Several people have recently asked some version of the question, what does the Bible say about women in the Church, often in the context of women in leadership roles. In response, I try to provide the following list of passages. While far from an exhaustive list, these are often the key passages that conversations aboutContinue reading “Women in the Church: Critical Passages”
Tag Archives: Women
Rules and Roles for Women
I’m excited to share that my article, “Rules and Roles for Women: Vocation and Order in the Apostolic Fathers,” was recently published in the Southern Baptist Journal of Theology. This research was originally undertaken as part of a doctoral seminar at St. Louis University led by Dr. Carolyn Osiek, and I presented my findings atContinue reading “Rules and Roles for Women”
A Proposal: Application
This post is part of a proposal for approaching theology from the perspective of history. Women in the Apostolic Fathers As an application of this approach, I want to quickly examine conceptions of women which appear in the early Christian writings known as the Apostolic Fathers. To keep this example as brief as possible, considerContinue reading “A Proposal: Application”
Women in the Apostolic Fathers: Bibliography
This post is the final in our series on Women in the Apostolic Fathers. For a complete copy of this paper, please email me at prahlowjj [at] slu.edu. Ancient Sources Acts of Thecla. Edited and translated by Jeremy W. Barrier. The Acts of Paul and Thecla: A Critical Introduction and Commentary. WUNT 2, 270. Tübingen:Continue reading “Women in the Apostolic Fathers: Bibliography”
Women in the Apostolic Fathers: Conclusions
This post is part of an ongoing series examining Women in the Apostolic Fathers. Through consideration of several pericopes from the writings of the Apostolic Fathers, this study has argued that these authors conceived of women as having properly ordered roles in the Christian Church, roles which could include familial and visionary functions. In FirstContinue reading “Women in the Apostolic Fathers: Conclusions”
Women in the Apostolic Fathers: Visionary Women in Hermas (Part III)
This post is part of an ongoing series examining Women in the Apostolic Fathers. Shepherd of Hermas, Vision 2.4.1-3[1] Ἀπεκαλύφθη δέ μοι, ἀδελφοί, κοιμωμένῳ ὑπὸ νεανίσκου εὐειδεστάτου λέγοντός μοι· τὴν πρεσβυτέραν, παρ᾿ ἧς ἔλαβες τὸ βιβλίδιον, τίνα δοκεῖς εἶναι; ἐγώ φημι· τὴν Σίβυλλαν. πλανᾶσαι, φησίν, οὐκ ἔστιν. τίς οὖν ἐστιν; φημί. ἡ ἐκκλησία, φησίν. εἶπονContinue reading “Women in the Apostolic Fathers: Visionary Women in Hermas (Part III)”
Women in the Apostolic Fathers: Visionary Women in Hermas (Part II)
This post is part of an ongoing series examining Women in the Apostolic Fathers. Shepherd of Hermas, Vision 1.2.2-4.1[1] 1.2 ταῦτά μου συμβουλευομένου καὶ διακρίνοντος ἐν τῇ καρδίᾳ μου βλέπω κατέναντί μου καθέδραν λευκὴν ἐξ ἐρίων χιονίνων γεγονυῖαν μεγάλην· καὶ ἦλθεν γυνὴ πρεσβῦτις ἐν ἱματισμῷ λαμπροτάτῳ, ἔχουσα βιβλίον εἰς τὰς χεῖρας, καὶ ἐκάθισεν μόνη καὶContinue reading “Women in the Apostolic Fathers: Visionary Women in Hermas (Part II)”
Women in the Apostolic Fathers: Visionary Women in Hermas (Part I)
This post is part of an ongoing series examining Women in the Apostolic Fathers. Perhaps no other piece of early Christian literature gives women such prominent and significant roles as does the Shepherd of Hermas.[1] Of course, the visionary character of Hermas allows commentators to conclude little about the meanings of the visions and evenContinue reading “Women in the Apostolic Fathers: Visionary Women in Hermas (Part I)”
Women in the Apostolic Fathers: Greetings in Ignatius and Polycarp
This post is part of an ongoing series examining Women in the Apostolic Fathers. Ignatius’s Epistle to Polycarp 8.2-3[1] ἀσπάζομαι πάντας ἐξ ὀνόματος καὶ τὴν τοῦ Ἐπιτρόπου σὺν ὅλῳ τῷ οἴκῳ αὐτῆς καὶ τῶν τέκνων. ἀσπάζομαι Ἄτταλον τὸν ἀγαπητόν μου. ἀσπάζομαι τὸν μέλλοντα καταξιοῦσθαι τοῦ εἰς Συρίαν πορεύεσθαι. ἔσται ἡ χάρις μετ᾿ αὐτοῦ διὰ παντὸςContinue reading “Women in the Apostolic Fathers: Greetings in Ignatius and Polycarp”
Women in the Apostolic Fathers: Greetings in Ignatius
This post is part of an ongoing series examining Women in the Apostolic Fathers. Although characteristically brief, epistolary greetings provide further insights into the contexts and conceptions of Ignatius and Polycarp regarding Christian women.[1]
Pursuing Veritas 