What role did women play in the Early Christian Church?

Question

I've read conflicting claims on this subject, and I'd like to hear what some Christians here think. Any input is appreciated. Thanks.

Answer 1

The first person to see Jesus after his resurrection was Mary Magdalene who was to tell the other disciples he was alive. This arguably makes her the first Christian, she was the first one who believed he came back to life and gave this message. Note, the male disciples didn't believe her until Peter went to check the tomb, they were eventually persuaded she was right
Jesus seemed to have female followers like Salome, Martha, another Mary, and in a gnostic text one called Arsinoa
Women played a role in the church and help it grow but were more restricted by the culture of the day. Some in the church complained about the heretics lack of organisation letting almost anyone become ordained, such as those in casual employment and women. So they played a role in the early christian movement, both the 'orthadox' and 'heretical'
Details are sketchy but one stands out, when the centre of Christianity switched to Rome in 130AD, the Carpocratians sent one Marcelina there to represent them as a sort-of bishop and she founded a successful church there.

Answer 2

When Jesus was alive, women played a very important part in his life. Even before the Da Vinci Code, I always considered Mary Magdalene to be an apostle. Remember that it was she and another woman (I'm not all that religious so I don't know who it was) who went to his tomb and found he was gone. It was several centuries later that MEN pretty much tossed women out of any kind of position of power or importance in the Catholic church (and that was the only Christian church at the time). I don't think Jesus would like that--not that I believe Jesus is sitting around anywhere that he can see what's going on. I think there might have been this guy who said a lot of good stuff and was crucified, but everything other than that is myth. And lucky for the Christians that it is, or they'd be in a lot of trouble.
Daddy's Girl: women held "appropriate roles"? How sad that you're being oppressed and you think it's OK.

Answer 3

I disagree strongly. The reason people are becoming childless and single has a lot more to do with them focusing on career and personal growth instead. And there has been a cultural shift regarding children -- more people are choosing to be childless simply because they don't want them. Twenty or thirty years ago, if someone, especially a woman, said they didn't want kids, they were looked at funny. If anything, the church has been trying to prevent this cultural shift. They're the ones pushing for increased birth rate, either by opposing abortion or birth control, or pushing the biblical "be fruitful and multiply" line. So no, I think the church has not only not had a role in this shift, but has been its antithesis.

Answer 4

I would read Rodney Stark's book called The Rise of Christianity. He is a sociologist of religion. There is a chapter or two devoted to how women and high views of women helped the church grow at exponentional rates. For one, women were given higher status in Christianity than in Roman pagan religions. Thus many, especially women with wealth, converted to Christianity. Also, Christians took care of infant girls that were abandoned (post-birth abortions, by Romans) and raise them in the church. The numbers of women in the church meant that Christians reproduced and grew in number at faster rates than their neighbors.

Answer 5

It depended on where the Church was but, clearly never were the women permitted to administer the Sacraments. Even the mention of a woman Deaconess seems to refer to someone who helped with the baptisms of women only.

Answer 6

Women are truly blest by the fact that they served, just as Jesus came to serve, and they did much if not all of the preparitory work that was vital to the work of the Apostles, and later for the growing church and still do today.

Answer 7

Women played an important part in the early church. Women helped Jesus survive in his poverty by helping to supply his needs. They also helped found many of the early churches that met inside homes.

Answer 8

According to the Gospels women also followed Christ on His perambulations about Galilee and Judea. One supposes that they cooked and did mending as well as listening to the Master.

According to the Acts of the Apostles, women preached, prophesied, baptised, taught converts, and even led the faithful in prayer services as well as the usual nursing, cleaning, guarding the holy stuff and guiding the young.

According to Paul, he couldn't have survived without the women who helped him. Apparently he respected many of them, although he showed no desire for marrying himself. He admonishes men to listen to their female counterparts, to heed their wisdom, but he also admonishes the women NOT to chatter during services. After all, there's a place for good gossip and advice on child-rearing and recipes, but that place is NOT during worship! He wants their heads covered at that time because he knows darn good and well that a lovely head of hair is distracting as all getout for a man and he doesn't want the guys (poor easily led creatures) to have their attention on anything but God while worshipping.

Read the Book of Acts and Paul's Letters, dear. When you're at sea, it helps to get on a boat thats heading to the shore.

Answer 9

Mary, the mother of Jesus, was pretty important. Not only did she give birth to Jesus but also became a role model of doing God's will. Mary Magdalene, I believe, played a greater role than what history assigned to her. We will probably never know who she really was to Jesus. I don't believe Jesus would want us to think of her as a whore.

Answer 10

Reading Pauls letters to the various churches, you can see that the role was varied.