This hermeneutical case-study illustrates the complexities of using biblical materials to shed light upon present-day concerns. The specific situation addressed is the recent evangelical controversy regarding gender roles. A significant strand of this debate concerns the relationship between gender and the doctrine of God. This proposition is derived from 1 Corinthians 11.

Whilst aspects of this argument are criticized, Lakey also argues that questions of God and gender are related. 1 Corinthians 11:2-16 articulates sexual difference using the metaphysical language of antiquity,...

Lakey explores the theological significance of the rituals of Baptism and the Lord's Supper in Pauline theology, with particular attention focused on the discussion of the Lord's Supper in 1 Corinthians 11:17ff. When they occur, explorations of ritual in Paul tend to operate according to a 'social world' form of comparison with ritual in other communities in antiquity. By contrast, this study focuses primarily upon the function these rituals perform in relation to Paul's theology and ethics. The primary analytical lenses are taken from social scientific studies of ritual, and in particular...