Roman Wives, Roman Widows: The Appearance of New Women and the Pauline

By Bruce W. Winter

Using his extensive knowledge both of the Graeco-Roman world and of Paul’s 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.

Reviews at http://books.google.com/books?id=cb3mOg_UATYC

Regarding your excellent comments on modesty, have you ever happened to read the early church father, Tertullian (155-230) “On the Apparel of Women”?