Women and Ritual in Early Christianity In Greek and Roman cult

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Women and Ritual in Early Christianity

In Greek and Roman cult: female priests of two kinds, actual (lower status) and honorary

(higher status)

The role of the matrona in household religion: leader with her husband in household worship

Hostesses and presiders at meals in private houses, hospita

The meal iconography and its many interpretations: what is really going on there?

Visual and devotional transition in cult: from Isis to Mary

The sarcophagus women: real women or symbols?

The orans in her many incarnations

Christian Women Deacons and Presbyters

What does a deacon do? Phil 1:1, episkopoi and diakonoi; Rom 16:1-2 Phoebe diakonos;

1 Tim 3:8-13; Acts 6:1-6 (sort of)

Agency, representation, service

What do women deacons do? (diakonos, diakonissa, occasionally diakonē)

Assistance at baptism of women, instruction before and after

Pastoral work with women, visiting the sick, etc.

Supervision of women at worship

Chaperone on women’s pilgrimages

Liturgical leadership in monasteries, especially what became the Divine Office

And then there were women presbyters….

Numerous decrees of councils and opinions of bishops against them. Nevertheless:

Ammion, presbyter, 3d c. Phyrgia

Artemidora, presbyter, daughter of Mikkalos, 2-3 c. Egypt

Epikto presbyter, from Thera

Kalē, presbytis, 4-5 th c. Sicily

Leta presbytera, Tropea, Calabria

Martia, presbyteria, 4-5 c. Poitiers

Flavia Vitalia, 425 CE, Solin, Croatia

Guilia Runa, presbiterissa, Hippo, North Africa, after 431 CE

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