In The Lost Apostle award-winning journalist Rena Pederson investigates a little known subject in early Christian history—the life and times of the female apostle Junia. Junia was an early convert and leading missionary whose story was “lost” when her name was masculinized to Junias in later centuries. The Lost Apostle unfolds like a well-written detective story, presenting Pederson’s lively search for insight and information about a woman some say was the first female apostle.
"This is a very readable introduction to some of the characters and stories about women from early Christianity that are known to scholars but are often forgotten rather than celebrated in the rest of the church." ( U.S. Catholic Magazine , January 2007)
Review
"Thanks to Rena Pederson for digging into The Case of the Missing Apostle like a good police reporter. Junia the apostle was one of the first victims of identity theft. Restoring her name is a service to women everywhere." —Linda Ellerbee , award-winning television producer, journalist and best-selling author of Take Big Bites, Move On, and And So It Goes
"Reading Pederson’s work is like perusing a reporter’s notebook. She invites anyone who turns these pages to help her think about which question to ask next in the search for truth. In the end, she rewards her readers for sharing this spiritual, intellectual, and journalistic pursuit by reminding us that the best human searches are satisfied with a discovery that the truth we seek is actually seeking us." —William B. Lawrence, dean; professor of American church history, Perkins School of Theology, Southern Methodist University
"As a clergywoman I am strengthened by Rena's work. She has done what should have been done years ago. Junia is the role model we've been searching for. This should be required reading in seminaries." —Dr. Sheron Patterson, senior minister, Highland Hills United Methodist Church; newspaper columnist; and author of Sisters: A Mile in Her Shoes, Lessons from the Lives of Old Testament Women
From the Inside Flap
In the New Testament book of Romans (16:7), the apostle Paul says: "Greet Andronicus and Junia, my relatives, who have been in prison with me. They are outstanding among the apostles and they were in Christ before I was." In this same chapter, he mentions a number of other women as well—Phoebe, Prisca, Mary, Tryphena, Tryphosa, Persis, and Julia. Paul held all these women of the early church, it appears, in high esteem. How does this fact fit with Paul's other teachings on the subordination of women? Was there a disconnect between teachings attributed to Paul and his actual practice? What roles did women play in the early church? What are the implications for Christians today?
In The Lost Apostle award-winning journalist Rena Pederson investigates a little-known subject in early Christian history—the life and times of the female apostle Junia. Junia was an early convert and leading missionary whose story was "lost" when her name was masculinized to Junias in later centuries. The Lost Apostle unfolds like a well-written detective story, presenting Pederson's lively search for insight and information about a woman some say was the first female apostle.
Based on extensive research, international travel, as well as discussions and correspondence with top historians and biblical experts, Rena Pederson has pieced together a story not just of Junia but also of women of the early church—women like Prisca, Nympha, Thecla, and Mary of Magdala—and given us new insights on scripture, history, and the life of the first Christians. We can use those insights to make a stronger church today, one that truly and fully calls upon the gifts and abilities of women and men.
From the Back Cover
Praise for The Lost Apostle
"Thanks to Rena Pederson for digging into The Case of the Missing Apostle like a good police reporter. Junia the apostle was one of the first victims of identity theft. Restoring her name is a service to women everywhere." —Linda Ellerbee, award-winning television producer, journalist and best-selling author of Take Big Bites, Move On, and And So It Goes
"Reading Pederson's work is like perusing a reporter's notebook. She invites anyone who turns these pages to help her think about which question to ask next in the search for truth. In the end, she rewards her readers for sharing this spiritual, intellectual, and journalistic pursuit by reminding us that the best human searches are satisfied with the discovery that the truth we seek is actually seeking us." —William B. Lawrence, dean; professor of American church history, Perkins School of Theology, Southern Methodist University
"As a clergywoman, I am strengthened by Rena Pederson's work. She has done what should have been done years ago. Junia is the role model we've been searching for." —Dr. Sheron Patterson, senior minister, Highland Hills United Methodist Church; newspaper columnist; and author, Sisters: A Mile in Her Shoes, Lessons from the Lives of Old Testament Women
About the Author
Rena Pederson ’s distinguished career in journalism includes serving for sixteen years as editorial page editor of the Dallas Morning News. She is a former finalist for the Pulitzer Prize and was a member of the Pulitzer Prize board for nine years. A winner of multiple writing awards, Pederson is the author of two books— What’s Next? Women Redefining Their Dreams in the Prime of Life (Perigee/Penguin Putnam, 2001) and What’s Missing? Inspiration for Women Seeking Faith and Joy in Their Lives (Perigee/Penguin Putnam, 2003) . She has appeared on PBS, CNN, The OprahWinfrey Show, Fox News, MSNBC, and ABC-TV. Pederson earned a bachelor’s degree, with honors, from the University of Texas at Austin and a master’s in journalism from Columbia University in New York. She is an active member of Highland Park United Methodist Church in Dallas and has two sons, Greg Gish and Grant Gish.
In The Lost Apostle award-winning journalist Rena Pederson investigates a little known subject in early Christian history—the life and times of the female apostle Junia. Junia was an early convert and leading missionary whose story was “lost” when her name was masculinized to Junias in later centuries. The Lost Apostle unfolds like a well-written detective story, presenting Pederson’s lively search for insight and information about a woman some say was the first female apostle.
From Booklist
Pederson is a speechwriter and journalist, not a biblical scholar. So when she learned that there was a female apostle named Junia (whose name had been changed by church fathers to Junias), she saw it as an intriguing news story and set out to discover the truth. The book gets off to a scattered and repetitious start, perhaps because Paul writes only a few lines about Junia in Romans, which hardly seems enough on which to base a whole book. But Pederson hits her stride when she examines the roles of women in early Christian times and speculates on how and why Junia got "lost." This is fascinating material, and the journalistic perspective turns out to be a big plus in terms of readability. Among the other topics Pederson delves into are church attitudes toward women and how they evolved, biblical inconsistencies, and the role of women in the later church. The book concludes with a list of discussion questions for each chapter. This could attract significant book-club interest. Ilene Cooper
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved
Review
"This is a very readable introduction to some of the characters and stories about women from early Christianity that are known to scholars but are often forgotten rather than celebrated in the rest of the church." ( U.S. Catholic Magazine , January 2007)
Review
"Thanks to Rena Pederson for digging into The Case of the Missing Apostle like a good police reporter. Junia the apostle was one of the first victims of identity theft. Restoring her name is a service to women everywhere."
—Linda Ellerbee , award-winning television producer, journalist and best-selling author of Take Big Bites, Move On, and And So It Goes
"Reading Pederson’s work is like perusing a reporter’s notebook. She invites anyone who turns these pages to help her think about which question to ask next in the search for truth. In the end, she rewards her readers for sharing this spiritual, intellectual, and journalistic pursuit by reminding us that the best human searches are satisfied with a discovery that the truth we seek is actually seeking us."
—William B. Lawrence, dean; professor of American church history, Perkins School of Theology, Southern Methodist University
"As a clergywoman I am strengthened by Rena's work. She has done what should have been done years ago. Junia is the role model we've been searching for. This should be required reading in seminaries."
—Dr. Sheron Patterson, senior minister, Highland Hills United Methodist Church; newspaper columnist; and author of Sisters: A Mile in Her Shoes, Lessons from the Lives of Old Testament Women
From the Inside Flap
In the New Testament book of Romans (16:7), the apostle Paul says: "Greet Andronicus and Junia, my relatives, who have been in prison with me. They are outstanding among the apostles and they were in Christ before I was." In this same chapter, he mentions a number of other women as well—Phoebe, Prisca, Mary, Tryphena, Tryphosa, Persis, and Julia. Paul held all these women of the early church, it appears, in high esteem. How does this fact fit with Paul's other teachings on the subordination of women? Was there a disconnect between teachings attributed to Paul and his actual practice? What roles did women play in the early church? What are the implications for Christians today?
In The Lost Apostle award-winning journalist Rena Pederson investigates a little-known subject in early Christian history—the life and times of the female apostle Junia. Junia was an early convert and leading missionary whose story was "lost" when her name was masculinized to Junias in later centuries. The Lost Apostle unfolds like a well-written detective story, presenting Pederson's lively search for insight and information about a woman some say was the first female apostle.
Based on extensive research, international travel, as well as discussions and correspondence with top historians and biblical experts, Rena Pederson has pieced together a story not just of Junia but also of women of the early church—women like Prisca, Nympha, Thecla, and Mary of Magdala—and given us new insights on scripture, history, and the life of the first Christians. We can use those insights to make a stronger church today, one that truly and fully calls upon the gifts and abilities of women and men.
From the Back Cover
Praise for The Lost Apostle
"Thanks to Rena Pederson for digging into The Case of the Missing Apostle like a good police reporter. Junia the apostle was one of the first victims of identity theft. Restoring her name is a service to women everywhere."
—Linda Ellerbee, award-winning television producer, journalist and best-selling author of Take Big Bites, Move On, and And So It Goes
"Reading Pederson's work is like perusing a reporter's notebook. She invites anyone who turns these pages to help her think about which question to ask next in the search for truth. In the end, she rewards her readers for sharing this spiritual, intellectual, and journalistic pursuit by reminding us that the best human searches are satisfied with the discovery that the truth we seek is actually seeking us."
—William B. Lawrence, dean; professor of American church history, Perkins School of Theology, Southern Methodist University
"As a clergywoman, I am strengthened by Rena Pederson's work. She has done what should have been done years ago. Junia is the role model we've been searching for."
—Dr. Sheron Patterson, senior minister, Highland Hills United Methodist Church; newspaper columnist; and author, Sisters: A Mile in Her Shoes, Lessons from the Lives of Old Testament Women
About the Author
Rena Pederson ’s distinguished career in journalism includes serving for sixteen years as editorial page editor of the Dallas Morning News. She is a former finalist for the Pulitzer Prize and was a member of the Pulitzer Prize board for nine years. A winner of multiple writing awards, Pederson is the author of two books— What’s Next? Women Redefining Their Dreams in the Prime of Life (Perigee/Penguin Putnam, 2001) and What’s Missing? Inspiration for Women Seeking Faith and Joy in Their Lives (Perigee/Penguin Putnam, 2003) . She has appeared on PBS, CNN, The OprahWinfrey Show, Fox News, MSNBC, and ABC-TV.
Pederson earned a bachelor’s degree, with honors, from the University of Texas at Austin and a master’s in journalism from Columbia University in New York. She is an active member of Highland Park United Methodist Church in Dallas and has two sons, Greg Gish and Grant Gish.