The centrality of the cross

In the current field of Pauline studies, it is often difficult to find a sane voice when discussing Paul's views on women. Either Paul is the greatest villain that women have ever encountered, or he is seen as a far-seeing champion of women's rights. I was reading recently (in conjunction with an editing job) and came across the following:

When trying to navigate the seeming contradiction between the hierarchical and egalitarian streams in Paul’s thought, it is important to remember that Paul views power, like everything else, through the lens of the cross. The cross is power, but it is power expressed through weakness, through humility, and through love. The power of the cross is power exerted for the benefit of others, not the benefit of oneself.—JenniferHouston McNeel, Paul as Infant and Nursing Mother: Metaphor, Rhetoric, and Identity in 1 Thessalonians 2:5–8 (dissertation)

<idle musing>
Indeed! And it is not just in matters of Paul's view of women. Paul sees everything through the eyes of the cross.
Would that we did too! Make it so, Lord Jesus!
</idle musing>