The Ministry of Women in the New Testament: Reclaiming the Biblical Vision for Church Leadership

The book is divided into two parts, with the first composed of seven chapters analyzing women within the NT texts and the second composed of two final chapters that focus on women in tradition and theology. The second and third chapters examine Luke and Acts, with Lee noting how Luke's portrayal of women can sometimes be ambiguous (some have high status; others are more discreet, with traditional roles), leading to different conclusions about what significance he accords to them. Lee argues that while there are feminine images that complement androcentric language, our interpretation must be sensitive to the culture from which the text's language arose and to the way a writer like John grounded his vocabulary in family configurations that were intended to emphasize love and relationship rather than power and subordination.