Acts of Paul and Thecla Essays

the emphasis of opposing groups like the Jews, one story, The Acts of Paul and Thecla, stands out. It lacks a key feature commonly used to define “martyrdom”: the death of the Christians, in this case Paul and Thecla. Also, while most martyrdoms focus on an apostle, who is almost always male, or a group of Christians, The Acts of Paul and Thecla focuses on Thecla, Paul’s female convert, and not Paul himself. The Acts of Paul and Thecla differs in its purpose from other martyr stories, focusing on

Question 1 Carly Daniel-Hughes (2010) expands on Tertullian’s view of the virgins and states that “ancient visual economies…conceived of seeing and being seen as intimate acts of touch and penetration” (p. 185). Tertullian’s conception of “feminine modesty resonates with that of Roman moralists” (Daniel-Hughes, 2010, 192). Whereby, women were responsible to veil themselves and wear modest clothing and accessories. “Women’s flesh comes to signify the problematics of the human condition” (Daniel-Hughes

the writings of Paul the Apostle. There are certain roles, however, that seem to remain consistent throughout the texts we have read,

Rejecting Justice Stewart In his book, The Making of the Self, Dr. Richard Valantasis proposes a new definition to a classic term used constantly throughout religious studies: asceticism. While most definitions focus heavily on the negative nature of asceticism, Valantasis asserts that the nature of asceticism is inherently positive and fulfills a more universal purpose. Although his definition is unlike previous understandings of asceticism, ultimately his approach is one more scholars should