Book Review: Unveiling Paul’s Women by Lucy Peppiatt
Rating: 5 stars of 5
Unveiling Paul’s Women presents Lucy's exploration of 1 Corinthians 11:2-16, and hers is the first interpretation of this passage I have heard that actually makes complete sense.
I have spent many years in conservative churches that try to explain away passages like this one in ways that are just not compelling, do not make sense, and have theological implications that are inconsistent with the biblical canon itself and its historical context. Conversely, Lucy’s books are well researched, theologically sound, and do not try to divorce the texts from their historical and cultural contexts. It has been so refreshing to read her works and this particular book is no exception.
This book is a shorter version of her book Women and Worship at Corinth, which leans more toward the scholarly reader. Unveiling Paul’s Women is written in such a way that it is reader-friendly for the average lay person who is interested in studying the topic of women in New Testament passages in more depth.
She presents Greek word studies, contextual and historical information relevant to the passage, and cross references (including other passages written by Paul) to build a case for a different way of interpreting this passage than is common in many fundamentalist and conservative Christian circles, and she does it really well. Topics like headship, head coverings, women who were working in ministry with Paul, creation accounts of the first woman and what Paul really says about them, the root of the female identity, marriage, and others are all covered with insight and wisdom, yet without overwhelming the reader.
I highly recommend this book, as well as Lucy’s Rediscovering Scripture’s Vision for Women. Both are excellent and are amongst my favorite reads on the intersectionality between women’s studies and the history of Christianities.
You can support this blog by purchasing your own copy of the book on
Amazon, Bookshop, or Christian Book. through one of these links.