Eldon Jay Epp
Author of Studies in the Theory and Method of New Testament Textual Criticism
About the Author
Eldon Jay Epp is Harkness Professor of Biblical Literature emeritus and Dean of Humanities and Social Sciences emeritus at Case Western Reserve University (Cleveland, Ohio), recently Visiting Professor of New Testament at Harvard Divinity School (2002-2003 and 2004-2005), and President of the show more Society of Biblical Literature (2003) show less
Works by Eldon Jay Epp
Associated Works
Acts of the Apostles (Hermeneia: A Critical & Historical Commentary on the Bible) (1963) — Editor — 109 copies
Israel's God and Rebecca's Children: Christology and Community in Early Judaism and Christianity (2007) — Contributor — 22 copies
New Testament Manuscripts: Their Texts And Their World (Texts and Editions for New Testament Study, V. 2) (2006) — Contributor — 11 copies
Tagged
Common Knowledge
- Birthdate
- 1930-11-01
- Gender
- male
- Nationality
- USA
- Birthplace
- Mountain Lake, Minnesota, USA
- Places of residence
- Shaker Heights, Ohio, USA
- Education
- Wheaton College (AB|1952)
Fuller Theological Seminary (BD|1955)
Harvard University (STM|1956)
Harvard University (PhD|1961) - Relationships
- scholar of New Testament textual criticism
- Organizations
- Princeton Theological Seminary
Society of Biblical Literature
Studiorum Novi Testamenti Societas
Catholic Biblical Association
American Academy of Religion
Members
Reviews
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Associated Authors
Statistics
- Works
- 21
- Also by
- 5
- Members
- 531
- Popularity
- #46,874
- Rating
- 4.1
- Reviews
- 3
- ISBNs
- 20
Romans 16:7 lists several people as apostles who are known to Paul. One of these is a person whose name is given in Greek as ΙΟΥΝΙΑΝ -- an accusative construct that, in the nominative (in Latin, since it's a Latin name), would be either IUNIA ("Junia," in English -- a feminine name) or IUNIAS ("Junias," masculine). The only way to tell which it is is by the way the word is accented -- and accents were not marked in early Greek manuscripts. In other words, there is no way, based on our earliest evidence about what Paul dictated, to know whether "Junia" or "Junias" was meant.
In recent centuries, many, thinking that an apostle could not be female, have declared that the name must be "Junias."
Against this sexist view Eldon Jay Epp takes strong exception. It takes him eighty pages to make his argument, but we can boil it down under a few header:
- The feminine name "Junia" is well-known; no one named "Junias" has ever been shown to exist (and the Romans were not the sort to invent a name)
- That the later manuscripts that mark accents without exception accent the name as "Junia"
- That such early authors are refer to this person refer to her as female
The conclusion is clear: "There Was an Apostle Junia."
Even though people continue to argue against this (Epp has a list of commentators and editions and translations that insist upon "Junias"), I don't think there can be any possible doubt. Paul was no feminist, but the early Christian church certainly made room for women -- more room than Greek or Roman society or religion. It only stands to reason that there would be female apostles. And Paul named one for us. With that, I've summed up the entire content of this book. But if you need any additional evidence to deal with the sexists out there, this book will give you all the evidence you want, and then some. I don't think this book was really necessary, but it's certainly hard to argue with.… (more)