Great cultural background information on Ephesus in the first century. Most of the information is in the second half of the book. The first half tells a bit of the authors own story.

Ephesus was the home of the Artemis cult and the location of her great temple which was one of the wonders of the ancient world, an enormous structure. People traveled from other places in the empire to pay homage to Artemis there. There were numerous festivals, parades, and civic holidays associated with the cult of Artemis. The names of several priestesses are known, and records of men and women who gave gifts to the temple and worshipped there. The wearing of elaborate clothing and gold jewelry is associated with her worship and Paul seems to be addressing this at one point.

Studying how the Ephesians understood Artemis really helps with understanding the books of Ephesians and Timothy. Dr Glahn is most concerned with what the phrase about being saved through childbirth would have meant in cultural context. Artemis was NOT a fertility goddess as some have supposed before. In fact she had no children and was known as a virgin goddess. At least some of the prominent priestesses appear to have been unmarried. Nevertheless Artemis became the goddess of childbirth because she was midwife to her own mother and women prayed to her for safe childbirth. Paul may well have been referring to this aspect of her cult still having a pull on the converts in Ephesus.

i knew nothing about Artemis before reading this book, this was all new information to me and I really enjoyed taking it in. The book is easy and fast to read. It contains academic information but is not overly academic or technical to read. It contains a bibliography of the authors sources.I think everyone involved in the debate over women in the church should read it before forming an opinion on what Paul was saying to Timothy in the context of first century Ephesus.

As I studied the Bible both before, during, and after seminary, I have struggled to discern exactly what the Bible teaches about women. 1 Timothy 2:11-15 particularly troubled me.

Nobody's Mother has given me more clarity on how to approach this passage, as well as other tricky passages.

Her careful scholarship includes an in-depth examination of Artemis through scripture references, literary and historical sources, and ancient inscriptions, as well as an exploration of architecture and art. Her scholarship culminates in a thorough discussion of what this means as we read Paul's letters to Timothy, as well as other passages in the Bible.

I highly recommend this book to anyone who is interested in the role of women in the church.

This booked was instrumental in helping me heal from 1st Timothy being used against me by heavy handed leadership. After reading it I better understand what was motivating 1st century women in Ephesus and Paul's reasoning for writing the things he did in Ephesians, and 1&2 Timothy. If you are a woman who has had a difficult time finding your place in Christianity because of the well sold "Paul divides labor up by gender" song and dance, or if you are a man who delivers that song and dance, this book is for you.

Nobody's Mother explores some of Paul's more difficult statements in 1 Timothy 2 related to women, specifically "saved through childbearing" (1 Timothy 2:15). However, the majority of the book builds up the historic background and context of 1st century Rome and Ephesus, the city in which Paul's recipient Timothy was ministering. This background is presented in a very engaging and revealing way that kept me turning pages and excited to learn what was coming up in each successive chapter.

The final chapter brings everything together and delivers the payoff remarkably well. I was delighted with the insights Dr. Glahn pulled in from Paul's other writings, especially those written from or to Ephesus, as well as the comparison with 1 Peter. I enjoyed the thoroughness of the research and the carefully considered delivery of the conclusions.

I think Nobody's Mother is and will continue to be an important volume for understanding the role of women in the Church, as well as better understanding Paul's style of writing, the importance of Ephesus in the New Testament, and the larger role, often forgotten by most Westerners, of established cult practices that Christianity was displacing.

It has always impressed me that the great advances of the church were accomplished while the church had one hand tied behind its back. The limitations on women serving in ministry were kind of like God telling Gideon to send home all but 300 of his soldiers. Yet there were passages in the Bible that seemed to be requiring this, even if the passages left more questions than answers. Sandra Glahn's book offers a new and convincing lens through which to evaluate those passages. I will be giving away copies of this book.