11 NOVEMBER 1995, Page 34

Sir: Having just completed a sabbatical from reading The Spectator

to take a certifi- cate in Theology, it was a pleasure to read Edward Pearce's urbane piece and to find that Simon Heffer had departed.

But what a shame that Mr Pearce himself still peddles anachronistic old chestnuts about the presumed misogyny of St Paul, who for his `chronos' and allowing for edi- torial interpolation (I Cor. 14 34-36), wrong- ly attributed authorship (I Tim. 2 9-14), and the occasional enigma (I Cor. 11 10), had remarkably liberal views concerning women (Gal. 3 28, 1 Cor. 11 5, 11-12 Rom. 16 1-16) but was pragmatic in their social applica- tion (I Cor. 10 31-33, 11 16-22), and more generally in calming any charismatic extrav- agances (I Cor. 14 1-33) What Zeit!

C.H. Maycock

The Court, Neopardy, Crediton, Devon