We still need books about biblical women’s liberation

For those who interpret, teach, and preach on passages related to women in the New Testament, Susan Hylen provides a new and fascinating lens: Phoebe, who appears only once in the Bible. Hylen helps readers understand the biblical world by diving into the questions that the original readers and hearers of Romans likely brought to Paul’s commendation of Phoebe.

Paul packs a lot of information into two short verses: “I commend to you our sister Phoebe, a deacon of the church at Cenchreae, so that you may welcome her in the Lord, as is fitting for the saints, and help her in whatever she may require from you, for she has been a benefactor of many and of myself as well” (Rom. 16:1–2). Hylen addresses several questions arising from this description: what it means that Paul commends Phoebe, why he considers her “our sister,” what makes her a deacon, the significance of being from Cenchreae, and what it means to be a benefactor. Much is left to the imagination, because very little is known about Phoebe. At the same time, Hylen extends her research beyond Phoebe, enlightening readers about a number of other biblical women.

Hylen examines the cultural context of first-century women related to  women’s rights to property and wealth management, practices of marriage and divorce, types of women’s occupations, the role of social influence and status, and the accepted “feminine virtues,” including those related to women’s speech and silence in particular contexts. Her research will help readers question assumptions and rethink the social and economic status of biblical women. I was surprised to learn that women’s agency and empowerment in the Gospels and Epistles are much greater than I’d previously considered, especially for women who had no father or husband at their side.