbles with his specific exegetical analyses and assumption of Pauline authorship of the Pastorals. For example, Winter assumes that Paul’s discussion of women’s proper dress and silence is merely “preventative” and not remedial (pp. 120, 122). Why not argue that certain women in Ephesus (if it is Ephesus) were indeed behaving as independent and vocal women in the assembly? Or, why not argue for the probable background of the univira (once married woman) ideal for Roman matrons in 1 Timothy 5 (p. 136)? Why assume that the role of deacon was not a position of actual status that women held in the community, particularly when it seems clear that Phoebe held economic and political status in the community (pp. 196, 199)? Finally, although it is clear that women went to dinner parties during the centuries in question, they probably did not usually stay for the symposium portion of the meal (the after dinner drinking party) but were only present for the deipnon (the dinner itself; p. 153). Further, although independent women during the Roman era were often known for sexual promiscuity, this could often be seen as a form of slander for being “liberated” women and not as social description of their actual behavior. But these are things honest scholars can disagree on. The overall thesis of Winter’s book is certainly sound, and his exegetical discussions based on his evidence are well worth reading.
April 18, 2014
Доста добра кратка монография. Силната й страна е, че събира на едно място множество оригинални древни текстове, които са неоценима помощ за ориентация в една твърде отдалечена от нас култура, за която често не си даваме сметка. Слабостта й е в понякога преекспонираните заключения и насилени изводи, за които няма достатъчно силна аргументация.
Като цяло много полезна и задължително помагало за изследване на НЗ.
Като цяло много полезна и задължително помагало за изследване на НЗ.
December 3, 2012
Probably the best-documented theory on the background behind Paul's statements regarding women in the NT, but somewhat impossible to prove of course.
June 18, 2014
He uses many first century primary documents in his interpretation of key passages regarding women in the NT.
July 5, 2012
Well written, well reasoned, well documented, and a valuable contribution to the subject.
Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews