The status of women in the life of the church during the first three centuries

Abstract

In all of this discussion one must not lose sight of the fact that throughout the period the place of women in the home really receives the chief emphasis. More space may have been devoted to women's religious duties because of the problems involved, but that does not mean that Christianity did little or nothing for the home. Not only were the rights of women protected by the Christian teaching but the love and relationships of the home were elevated to a sacrament. Though Christianity taught subordination of women it did not teach inferiority; rather, women were assigned through subordination a place of honor and responsibility. All the evidence of the period bears testimony to the high place and responsibility of women in the home.

Neither the ascetic trend nor the increased freedom in religious activity are given predominance i.n the period over t he place of honor of women in the home.

This is the evidence concerning the status of women in the life of the Church during t he first three centuries and the conclusions which can be based upon it. Many desirable things are lacking in the evidence and wanting in the final picture, but since all t he evidence has been present ed, one must be content with conclusions that are limited by the evidence . One more question might be asked. In Donaldson's words it is this: "What is the ideal of woman? What could we call the complete development and full blossoming of woman's life?" It is a question which is much agitated. today, and it is a question which has presented itself again and again as this study was being made. Fortunately or unfortunately it is not within the scope of this thesis to answer it nor even to decide whether or not the Church in the period under study thought that its conception of the status of women was ideal and included woman' s full development. .But it is a question which "it is requisite for the historian of woman in any age to put ... to himself and his readers." Thus we ask it, and with it have presented that on which must be based part of the answer; i.e., the evidence concerning the status of women in the lite of the Church during the first three centuries.