In this episode of The Two Cities podcast we are joined by Dr. Beverly Roberts Gaventa, who is Distinguished Professor of New Testament at Baylor University (Waco, TX), and the author of When in Romans: An Invitation to Linger with the Gospel According to Paul (Baker, 2016). Over the course of our conversation we talk about Dr. Gaventa’s current research on Romans for the New Testament Library series, noting some distinctive features of her reading of Romans, including an emphasis on apocalyptic images in the text. She also tells us what elements of Romans that she imagines would stand out to the original hearers among the Roman congregations as it was read aloud. Furthermore, we discuss with her about the possibility that the letter was originally read aloud by Phoebe, the deacon and benefactor that Paul mentions at the start of Romans 16 and most likely the original letter carrier who brought the letter of Romans to Rome. From here we talk about the other prominent women mentioned at the end of the letter, notably Prisca and Junia. Dr. Gaventa informs us about the roles and titles attributed to these women, and also what we can learn about their leadership in the early church. Team members on the episode include: Dr. John Anthony Dunne, Dr. Grace Emmett, and Dr. Logan Williams.
You can find this new episode on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Overcast, Breaker, Anchor, or wherever you get your podcasts. Check it out, subscribe for weekly episodes every Wednesday, and please give us a rating and review!
Leave a Reply