The Rise and
Fall of Women
in the Early
Church
Paul and Junia Romans 16.7
Women in Early NT Period
• Jesus’ affirmative attitude toward women promoted their
full acceptance in the early Christian community.
• Met w/ men, prayed w/ men, served w/ men as missionaries
• Taught and prophecied as “co-workers in the Lord”
The Resurrection by Burne-Jones
Tabitha (Dorcas)
Acts 9:36-42
• Called “disciple” (f)
• Seamstress ministry to widows
• Only person raised from dead
by disciple of Jesus (in NT)
• Parallel for Peter’s healing of
Aeneas (Acts 9)
This icon is part of a mosaic in San Vitale,
at Ravenna, early 6th century.
Rhoda
and the House-Church of Mary
Acts 12.1-13
House-church at home of Mary,
mother of John Mark
(How does this story recall that of
Jesus’s empty tomb)
Roman Tablinum
Other House-Churches
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•
•
•
I Corinthians. 1:11
Acts 16:40
Colossians 4:15
Romans 16:3,5
(Men are not listed as being heads of house-churches
except Philemon and Aquila, and both are mentioned
along with their wives.)
Women as Deacons
2003 Suzanne Schleck
• Ordained lay-person who served
Lord’s Supper and aided
disciples.
• Phoebe, a Deacon in Ephesus
(Romans 16:1,2)
• Pliny the Younger (2nd century
CE) mentions women called
deacons and ministers in
Christian communities
• No “deaconess” in Greek
Lydia, a Seller of Purple
Acts 16:11-15,40
•Home in Philippi in Macedonia
• (Europe)
•Converted by Paul on missionary
• journey
•No husband
•Not a widow
•Successful merchant: luxury fabric
•Home subsequently house-church
Original Quilt by Maria Elkins
where she likely served as presbyter
•1st European convert paralleling conversion of
Cornelius, 1st Gentile convert
Priscilla/Prisca
Acts 18:1,2,18,26; Romans 16:3; 1 Corinthians 16:19; 2 Timothy 4:19
• Wife of Aquila. Always
listed together, more often
w/ her name first
• Fled Italy when Emperor
Claudius expelled Jews
• Tent-makers (like Paul)
• Traveling companions of
Paul, “co-workers,” to
Ephesus and Syria
Paul on Women
Galatians 3:28
1 Corinthians 7:3,4
1 Corinthians 11:11,12
Saint Paul writing his Epistles. Valentin de Boulogne
1600
• But . . .former Pharisee:
strict adherent of Jewish
repression of women
• Favors the single life
(Second Coming)
1 Cor. 11:5-7
1 Cor. 14:33-45
The Apostle Paul by Rembrandt, 1634
Epistles from Pauline School
(Pseudonymous authorship common
during ancient times)
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•
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Colossians 3:11
Colossians 3:18
Ephesians 5:22-24
1 Timothy 2:11-15
Women’s Status Among
Gnostics and Montanists
Alternate Christian sects in early Christian
Movement later branded heretical:
– Gnostic Gospels (1947 Nag Hammadi Library)
describe God in male & female terms, and
utilize female and male priests.
– Montanists elevate a female prophet (Priscilla)
along with 2 males (Montanus & Maximilla),
and utilize female and male priests and bishops.
Evidence for Ordination of Women
in Early Church
Pope Gelasius I (492-96):
epistle to bishops of Italy
condemning practice of
female priesthood:
“We have heard to our annoyance
that divine affairs have come to
such a low state that women are
encouraged to officiate at the
sacred altars, and to take part in
all matters imputed to the offices
of the male sex, to which they do
not belong.”
Tombstones: “Mother of the synagogue”
or “Presbitera” (f.)
“Sacred to her good memory Leta the Presbyter
lived 40 years, 8 months, 9 days, for whom her
husband set up this tomb. She preceded him in
peace on the day before the Ides of May.”
Fractio panis
3rd century fresco “Fractio Panis” – the breaking of bread - in the Greek Chapel
in the Catacomb of Saint Priscilla. The figure seated to the right is breaking the
bread. Formerly assumed to be male, Dorothy Irvin in a 1980 article argued that
the celebrant at this Eucharist is female.
Suppression of Women in the Church
• Acc. Elaine Pagels, question of
women in Christianity was
“explosively controversial.”
• Some misogyny may have been a
backlash against Gnostics’ high
regard for Mary Magdalene and
women in general.
• Rigid patriarchal system, scorned by
Jesus, reasserted itself.
• Greek dualism prevailed: good over
evil, spirit over flesh, man over
woman.
Greek Icon of 3 Church Fathers
Greece, 14th Century
Misogyny
Among Early Church Leaders
• What is seen with the eyes of the creator is masculine, and not
feminine, for God does not stoop to look upon what is feminine
and of the flesh. Origen 185-254.
• You are the devil’s gateway; you are the unsealer of that tree: you
are the first deserter of the divine law. Tertullian 160-225.
• The one who is not entirely pure in soul and body must be stopped
from entering the Holy of Holies. Dionysius the Great. 190-264.
• Should you reflect about what is contained in beautiful eyes . . .
You will see that bodily beauty is only a white-washed tomb, for
inside it is full of filth. Chrysostom 347-407.
• Flesh stands for woman, because she was made out of a rib.
Augustine of Hippo. 354-430
Exclusion of Women from Church Office
• Hippolytus [A.D. 215]
"When a widow is to be appointed, she is not to be ordained, . . . Hands are not imposed on her, because she
does not offer the oblation and she does not conduct the liturgy. Ordination is for the clergy because of
the liturgy; but a widow is appointed for prayer, and prayer is the duty of all" (The Apostolic Tradition)
• The Didascalia [A.D. 225]
"For it is not to teach that you women . . . are appointed. . . . For he, God the Lord, Jesus Christ our Teacher,
sent us, the twelve [apostles], out to teach the [chosen] people and the pagans. But there were female
disciples among us: Mary of Magdala, Mary the daughter of Jacob, and the other Mary; he did not,
however, send them out with us to teach the people. For, if it had been necessary that women should
teach, then our Teacher would have directed them to instruct along with us"
• Council of Nicaea I [A.D. 325]
"Similarly, in regard to the deaconesses, as with all who are enrolled in the register, the same procedure is
to be observed. We have made mention of the deaconesses, who have been enrolled in this position,
although, not having been in any way ordained, they are certainly to be numbered among the laity."
• Council of Laodicea [A.D. 360]
"[T]he so-called ‘presbyteresses’ or ‘presidentesses’ are not to be ordained in the Church“
•
Etc. with Council of Nimes, Orange, etc. up to Pope Paul VI in 1975
“Saint Mary Magdalene approaching
the Sepulchre"
Gian Girolamo Savoldo, ca. 1530
Preferring to recall one detail of Jesus’s ministry, the
“Apostolic Tradition,” church fathers did not consider the
inclusiveness of his overall response to women.
Thus Jesus’s revolutionary treatment of women was
obliterated by the prevailing misogyny of Greco-Roman
culture.
Bibliography
• Catholic Answers
http://www.catholic.com/library/Women_and_the_Priesthood.asp
• Irvin, Dorothy. “The ministry of women in the early church : the archaeological
evidence.” Duke Divinity School Review. 45. 2 (1980), 76-86.
Schüssler-Fiorenza, Elizabeth. In Memory of Her: A Feminist Theological
Reconstruction of Christian Origins. 2nd Ed. London: SCM Press, 1995
• Nunnally-Cox, Janice. Foremothers: Women of the Bible. 1981.
• Rossi, Mary Ann. “Priesthood, Precedent and Prejudice: On Recovering the
Women Priests of Early Christianity.” Journal of Feminist Studies 7 (1991) no
1, pp. 73 - 94.
http://www.womenpriests.org/traditio/otran_1.asp
Graphics:
• The Apostle Paul, Rembrandt. Web Gallery of Art
• Fractio panis. 3rd Century Fresco.
www.womenpriests.org/theology/casey_02.htm
Bib., cont.
• Lydia, Seller of Purple. Quilt by Maria Elkins. www.mariaelkins.com
• Phoebe, Deacon. Icon by Suzanne Schleck, 2003.
www.walstedicons.com/schleck.htm
• Priscilla and Aquila. Anon. Drawing. www.keyway.ca
• Roman House Church
http://gbgm-umc.org/umw/corinthians/house.stm#church
• Saint Paul Writing his Epistles by Valentin de Boulogne, 1600.
from http://www.rice.edu/projects/code/presentat/kelberpres.html
• St Tabitha the Widow Raised From the Dead By the Apostle Peter
Anon. Drawing at www.comeandseeicons.com