Women in the World of the Earliest Christians

Women in the World of the Earliest Christians: Illuminating Ancient Ways of Life by Lynn Cohick

From a question and answer with Cohick,

1. What are some misconceptions about women in the early Christian world?

One misconception is that women were not really part of the culture, that they were at home, uneducated, had their babies, worked their gardens, and that was it. What we find are very wealthy women who were patrons, doling out gifts and influencing senators. Only women were midwives or wet nurses, and there were women who were shopkeepers, heads of businesses, and lenders.

Some of the prominent women that I have blogged about are Eumachia, Phoebe, Paula, and Hilda. I am ashamed that some Christians continue to pretend that women are not designed to be breadwinners and patrons, protectors and providers. I do think women are better off married, but not because only men are designed to earn a living.

HT TC