Joseph A. Marchal

Permission Granted–Take the Bible into Your Own Hands

Biblical Studies & Commentaries

“Permission Granted is an excellent reentry point for honest, adult engagement with the Bible, whether you have been touched by it or burned by it (or both). This book is passionate without sacrificing compassion, academically informed but accessible. Jennifer Bird’s voice is a unique and important one: warm and witty, sage and occasionally snarky, but ultimately deeply reflective and profoundly serious about the troubles many people have with the Bible and how it is used by people today.”

Women's Socioeconomic Status and Religious Leadership in Asia Minor

Biblical Studies & Commentaries

“History may be messy, but Bain manages—in paradoxical, but exemplary fashion—to clarify the roles of women through the ambiguities and tensions of ancient materials from Asia Minor. Presenting sometimes startling juxtapositions between inscriptions and epistles, monuments and narratives, Bain reframes the study of household, patronage, and slavery. By applying a kyriarchal analytic to a rich and diverse set of resources, this study questions and qualifies established truisms about women’s leadership, in and out of religious groups. This is a must-read, not just for those interested in the letters of Paul or Ignatius, but for anyone concerned about the roles of women or economic status, in the past or the present.”