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