Contents

The Role of Women in
Early Christianity

	INTRODUCTION	1
Ch. 1	WOMEN IN MARTYRDOM	7
	The Martyrdom of Blandina	11
	The Passion of Perpetua	13
Ch. 2	WOMEN IN CONJUGAL LIFE	23
	Tertullian	26
	Clement of Alexandria	30
	Augustine	40
	---- Monica and her son Augustine	40
	---- Augustine and women	44
	---- Augustine on marriage	45
	Chrysostom	46
CH. 3	WOMEN IN CONTEMPLATIVE LIFE	53
	Women in Prophecy	53
	The Widows of the Church	58
	---- Didascalia Apostolorum	60.
	---- Jerome	65
	The Virgins	70
	---- Independant Life of the Virgins	71
	---- Development of Convent Life for Virgins	77
	---- The Life of Macrina	81
	---- The Rule of Paula's Monastery	88
	---- The Rule of Augustine for Women	92
	---- Basil's Canon on Fallen Virgins	100
	Mystical, Liturgical and Active Life	102
	----Mystical and active life	102
	---- Liturgical Life	105
CH 4	WOMEN IN MINISTRY	109
	Deaconesses	111
	----Didascalia Apostoloroum	112
	---- Apostolic Constitutions	115
	---- Other sources related to Deaconesses	118
	---- Chrysostom	119
	Widows in Office	126
	Conclusion	130
CH 5	WOMEN IN SYMBOL	133
	Philo of Alexandria	133
	Women as a Symbol of Virtue or Vice in Early Christianity	135
	---- The Shepherd of Hermas	138
	----Tertullian	139
	---- Origen	140.
	---- Methodius Olympus	143
	The Church as Mother: Cyprian, Augustine	147
	Women as Speculative Wisdom	149
	Symbolism of the Blessed Virgin Mary	151
	Conclusion	156

Please, support our campaign
for women priests

Join our Women Priests' Mailing List
for occasional newsletters:

An email will be immediately sent to you
requesting your confirmation.

Please, credit this document
as published by www.womenpriests.org!