Women among the disciples of the Apostles
80 AD – 120 AD
In later apostolic times changes took place in some Christian communities. In a reaction against Gnostic sects which were at times led by women, some local Church leaders forbade women to speak in the assemblies. This is what we find in the Letters to Timothy and Titus which were written by disciples of Paul.
Read on women in the Early Christian Church:
- “Women Leaders in the New Testament” by J. Massyngberde Ford in ‘Women Priests: A Catholic Commentary on the Vatican Declaration‘
- “The Apostleship of Women in Early Christianity” by Elisabeth Schüssler Fiorenza in ‘Women Priests: A Catholic Commentary on the Vatican Declaration‘
- “Junia Outstanding among the Apostles” (Romans 16:7) by Bernadette Brooten in ‘Women Priests: A Catholic Commentary on the Vatican Declaration‘
- “Women and the Apostolic Community” by Madeleine I. Boucher in ‘Women Priests: A Catholic Commentary on the Vatican Declaration‘
- “Peter’s Pentecost Sermon: A Limitation on Who May Minister. . . ?” by Pheme Perkins in ‘Women Priests: A Catholic Commentary on the Vatican Declaration‘
- “The Ministry of Women in the Apostolic Generation” by Adela Yarbro Collins in ‘Women Priests: A Catholic Commentary on the Vatican Declaration‘
- “Changing Forms of ministry in the Early Church” by Hamilton Hess in ‘Sexism & Church Law: Equal Rights and Affirmative Action‘
- “Trajectories beyond the New Testament Era” by Ben Witherington in ‘Women in the Earliest Churches‘
- “Episkopê and Episkopos: the New Testament Evidence” by Raymond Brown in ‘Theological Studies‘ 41 (1980) pp. 322-338
On Ephesians ‘Bride and Bridegroom’
- Omnis Analogia Claudet by Dorothy Irvin in ‘Women Priests: A Catholic Commentary on the Vatican Declaration’
- Bridegroom: A Biblical Symbol of Union, Not Separation by Carroll Stulhmueller in ‘Women Priests: A Catholic Commentary on the Vatican Declaration’
On Luke:
- “Women and the Third Evangelist” by Ben Witherington in ‘Women in the Earliest Churches’
On John:
- “Roles of Women in the Fourth Gospel” by Raymond Brown in ‘Theological Studies‘ 36 (1975) pp. 688-699
On Hebrews:
- The Book of the Hebrews Revisited: Implications of the Theology of Hebrews for Gender Equality by Ruth Hoppin