Struggles for Power in Early Christianity: A Study of the First Letter of Timothy

by Elsa Tamez

The First Letter to Timothy is a troubling text--especially for those concerned about the marginilization of women in the church. 1 Timothy, which seems to model the church after the structure of a patriarchal household, has served for centuries to reinforce patriarchal structures in the family, society, and the church. But rather than dismiss this text, Elsa Tamez seeks first to reconstruct the situation behind it, analyzing power struggles in the primitive church in relation to social position, gender roles, theological pluralism, and authority in the church.

163 pages, Paperback

First published March 28, 2007

About the author

Elsa Tamez is a Methodist and Liberation Theologian. She was born in Mexico in 1950. Prof. Tamez received her Doctor's Degree in Theology from the University of Lausanne, Switzerland. She received her Licentiate in Theology in 1979 from the Latin American Biblical Seminary, and a Licentiate in Literature and Linguistics at the National University of Costa Rica in 1986. She is a faculty member of the Latin American Biblical University in Costa Rica and a member of the team of researchers of the Ecumenical Department of Investigation (DEI) in Costa Rica. She is married with two children.

Among her most known publications in English are: The Bible of the Oppressed (1980), The Scandalous Message of James (1989), The Amnesty of Grace (1993), and When the Horizons Close: Rereading Ecclesiastes (2000). Her latest publication is Jesus and Courageous Women (2001). She has received several awards for her contributions to Contextual Biblical Hermeneutics.

Reviews

[Jenny · Rating 3 out of 5]

Once again, it's interesting exegesis on I Timothy, but I'm not sure I completely agree with all of the rhetoric.