The author begins by noting that from the beginning woman's purpose was no different from man's . "Woman was created to carry the image of God," Martin asserts, and then she shows how much Western folklore has crept into interpretations of the sparse biblical account of Creation.

Tracing the Oriental roots of Hebrew culture, Martin interacts with portions of Old Testament law that many--feminists and traditionalists alike--would just as soon gloss over. She takes the long view of patriarchy from Abraham down through Jesus, citing evidence of a gradual accountability to God entering a patriarchal legal, economic, and social system.

While this book is for the average reader, Martin herself is clearly no average reader. She gives an excellent overview of current scholarship on male-female roles and of the treatment of women in the Old Testament, frequently interspersing her analyses with common-sense illustrations culled from daily life.

Martin addresses the argument that women leaders in the Old Testament were "exceptions to the rule," and contends that "Scripture presents these few women without apology, without rebuke to the men who followed them, and without any expression of inappropriateness . . . Oftentimes Old Testament exceptions are a prophetic sign of what will become the New Testament 'rule.'"

In the chapter "God in Our Image," Martin cautions against trying to understand human sexuality in theological terms. Those arguing on both sides of the issue--either for the masculinity of God or on the flip side, his androgyny--fall prey to one of the common myths of our day: that we can make God in our image. Such fuzzy thinking is as dangerous as any of the pagan mythologies Paul warned against, says Martin.

She demonstrates repeatedly how translators have allowed culturally bound interpretations to creep into their work on passages pertaining to women. "Women need to be reminded that even though the original words of Paul are inspired by the Holy Spirit, translations of Paul's words are not."

Martin moves easily between a scholarly examination of critical passages and the many personal glimpses she gives of herself as a young woman whose father treated her as equal to his sons. Consequently, the conclusion she reaches in this tightly argued book comes as no surprise to the reader: "For all its potency and long history as a reputable doctrine, the principle of male authority is elusive when one searches Scripture; in fact, it cannot be found there at all . . . The teaching that God's perfect plan places women under the authority of men has been brought to Scripture--not found in it. It is a false teaching inserted into Christian theology by a male-dominated culture in love with authority."

(Taken from book review, "Who Invented Patriarchy?" Christianity Today, October 20, 1989, pg. 58, by Phyllis E. Alsdurf, former editor of Family Life Today, and coauthor with her husband, James, of Battered Into Submission.)

Faith Martin presents an impeccably researched history of women throughout the centuries. And truth to tell, women have not had it so well.

The amazing thing is that, having uncovered such a huge amount of female subjugation, she is not bitter. On the contrary, the reader infers that Martin would like to change the status of women, but within the existing framework of the church—not in a revolutionary, denunciatory manner.

This book can widen horizons, admittedly, not always pleasantly so. But the author is essentially hopeful. She states that "Christianity holds within its truth the means to break the power of any culture and overturn the subjection of women." (Extracted from a book review of the first edition of Call Me Blessed by Barnetta Lange, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, Saturday, July 2, 1988.)