Women in Christian traditions

220 Pages·2015·2.445 MB·English

by  Moore, Rebecca

Women in Christian Traditions
Women in Religions
Series Editor: Catherine Wessinger
Women in Christian Traditions
Rebecca Moore
Women in Christian Traditions
Rebecca Moore
NEW YORK UNIVERSITY PRESS
New York and London
NEW YORK UNIVERSITY PRESS
New York and London
www.nyupress.org
© 2015 by New York University
All rights reserved
References to Internet websites (URLs) were accurate at the time of writing.
Neither the author nor New York University Press is responsible for URLs that
may have expired or changed since the manuscript was prepared.
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Moore, Rebecca, 1951–
Women in Christian traditions / Rebecca Moore.
pages cm. — (Women in religions)
Includes bibliographical references and index.
ISBN 978-1-4798-2961-3 (cl : alk. paper) — ISBN 978-1-4798-2175-4 (pb : alk. paper)
1. Women in Christianity—History. I. Title.
BV639.W7M594 2015
270.082--dc23 2014040539
New York University Press books are printed on acid-free paper,
and their binding materials are chosen for strength and durability.
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Also available as an ebook
In memory of my grandmothers
my mother
my sisters
and my younger daughter
In honor of my elder daughter
my granddaughter
and all those to come
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Contents
Acknowledgments ix
Introduction: Why Study Women in Christian Traditions? 1
1. In the Beginning . . . Eve 19
2. The Women Disciples in the Kingdom of God 27
3. Women and the Conversion of an Empire 47
4. Saints, Seers, and Scholars in the Middle Ages 67
5. Women Reformed, Women Resistant 87
6. Spirit-Filled Women in the Nineteenth Century 107
7. Churchwomen on the Margins and in the Mainstream 129
Conclusion: The Church of Martha and Mary 153
Questions for Discussion 157
Notes 159
Works Cited 181
For Further Reading 195
Subject Index 197
Index to the Bible and New Testament Apocrypha 207
About the Author 209
vii
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Acknowledgments
There are many people to thank who helped in the development, writ-
ing, and production of this book. I could not have written it without
receiving a sabbatical grant from the College of Arts and Letters at San
Diego State University. I appreciate the support of the Religious Studies
Department chair Risa Levitt Kohn in arranging for my absence.
Catherine Wessinger, the editor of the Women in Religions series, has
made useful comments throughout the process. I thank her and Profes-
sor Elizabeth Goodine at Loyola University New Orleans for test-driving
the raw manuscript in courses on women in Christianity.
Certainly the staff at New York University Press, especially the ac-
quisitions editor Jennifer Hammer, have been exceptionally helpful in
making decisions on the look and feel of the finished product. I want to
express appreciation to Constance Grady, Dorothea Halliday, and all of
those at the press who brought the book to completion.
Undying gratitude goes to Mary Ann Foley, assistant professor of theol-
ogy at the University of Scranton, and to E. Nicholas Genovese, professor
emeritus of classics at San Diego State University. Their insights into all
things religious, classical, and textual have immeasurably improved the
final product. I want to thank the Reverend Darin Johnson, campus minis-
ter at Agape House at San Diego State University, who steered me in a num-
ber of fruitful directions. The anonymous readers of the initial manuscript
also provided helpful insights and suggestions, for which I am grateful.
Finally, great appreciation goes to my father, John V Moore, and
my husband, Fielding M. McGehee III, who patiently listened to me
throughout the research and writing process. With great forbearance
they gently raised questions and kindly made suggestions. Their love
and understanding have made this book possible.
ix