Modern society knows a few stories presenting women’s role in early Christianity due to the dominance of patriarchal church hierarchies, established by the Apostle Peter. He believed that it is shameful for a woman to preach in the church. He also thought
Modern society knows a few stories presenting women’s role in early Christianity due to the dominance of patriarchal church hierarchies, established by the Apostle Peter. He believed that it is shameful for a woman to preach in the church. He also thought that women should entirely rely on their husbands’ judgment in faith matters since men are more knowledgeable and receptive to such things (Wilf, 2019). This attitude also regarded the women martyrs like Perpetua, Blandina, and Mary Magdalene. Even the Mother of God received her role as Queen of the Kingdom of God only in the 8th century, and with many restrictions, compared with male sacred figures. When describing a life of Christ’s testimony or martyrdom, theologians often mistake religious punishment and persecution for the very essence of the idea of martyrdom (McCarty, 2020). However, this idea’s meaning was to life-witness Christ, inspiring followers. This paper aims to present women’s role in early Christianity and demonstrate that patriarchs did not perceive female martyrdom on par with a male one.
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First Christian Communities
During the era of early Christianity, many Christians found refuge in the Roman Empire, fleeing persecution. However, they met with the pagan Romans’ lifestyle, which seemed to them full of vices and temptations, prompting some Christians to become hermits. Becoming a hermit was also perceived as a test of the faith’s truth. Some of the hermits lived in solitude, but some organized communities, choosing their leaders – abbots or abbesses. The possibility of community seclusion was crucial for women, as they were at risk of being attacked staying alone. The abbots and abbesses conducted divine services and established the rules of life for the community. In this way, the first monks and nuns appeared who took solemn vows of chastity, poverty, and obedience. Christian communities provided shelter for orphans, widows, the sick, and the disabled. Besides, they made a living by copying books and teaching children.
Women in Early Christianity
Even though women’s role in early Christianity was subsequently belittled, females were no less influential and made an equal contribution to the spread of Christianity. The most prominent texts illustrating the role of women include apocryphal The Gospel of Mary, The Acts of Saint Paul and Saint Thecla, and The Passion of Saint Perpetua, Saint Felicitas, and their Companions (Wilf, 2019). Despite the widespread circulation of these texts during early Christianity, the last two texts encountered many obstacles to further dissemination, being subjected to strong editing. The editors’ goal was to censor women’s voices, as this could undermine the foundations of the patriarchal hierarchy.
Besides, the Apostles’ Gospels became canonical only in the 3rd century AD, after wandering preachers, men, and women, spread the teachings of Christ. In early Christianity, there were significant theological discussions in scriptures written by women and about women (Wilf, 2019). It is noteworthy that the Apostle Peter, known for his patriarchal views, helped to form a free hierarchy of bishops already in the 1st century. This hierarchy subsequently influenced decisions about which texts can be considered canonical (Wilf, 2019). However, in the first few centuries, when Christianity was a countercultural movement, there were many more women than men in the church.
According to scholars, there is written evidence that one of the early Jerusalem churches was led by a woman (Wilf, 2019). The active role of women in early Christianity was documented in the Apostle Paul’s letters and the records of early Christian martyrs (Wilf, 2019). However, women were not allowed to hold most official and leadership positions in churches, such as the bishop’s office. Moreover, by the end of the 1st millennium, only one-sixth of the recognized saints were women. Consequently, many stories about women leaders and women martyrs have been forgotten or edited with a distortion of the essence towards promoting male dominance.
Many scholars today agree that women played a more significant role in early Christianity than is commonly believed. Parkhouse (2017) supports Wilf’s suggestion that Mary Magdalene, Thecla, and Perpetua are the most important examples of the female martyr voice in the early Christian world. According to the scholar, these women are considered countercultural Christian teachers as their testimonies break the patriarchal gender hierarchy (Parkhouse, 2017). At the same time, Parkhouse emphasizes the ambivalence of the texts presenting women’s stories and draws attention to the fact that women are placed in sexualized or subordinate roles. According to the scientist, female martyrs are not trusted, and even after receiving the protection of the divine, they have no power over their male peers and look subordinate to them.
Further, Kateusz (2017) describes another revolutionary phenomenon that deserves attention – a woman’s right to be a priest. The scholar emphasizes that Mary, the Mother of God, an example of the greatest female martyrdom, was a priest at the Last Supper. According to the scholar, there was an early tradition in the Virgin’s Life, saying that female disciples were present at the Last Supper. Besides, dur