Editor’s Reflections � Writing a commentary on one book of tains, sidewalk cafés, real estate businesses, convenience stores, the is a serious responsibility—not computer and cell phone shops, and all the other enterprises that to mention three books. So, when Aída, comprise a contemporary city, stood a lovely little church with a my wife, was given that opportunity, we remarkable treasure. The Holy Church of Titus the Apostle in the shook out our savings from under every Holy Archdiocese of ’s Parish of Titus housed the skull mattress, so as to say, and the whole family of the saint himself. It was a must-stop for all Christians. went to the island of Crete where Paul sent But, frankly, the prospect of gaping at the empty eye sock- Titus so long ago to nurture the fledgling ets and slack, toothless jaw of one who stays eternally young in church. Our son Steve, who is in media the Bible pages (Paul’s “loyal child in the common faith,” Titus productions, took 1,400 pictures and did 1:4)1 was not appealing. It seemed so macabre to me—what Ellis the driving. I edited what Aída had written so far on her manu- Peters (Edith Pargeter) had in mind when she entitled her first script (which was considerable) while she took copious notes on Brother Cadfael novel A Morbid Taste for Bones. Could not this what she needed in each spot to enlighten more obscure parts of poor man be left to rest in peace—not displayed in pieces? Could the texts of the pastorals. We had our team. not his body have been left intact in a single grave, awaiting the Years before, we three had gone to Corinth where we re- day of resurrection, not apportioned out like a couple of religious searched our little popular commentary on 2 Corinthians and party favors to desiring churches? found that being on location really makes a difference in perspec- But, in we went to a picturesque little chapel, no bigger than tive, as we could step up where Paul spoke from the bema, the a country church. We peered into the sanctuary, but could see city’s seat of judgment; explore the central location of the shop nothing unusual—no impressive display. When the custodian area and see the easy access Paul and Prisca and Aquila in their could not decipher our request, he ushered us into a side room: tent-making trade would have had to engage newcomers enter- a sacristy full of a half dozen laughing college students trying ing the city on the Roman road; or realize how close the meat to put a sign together for a special event honoring Titus. They market was to the looming Temple of Apollo and how simply looked delighted that we wanted to see their saint, and one young one could compromise one’s conscience if the freshest beef was man leaped up, proudly took us back out to the main entrance, idol-sacrificed. and showed us a beautiful, round, ornate case right in the foyer But Crete offered us even more. Along with all its historic ruins so anyone could stop off the street and contemplate it. We had and locations, in downtown Herakleion, its thriving largest me- walked right by it. It was hard to tell what it was at first glance. tropolis, in the center of a beautiful walking mall, filled with foun- Only a small space in the top was open to show a few inches of

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Editor • William Spencer Board of Reference: Miriam Adeney, Myron S. Augsburger, • Deb Beatty Mel Associate Editor / Graphic Designer Raymond J. Bakke, Anthony Campolo, McKinney Douglas, Book Review Editor • Aída Besançon Spencer Gordon D. Fee, Richard Foster, John R. Franke, W. Ward Gasque, J. President / Publisher • Mimi Haddad Lee Grady, Vernon Grounds, David Hamilton, Roberta Hestenes, President Emerita • Catherine Clark Kroeger† Gretchen Gaebelein Hull, Donald Joy, Robbie Joy, Craig S. Keener, John Editors Emerita • Carol Thiessen† & Gretchen Gaebelein Hull R. Kohlenberger III, David Mains, Kari Torjesen Malcolm, Brenda Salter McNeil, Alvera Mickelsen, Virgil Olson, LaDonna Osborn, T. L. On the Cover • Photo by David Castor: “Marta och Maria i Osborn, John E. Phelan, Kay F. Rader, Paul A. Rader, Ronald J. Sider, Nikolai kyrka” stained glass window, Örebro, Sweden Aída Besançon Spencer, William David Spencer, Ruth A. Tucker, Mary Stewart Van Leeuwen, Timothy Weber, Jeanette S. G. Yep

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2 • Priscilla Papers ◆ Vol. 26, No. 2 ◆ Spring 2012 the skull of Titus, but it did not look like a skull, but a smooth By the same line of reasoning, I wonder if the women we find piece of dark green rock. in Scripture are in our day bartered around scholarly commen- As I stood there before it, saying to myself, this man knew taries like so many commodities. , for instance, Paul and Timothy and Prisca and Aquila, people came in indi- is these days sometimes equated with the prostitute who anoint- vidually and lit a candle before it (the euro equivalent of fifty ed —in fact, she is credited with all four anointing incidenc- cents recommended donation, but not enforced), no doubt beg- es, in total disregard that the name of a good and moral woman ging the saint’s intercession in some personal manner. But that may be being sullied. Few that I have read, either women or men, did not seem to me to be the point of keeping ever seem to think through the implication of his skull—albeit largely out of sight—present. what they are writing. Mary of Bethany in the No, what struck me was that Titus was Bible’s portrayal is a serious, contemplative here for very concrete reasons: to show he was woman, well loved by her friends. Perhaps real. His is not just a made-up story—a work she was like , well beloved because, be- of imagination as much as some of the legends ing a thoughtful person who perceived what of Zeus and Artemis and the other mythic others routinely missed, she noticed their gods whose fanciful tales are woven into the plight. But, in the hands of these speculative true history of the island (or even as dubious theories, based on no chronological nor his- as those legends that attached themselves to torical data, but simply on the fact that there him, for example, that he was directly de- are four anointing accounts and only Mary is scended from the great Minoan King Minos, identified in one of these, Mary is made into ruler of Crete’s exquisite Palace of Knossos, a whore; there is no nice way to put it. Would whose history stretches back some 4,000 Lazarus, then, the man whom we are told Je- years). Yes, his reliquary was certainly ornate sus loved (John 11:3), have been her pimp? Is and resplendent with pictures of the saint set that what this theory is implying? After forty- in finely worked filigree, as befits someone of three years reading exegetical and theological The author contemplating the skull of Titus great honor, but it was not set high above us writings, I have to confess, I sometimes ask in the back of the church on a throne surrounded by pillars. It myself, do some of our fellow scholars actually think through the was simply placed in a foyer, humbly to the left as one entered, implications of the ideas they are positing? Do we? right in the center of all the action, about waist or chest high (de- To me, the skull of Titus reminded me that the women and the pending on our size), and so close one could touch it. This was a men in the Bible were real people with real experiences, achieve- real human being at the dawn of a real faith, and this receptacle ments, feelings, failures, and faith in Jesus, even if sometimes told me that, symbolically, the appointed source of the growth of faltering. I asked myself, were the women given a hard time, as the church at Crete was still present in the most graphic way that women are today, when they led, by, say, the Judaizers who trav- such a statement about kephalē can be made: his actual head was eled about challenging all the reforms that Paul was implement- here. His skull was a rallying point for the faithful. ing in the name of freedom in ? Did Paul have to sit down As I thought about Titus’s impact on those who came to gaze with Junia and say, “Dear Sister, don’t worry. Jesus appeared to upon him as I did, I thought, here was a pastor who empowered you. He gave you gifts to lead as he did to the other apostles. Just the church of his day and whose example still inspires the church ignore those who would still those gifts in you. You keep on be- of our day. His story is one more illustration that the Bible is a ing prominent among the rest of the apostles in the wonderful living book about living people who still live in God’s presence, ministry that you do.” Did he sometimes say to Prisca, “What but also in that they stay alive in their impact on our inclusion in would I have done without you and Aquila and the way you wel- the faith they worked so hard to promote. comed the churches into your home and oversaw them so faith- This made me think about the way we have come to regard fully? And what would I do now, if you hadn’t welcomed me into them. For example, as we debate the place of women in the Bible, your shop and helped me earn my living with you, so I wouldn’t of the meaning of Jesus’ attention to those who approached him, of be a burden or beholden to this particular church? Listen, Prisca, the proper significance and application of Paul’s teachings, I won- I’ve had to write some tough things to these Gentile women in der if sometimes we treat these human beings as if they were sim- these predominantly Gentile churches. I don’t have to tell you ply made-up fictional characters. I particularly wonder about this that they’ve been dragging in all their pagan religious practices, when I read some of what I consider the less responsible uses of ululating in worship so that it’s maddening and lording it over the redaction criticism, where a scholar is contending that there is not men like they were still priestesses in those pagan temples on the an ipssima verba (that is, not the real words of a scriptural person Acrocorinth. I know you know this, but I just want to reiterate being quoted in the and Acts), but an ipssima vox, the echo that these warnings don’t apply to a learned, faithful Jewish wom- of what a person said, followed by a construction of a scene by the an like you who is now well versed in the faith through instruc- and Acts writers so that the intention of Jesus or Paul or tion and much study. Just ignore those parts that don’t apply to some other person can be fleshed out in some instructive scenario. you and only take to heart the parts I wrote that apply to mature Christians—oh, and, while I’m mentioning it, thank you so much

Priscilla Papers ◆ Vol. 26, No. 2 ◆ Spring 2012 • 3 for welcoming into your house church and straightening out his theology. I’d been meaning to have somebody do that, be- cause I’m overwhelmed—all these church are such a daily burden to me—but I’m really appreciative that you stepped up and took care of it with Aquila. What a team you both make. Honestly, if I Mariah were ever called to be married, which I’m not, I’d want a marriage just like yours.” Jennifer Stewart Fueston Down through history, real men like Titus and real wom- en like those featured in this issue of Priscilla Papers faithfully worked for the faith and passed it on so that we could contain this holy treasure of God’s saving truth in the earthen vessels that we ourselves are. To celebrate each of them, our issue begins at the beginning of the gospel story. We usually include our poem last, as our inten- tion is to leave you with a creative expression of our theme on which to reflect, but this time I want to mention it first, because our poet, Lithuania Christian College professor Jennifer Stewart, has provided a poignant depiction of Jesus’ mother in the first of the many sufferings she would undergo for the sake of the gospel. This tender poem is followed by a fresh look at Mary and , as sisters not in competition, as is usually thought, but as actually in cooperative ministries. Our guide is Mary Stromer Hanson, When I saw my cousin again, who recently completed her masters studies at Denver Seminary. I had walked all day, Another fresh look is provided by professor Beulah Wood of my ankles swollen like my feet. South Asia Institute of Advanced Christian Studies in Bangalore, Her bright eyes made my journey worth it. India, whose meticulously researched creative reconstruction of Nympha of Laodicea (who is mentioned in Col 4:15) puts flesh and blood on another biblical woman, and thereby follows the I was tired, my heart more than my feet. theme of rediscovery of some great women of Christian history: She knew why IÛd come. the theme of this issue. Next, we step on from the New Testament The shame was building. into the Middle Ages for Sharon Baker-Johnson’s able study of I was running away, Saint Clare, who worked together with Saint Francis in Assisi. blending my rounding belly Professor Jason Eden of St. Cloud University then travels with with the hills. us to Puritan America to meet a woman whose life anticipated egalitarian values. Sharon Baker-Johnson then comes back with an excursion into modern times in an analysis of Jessie Penn- We wrapped our arms around each other, Lewis and the core message of her teaching ministry and preach- carrying one another to her house. ing ministry. And our issue completes in more contemporary The final footsteps filled me full of joy, times with Denver Seminary Professor Judith Diehl’s review of like coming home again. Eastern University Professor Mary Stewart Van Leeuwen’s book on C. S. Lewis. The first long journey of my son and me, If the Lord tarries, as we used to say when I was a child, and complete. we are as faithful as Titus and the women we rediscover in this is- sue, we ourselves may very well become historical names to those who follow us. It would behoove us to treat those who preceded us and their accounts with respect so that we set a standard for those who follow us. Our own reputations for integrity may actu- JENNIFER STEWART FUESTON is a lecturer in writing and rhetoric ally be at stake. at the University of Colorado at Boulder. She previously taught at Blessings, LCC International University in Klaipeda, Lithu- ania, and holds degrees in rhetoric, composition, and literature. She has published previously in Priscilla Papers, Relief: A Quarterly Christian Expres- Notes sion, and Ruminate. She loves words in all their forms, the Rocky Mountains, and her neighbor’s 1. Translation by the author. lilacs this time of year.

Photo from the Matson (G. Eric and Edith) Collection, Library of Congress

4 • Priscilla Papers ◆ Vol. 26, No. 2 ◆ Spring 2012