God's Women—Then and Now presents a biblical theology of women in ministry and leadership. The co-authors begin their approach with an introduction to biblical interpretation. Then they examine the Old Testament foundation of the issue. God's ideal was made clear in creation; and in spite of the Fall and its vicissitudes faced by females through time, that ideal still remains. Next, through excerpts from primary sources, they connect the reader with first-century Jewish and Greco-Roman cultures. In such a socio-religious context, Jesus' treatment of and interaction with women is revolutionary. He came to restore God's creation ideals. Next is a survey of all relevant New Testament texts, categorized as follows: (1) theological texts - the normative statements of timeless truths; and (3) historical texts - descriptions of women ministers in the early church. The remaining texts (which some interpret as excluding women from ministry and leadership) are exegeted in detail and found to be restricted texts - dealing with specific issues in local churches. The final chapters of the book are practical applications for today concerning husband-wife relationships; comparing and contrasting authority, power, and leadership; and offering parting challenges from the authors.
Deborah Menken Gill and Barbara Cavaness Parks are both ordained Christian leaders and have ministered around the world and in the United States. Both have earned Ph.Ds. from Fuller Theological Seminary (Cavaness' in Intercultural Studies and Gill's in Biblical Studies--Old and New Testaments). And both authors are educators (Gill is Professor of Biblical Studies and Exposition, and Cavaness is a global missionary educator).