Being Subordinate Men: Paul’s Rhetoric of Gender and Power in 1 Corinthians by Brian J. Robinson

Abstract

Reviewed by: Being Subordinate Men: Paul’s Rhetoric of Gender and Power in 1 Corinthians by Brian J. Robinson Vien V. Nguyen brian j. robinson, Being Subordinate Men: Paul’s Rhetoric of Gender and Power in 1 Corinthians (Lanham, MD: Lexington Books/Fortress Academic, 2019). Pp. xii + 269. $110. This book is a revised dissertation submitted to Fuller Theological Seminary (2017), supervised by Love L. Sechrest. In the book, Brian J. Robinson analyzes Paul’s appropriation of feminine imagery in his self-presentation to deconstruct the conventional assumptions and expectations of the hegemonic masculinity model, which was inconsistent with the values of the Corinthian community and contributed to discord in the community. Thus, he argues, “Paul’s rhetoric in 1 Corinthians subverts masculine ideals and intentionally recasts the appropriate masculinity and status of the men in the community in order to promote unity in the face of increasing factionalism” (p. 4). Utilizing gender criticism, R. advances his argument in six chapters. In chap. 1, R. outlines the scope of his research, discusses the contemporary scholarship on the Corinthian correspondence relevant for the study, and provides an overview of the study. In chap. 2, R. traces the development and influence of gender studies and employs them as a methodological approach to examine discourses of masculinity and gender in Greek and Roman literature. He then presents common assumptions about masculinity and addresses the intersection between masculinity and power. In Greco-Roman patriarchal societies, a man must embody the socially constructed expectations of the idealized masculinity, that is, self-control/mastery and domination over others. He must maintain and defend his masculinity before his peers via the proper presentation of the male body. A failed masculinity would result in personal attacks and charges of femininity, which would lead to loss of social and legal standing in the community (p. 38). Chapter 3 focuses on alternative masculinities found in first- and second-century c.e. texts. R. discusses the categories of masculinity: hegemonic, complicit, and subordinate. Of specific attention are complicit and subordinate masculinities. Complicit masculinity refers to men who lack key aspects of hegemonic masculinity (i.e., lower-class freemen) but who could still participate in the patriarchal power structures. Subordinate masculinity refers to those who manifest feminine characteristics (i.e., eunuchs) and who would be excluded from the patriarchal power structures (p. 66). In his examination of the writings of Favorinus, Josephus, and Philo, R. demonstrates how these authors engage in hegemonic gendered discourses to reformulate perceptions of masculinity, transforming what was perceived as subordinate masculinity into complicit or hegemonic masculinity. In chaps. 4 and 5, R. deals with Paul’s call to imitate him by adopting subordinate masculinity. In chap. 4, R. analyzes Paul’s description of himself in 1 Corinthians 1–7 as a failed orator (1:17–18; 2:1–5), a wet nurse (3:1–3), a shameful father (4:14–15), and a celibate man (7:1–7). All these imageries, perceived as feminine and subordinate, would diminish his standing before other “manly” men and restrict his access to spheres of power and influence reserved for hegemonic and complicit men (p. 146). Moreover, Paul implores the Corinthians to imitate his subordinate persona to subvert destructive and oppressive forms of masculinity, to confront factionalism, and to protect the congregation’s unity. In chap. 5, R. elaborates on Paul’s call to “misperform” discourses of hegemonic masculinity to destabilize patriarchal structures that legitimize oppression. He examines the various commands in Paul’s paraenesis to the Corinthian believers: becoming fools (1:1–4:20), not bringing [End Page 523] each other to Roman courts (6:1–8), adopting the diets of the weak (8:1–11:1), husbands submitting to their wives and wives to their husbands (7:1–6), being subordinate men (16:13). In chap. 6, R. recapitulates his argument and attempts an interpretive test of Paul’s commands on head coverings (1 Cor 11:2–16) in light of Paul’s rhetoric of gender and power in 1 Corinthians. This summary does not do justice to R.’s comprehensive work. The thesis is carefully researched and cogently argued. The book contains a wealth of indispensable material, and...