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In First Corinthians, Paul makes two conflicting statements about women´s speech: He crafts a difficult argument about whether men and women should cover their heads while praying or prophesying (11:2-16) and instructs women to be silent in the assembly (14:34-35). These two statements bracket an extended discussion about inspired modes of speech - prophecy and prayer in tongues. From these exegetical observations, Jill E. Marshall argues that gender is a central issue throughout 1 Corinthians 11-14 and the religious speaking practices that prompted Paul´s response. She situates Paul´s arguments about prayer and prophecy within their ancient Mediterranean cultural context, using literary and archaeological evidence, and examines the differences in how ancient writers described prophetic speech when voiced by a man or a woman.

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