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Perpetual Virginity And Martyrdom As A Women Of Early Christianity

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The Importance of Perpetual Virginity and Martyrdom as a Women of Early Christianity

The texts of early Christianity provide a plethora of beliefs and ideas surrounding the fundamentals of the faith. Certain beliefs have concrete explanations that remain consistent throughout different texts. Others, however, are not as consistent. This is the case for the role and position of women in the church during this time. We have read many different authors throughout our semester and none seem to have the same opinion on the topic of women. Even a single author can contradict himself in different texts, evident in the writings of Paul the Apostle. There are certain roles, however, that seem to remain consistent throughout the texts we have read, …show more content…

God has acknowledged Thecla's pledge to virginity and has rewarded her devotion to her faith by saving her. After the turmoil has subsided, Paul grants Thecla the right to travel and spread the Gospel just as he does. This was a rare occurrence in early Christianity as women were not allowed to preach and be teachers. Having this gift granted by Paul is especially important because, as mentioned before, he claims to be chosen by God. In a way, Thecla is not chosen by Paul to be a teacher but by God, depicting yet another example of God's love for Thecla and her commitment to the Christian faith.

Martyrdom is another important aspect of the Christian faith and many women in the church during early Christianity assumed the role of martyr. In the Martyrdom of Perpetua and Felicitas, we are introduced to Perpetua, a catechumen who was arrested along with many other catechumens for being a Christian. She was married and had a child but there was never mention of her husband in the accounts of her persecution. This was odd for this period because women were always acknowledged as the daughters or wives of men rather than independent …show more content…

However, Perpetua refused to do this which was common among martyrs during this time because their role was to die for their faith. Her father pled with her on multiple occasions to perform the sacrifice but she stood firm in her faith and refused. As a woman during this time, it was rare to go against the advice of your father. Perpetua did not have the same respect towards her father that women were supposed to. On one occasion her father brings up her family and child as a last resort, but Perpetua still refuses. This is another example of how Perpetua goes against the norms of Christian women. There are accounts from Paul claiming the only way to salvation is through motherhood (Paul Letter to Timothy p.452) Christian women were not only expected to be mothers but good mothers. Perpetua did not fit the description of a good mother at this time because she chose to abandon her baby to defend her faith and fulfill her duty as a

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