Work on women and gender in early Christianity in the last decade has been dominated by literary analysis and rhetorical readings focused especially on how female identity is constructed by male authors, some of which has been extremely skeptical about the possibility of extracting social realities concerning women’s lives from ancient texts. In contrast, Cohick remains strikingly optimistic about historical reconstruction, describing the aim of her book as an attempt to “offer an authentic, descriptive historical picture of women’s lives” (30). While some might wish that Cohick had engaged in more detailed debate with scholars on questions of method and theory, her study has restored some much needed balance to current discussion about women’s history and the rise of Christianity.

Women in the World of the Earliest Christians is based on solid research in both literary and non-literary sources from the ancient world. Cohick's judgments are critical, and she rarely oversteps her evidence when drawing conclusions. The book is an important contribution to understanding the real lives of the women we find in the pages of the NT for both scholars and interested Bible readers alike. While thick with detail to appease even the most rigorous specialist, the book is accessible to any interested reader.