Finding Phoebe

What New Testament Women Were Really Like

By: Susan E. Hylen

Narrated by: Tanya Eby

Forget what you think you know about women in the early church.

In this learned yet accessible book, Susan E. Hylen introduces first-century primary sources to illuminate listeners’ understanding of New Testament women. Perfect for clergy, spiritual reading groups, and all curious minds, Finding Phoebe combines incisive scholarship and instructional sensibility to encourage listeners to develop their own informed interpretations of Scripture.

Contrary to popular conceptions of “biblical womanhood” as passive and silent, women often served as leaders and prophets in their communities. Women owned one-third of all property during the period, granting them access to civic power through patronage. Many women worked outside the home and were educated according to the needs of their professions. Through careful examination of “modesty” and “silence” in the Greco-Roman world, Hylen reveals the centrality of these virtues to both men and women practicing self-control in service of communal good.

Hylen’s work will challenge listeners to free their minds of modern preconceptions and consider New Testament women on their own terms. This practical book includes historical context, scriptural evidence, and questions for discussion.

©2023 Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co. (P)2024 Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co.

Well researched, Well told

This book is a simplification and popularization of the same author’s longer. more detailed book entitled “Women in the New Testament World.” That said, I would recommend reading both.

Women's Roles: Not So Obvious

I appreciate Dr. Hylen's thorough examination of the historical information about the Roman Empire and the New Testament's view of the roles of women. As in modern American society, there is no blanket statement that applies in all circumstances. Addressing the question of women's roles is complex and has numerous factors that affect the answer to this question. Thank you, Dr. Hylen, for providing a well-rounded and -reasoned analysis.