1. How do Aristotle and Xenophon view women and/or the nature of
femaleness in their writings? In particular, to what extent
and in what ways do they view men and women as similar in nature?
In what ways are they different? Keep a running list of the
characteristics they attribute to women in these texts.
2. Judging from the brief excerpt from the Roman satirist, Juvenal,
what were some of the main stereotypes of women in Roman society?
3. Interpretations of the creation accounts in Genesis 1-3 are
foundational for early Christian views of women, and we will come back
to these in future weeks. How does the portrayal of the woman in
Genesis 1 differ from the portrayal of the in Genesis 2-3? How do
these different accounts represent the relation between man and woman?
4. The passages in Exodus 15:20, 21; Judges 4:4-6; 2 Kings 22:14-20
describe 3 exceptional women in the Old Testament: Miriam,
Deborah, and Huldah. How would you describe their role in these
passages?
5. The other Old Testament excerpts (Numbers 11:23; Deut. 32:18; Hos.
11:1, 3-4; Isaiah 42:14; 46:3-4; Prov. 8:12-21, 22-31; Prov. 4:5-9,
11-13 & 4:13-18) were chosen because of the imagery and/or language
they use for God or for divine wisdom. What do these passages
have in common? Note a few of the phrases that stand out to
you. How do these passages portray the God of Israel?
Week 2: Readings &
Questions
Please read the following New
Testament texts having to do
with women.
Many, though not all of
these are included in the list from Clark & Richardson, eds., p.18
(the
last page of your assigned reading for Tuesday) & some are
discussed in the
chapter.
You should start reading these
passages as soon as possible and aim to finish them all by our
discussion on
Thursday.
A few questions about all the
readings will be posted Wednesday evening.
Be sure to bring a New Testament (or printed out
passages) as well as the MacDonald article to class with you!
In canonical gospels
Coming of Jesus:
Luke
1:5-2:52
Women followers& traveling companions of Jesus: Mark
15:40-41; Luke 8:1-3; Matt. 27:55-56
Mary & Martha: Luke 10:38-42 & John 11:1-12:8
Women with flow of blood: Luke 8: 40-56 (same account in
Matt.
9:18-26 & Mk.
5:21-43)
Parable of lost coin:
Luke 15:8-10
Regarding widows: Luke 18:1-8, Mark
12:38-40
& 41-44, Luke 7:11-17, John 19:25-27
On divorce:
Matt.
5:31-32, Mark 10:1-12
Samartian women at the well: John 4:1-42
In accounts of crucifixion & resurrection:
Luke
23:26-32
&
23:49-24:11; Matt.
27:55-28:10; Mark:
15:40-16:11;
John
19:25-20:18 (note focus on
Mary
Magdalene here)
In Pauline Epistles & elsewhere in the New Testament
Acts
9:36-43;
12:12-17;
16:11-15;
18:1-3 & 24-28; 21:8-9
Romans 7:1-3; 16:1-16
1 Cor. 7 & 11:1-16,
14:33-36
Gal. 3:26-28
Household Codes:
Eph.
5:21-33, Titus 2:3-5; 1 Tim. 2:8-15 & 5:3-16;
Col.
3:18-19; Titus 2:3-5
Heb. 13:4
1 Peter 3:1-7
Some questions posed by your colleagues:
1) How does Paul characterize
women’s roles in the church relative to men? Do Paul’s
frequent urgings to silence women imply that it was common for women
otherwise
to openly prophesy and have active roles in religious
ceremony?
What might this say about the status of women in religion in Roman
society?
2) What are the differences between the way that the
Gospel's and Jesus
refer to women and the way that Paul writes about them? Give a specific
example. What does this say about the culture of the time? And
what does this mean for Christian women?
3) How do the so-called "household codes" differ in
their presentation
of women's roles from the picture of women we find in the undisputed
letters of Paul and in the Gospels? If these texts were written
later than the Pauline letters, as many scholars believe, what might
this suggest about the response of Christians to social pressures of
their day or to the reality of their own expansion? In other
words, how might you explain such different emphases in these early
Christian writings on women?
Week 3:
Readings & Questions
In today's discussion we will first focus on the Elaine
Pagel's article and the Gospel of Mary considering general differences
between gnostics & orthodoxChristians regarding views of the
divine and women. We will then discuss perspectives on marriage,
with a particular focus on the writings of Clement of Alexandria.
Questions from Colleagues:
1) Describe some of the differences between the beliefs of the
different gnostic groups described by Elaine Pagels. Which
beliefs or views are similar among the gnostics?
2) How do gnostic views of the divine differ
from those of most orthodox Christians? Specifically, how does
the gnostic understanding of the Trinity differ from the biblical
view? How do they differ
regarding the status and roles of women? Give concrete examples
from the texts.
3) How do you think distinctive gnostic teachings
would have been viewed by the majority of pagan Romans?
4) What Christian responses to gnosticism, if any,
are evident in these texts? What might the responses tell us
about Christianity?
5) Why did gnostics discourage marriage while
Clement and the Catholic tradition supported it? What does
Clement argue in support of marriage?
6) In the readings from
Clark's
Women in the Early Church at
least two distinct
opinions on
marriage were expressed. One was
that it was evil because Jesus never married and one was that
marriage is
imperative for the
expansion
of humankind. Find passages
that reflect both perspectives. Which perspective do you think
was more typical among Christians of this period?
Week 4: Questions on
Readings (Additional
questions will be posted later tonight or tomorrow morning)
1) The second-century pagan intellectual Celsus
leveled the following accusations against Christians:
"only foolish & low
individuals, & persons devoid of perception, & slaves, &
women,
& children, of whom the teachers of the divine word wish to make
converts." (
Contra Celsum 3.49)
They are “persons of
the most uninstructed and rustic character”, i.e. uneducated; he also
claimed
that “they get hold of the children privately, and certain stupid women
with
them, and they pour forth astounding statements, as for example, that
they must
not pay any attention to their father or school teacher, but must obey
them.” (
Contra Celsum, 3.55)
*How might the account of the
Martyrdom of Sts. Perpetua and Felicity be used to support and/or
oppose Celsus's views?
Re. martyrdom and social status of
women:
2) What does the
Passion of Sts. Perpetua and
Felicity reveal about the Christian community of 3rd century
Carthage? How does the text confront traditional Roman forms of
community--both familial and civic community--with the Christian
alternative? Give specific examples from the text.
3) From this text, what determines who does
what in Christian society? How do gender and social status seem
to function here in comparison with traditional Roman norms?
Re. power of martyrs:
4) In the
readings about martyrs, we see that individuals were able to suffer
great amounts without pain due to
their faith. Using Brown or the Perpetua account to inform your
answer, what do
you think this signified?
5) What is the significance of Perpetua's dream
about Dinocrates?
What does the
second vision of Perpetua’s
younger brother Dinocrates being healed symbolize? Why
was he
suffering? How would you describe his state, and how and why does
his condition change?
Re. prophecy &
mysticism:
6) Perpetua has
visions of prophecy which indicate a special relationship
to God. In the Brown reading, The New Prophecy is discussed.
Tertullian asserted
that the way to achieve this advanced spirituality was through
abstinence from
sex, food, and other pleasures. How was Perpetua's situation unique?
7) Dronke states that
“Perpetua
is the foremother of all the later women mystics...”
What role did Perpetua play in the female society even after her
death, that might have promoted mysticism?
8) Drawing from Klawiter's article (in Church
History), what was the difference between the catholic view and the New
Prophecy's (or Montanist) view on the priestly authority of women?
Week 5: Questions on
Readings
Please bring Clark and copies of the
two secondary-source articles with you to class on Thursday.
1. Drawing from the various primary and secondary-source texts assigned
this week, make a list of the various official and unofficial
ministries performed by women in the first three centuries of the
Christian movement. Whereever possible note a specific example of
a woman who performed such a ministry.
2. Which of these ministries were considered acceptable, and which were
questioned or criticized by the church hierarchy in the second and
third centuries?
3. What were some of the arguments used to discourage women from
functioning in such capacities?
(Note at least one specific argument.) What arguments were used
to support the women ministering in such capacities as teachers,
baptizers, deaconesses, presbyters, etc.?
4.
Drawing from both articles as well as the reading in Clark, and based
on the models of behavior we have already established, what options did
women have for social mobility inside the Christian community?
5. What constraints were placed on the women who held offices or
performed ministries?
Week 6:
Questions on Readings
1.
Consider
and analyze Macrina's personality as depicted by St. Gregory of Nyssa. What qualities does he give her?
How does this depiction work into the bigger
picture of the relationship between the institutional church and the
spiritual
church?
2. How does Gregory describe the asceticism of
Macrina? What
ascetic practices or forms of self-denial does he emphasize, and why do
you think he focuses on these particular aspects of her monastic
life?
(What do these emphases suggest about his own background, values or
experiences?)
3. Gregory of Nyssa was the brother of both Macrina
and Basil of
Caesarea.
What do we learn about their family from this text, and how do you
think
Gregory's
relationship with Macrina influences his writing of this text?
4. What
are the similarities and differences that can be noted between the
writings of
St. Jerome and St. Augustine, and Gregory’s writing of his sister, St.
Macrina,
when examining the rules and consequences that govern everyday monastic
life?
How are the all-woman monasteries organized and order kept? What are
the most
important governing rules and beliefs?
5.
Describe the lifestyle of ascetic women. In
what ways did it differ from the ascetic
men? Find specific passages in the text(s) that illustrate
your point.
6.
Besides spiritual reasons, what other reasons or
motivations do you think influenced women in the fourth century were
compelled to join the
monastic movement?
7. One
advantage believed to be gained by women
during the monastic movement is leadership and control. Many women
started or were
given monasteries that they controlled in the 4th century. From the readings, which women were more
likely to obtain control or become a superior in a monastery? Once given control, how much control do you
think women really exercised when running the monasteries? Be able to provide support and examples from
the text.
8. What is Clark's main argument in the
article
"Ascetic Renunciation and Feminine Advancement"? Does this explain the
attraction
to monastic life exhibited by women and their special place in it?
Week 7:
Assignment & Questions on Readings
Assignment:
Choose one incident from one of the harlot's lives in "Harlots of the
Desert" or a saying of one of the desert mothers and write a short
reflection on the significance of that passage for women or men in late
antiquity. (This assignment will not be graded, but it will
contribute to your participation grade and will help to generate
thoughtful discussion on Thursday.)
1. In the lecture on Tuesday four themes were mentioned in the
lives of desert mothers: flight from the world, the assumption of
male attire, discovery and recognition, repentance. Try to find
examples of these themes in the Lives assigned for class discussion.
2. In
Harlots of the Desert,
we find a tendency to confuse or "lump together" all the various Marys
of scriptural significance, despite their very different circumstances.
Cite some examples of this. How does this treatment compare with the
literary representation of prominent male figures in the church?
In one instance we read the following: "He was
called Zossima
but,
in spite of his name, no one should think that I am referring to that
Zossima who was guilty of doctrinal error." The writter of the
story of St. Mary of Egypt makes this distinction to be sure the reader
doesn't confuse the two figures by the same name, but according
to Benedicta Ward, Christian writers confused and melded the Marys. Why
do you think the identities of the women are confused while the men are
seperated and made distinct?
3. What are some similarities between all of the stories of the
repentant harlots? How do they differ?
4. There are some interesting role reversals depicted in
Harlots of the Desert. Find
some examples of such reversal. How were the monks compared to
the whores by one of the abbas?
5. How were disguises used differently by ascetic men and women? Give
specific examples and explain why they were used in these ways.
6. What is the possible symbolic meaning of Mary of Egypt being clothed
only in hair (after her rags wore away to nothing)?
7. How did the monks in general and Mary of Egypt in particular relate
to the story of the Fall?
8 In the saings of Amma Syncletica (#4) what are the
"delights of the world," and how should the ascetics avoid being
seduced by them?.
Week 8: Questions on
Readings
1. In Augustine's reflections on his past, especially on
his mother and his family (Clark, 245-258), what glimpses do we get of
normal expectations for aristorcratic women, men, children, and
marriages in the late fourth century. Find some specific examples
(quotations) to illustrate your points.
2. How does Augustine describe his father, and how does his mother
Monica win her husband over to the Christian faith?
3. How would you describe Augustine's relationship with his mother as
depicted in
Confessions
IX.9-12 (Clark, pp.252-257)? What is unusual or distinctive about
this relationship?
4. In his treatise
On Marriage and
Concupiscence (Clark, pp. 55-60) Augustine presents some his
classic doctrines and views on sex, sexuality, and sin. Describe
his teachings in this section. How does he view the purpose of
sex? How does he describe the nature of marriage? In what
sense does he view sex as a dilemma--both potentially good and
inevitably bad?
5. Though he doesn't explicitly discuss what happened in Paradise in
this excerpt, how does he understand the nature and the consequences of
the Fall?
6. Compare Augustine's comments on marriage (pp.61-62) with
Chrysostom's evaluation (pp.63-64). What similarities and
differences do you find?
7. What are some of Augustine's main points in his letter to Ecdicia
(Clark, pp.65-59)?
8. To what extent and in what ways does Augustine differ from the
dominant views of his culture? Did you find his view more or less
appealing than those of other church leaders and/or theologians we have
read?
For
broader reflection & discussion: In your view, does Augustine
have anything relevant to say to women or men in today's society?
Week 10:
Questions on Life of Leoba
-
Be sure to bring your Petroff
source book to class!
1. What do we learn about developments in the institution of
monasticism from the account of Leoba’s spiritual mother, Tetta, and
later descriptions of monasticism in the work of Boniface and his
co-workers in Germany?
2. What opportunities did monastic life afford women? What social
or intellectual roles did it play alongside its spiritual role?
Choose one particular example or incident from the text to support your
answer to either of these questions.
3. Compare the lifestyle of Leoba with that of Paula (in Jerome's
writings) or other female monastic leaders we have read about earlier
in the semester. What personality traits and characteristics do
these ascetic leaders share?
4.
The Life of St. Leoba describes not only
Leoba's life but the work of the famous monk St. Boniface as
well. What events shed light on their unique relationship? Find
passages that refer to their relationship.
Do
you think their relationship was one of romance, spirituality, or both?
5. According to
The Life of Leoba by
Rudolf, Monk of
Fulda “The
princes loved her, the nobles received her, and the bishops welcomed
her with joy.” St. Leoba was obviously greatly admired by the noble
class. Why do you think shey was so popular with the rulers and
nobility of the realm?
One special relationship detailed in the account was that between Leoba
and Queen Hiltigard. Identify some complexities of their
relationship.
6. St. Leoba's quest for eternal perfection was a lifetime
pursuit. In what ways did her exemplary life set a path for
others to follow? What impact did she have on the medieval ascetics of
that time that (perhaps) continues today?
Week 11: Christina
of Markyate and Hildegard of Bingen -
Be sure to bring your sourcebook
(Petroff) to class!
1. Christina's story is more grounded in social realities than
Hildegard's. What do we learn from her story about social
expectations
of women? Do you see any differences between this period and the
late
antique period? Explain.
2. In the Life of Christina there are two very different mothers.
Who are they, and how do they compare?
3. What is the significance of the Virgin Mary's presence in
Christiana's Life? How is the Virgin described, and what explains
this temporal imagery? What significance does this have for women?
4. In what ways is Hildegard influenced by the religious ideas of her
time? How do you see this influence in her life and writings?
5. How does the dedication of the liturgical songs to Mary reveal her
increasing role and spiritual power? What in particular is
revealing about the dual role of women in Antiphons 5, 7, and 11?
6. Both visionaries place a large emphasis on the forms the Holy
Trinity takes in her visions? What significance to you find in
their choice of images?
7. Both Hildegard and Christina were born to noble families. How might
this have shaped their lives? What are some of the other
similarities or differences between their stories?
8. Do you think their isolation from humanity had an impact on their
mental health? Why or why not?
9. There are several men who concern themselves with Christina and
Hildegard. Who are they, and how do they act toward their female
counterparts?
Week 12:
Hadewijch of Brabant, Letters and Visions -
Be sure to bring your sourcebook
(Petroff) to class!
1. In the
chapter 5 of From Virile Woman to WomanChrist, pp.
137-138, Barbara Newman describes Beguine spiritual writings as a
distinctive
combination of
bridal mysticism
[Brautmystik] and
courtly love [fine
amour].
Find examples of language in
Hadewijch’s writings that illustrate each of these forms of discourse.
(Look for at least two examples of each.)
2. In Letter 6 of Letters to a
Young Beguine Hadewijch says
that anything beyond saying prayers for sinners would be a waste of
time?
(p.190, col.2)
At the same time, a
recurring theme of the letter is that one should “never abandon the
true life
of good works,” and that if you act in accordance with the nature God
had given
you, “your nature would be so noble that there would be no pains which
you
should shun.”
Are these instructions
contradictory, and if so, how would you explain this apparent
contradiction?
3. Which major themes or ideals
of the spiritual life are
distinctive in Hadewijch’s writings?
Choose any two themes that recur in the Letters or Visions and
discuss
their possible significance.
4. Discuss Hadewijch’s use of the
word Love throughout the
Visions.
5. In Vision 7 Hadewijch writes:
"For that is the most perfect satisfaction: to grow up in order to be
God with God." (page 195) What does such language and the imagery
of this and the other visions suggest about the Christian's
relationship with God? Does this understanding of the Christian
life seem to be new or different than that of an earlier age?
6. In Hadewijch’s Visions the
eagle is a continuous symbol in
each account.
In the first two visions, it
plays
the role of a messenger to God and in the third (Vision 11), Hadewijch
herself along with St.
Augustine become eagles who are both devoured by the Phoenix which she
recognizes as
“the Unity in which the Trinity dwells.”
(p.198, col. 1)
What do you
think is the meaning of this symbolism?
7. In your opinion, to what extent does
Hadewijch's mysticism reflect a female voice or ideal? Try to
find an example to illustrate your point.
Week 13: Caroline
Bynum article -
Please
bring both a printed version of Caroline Bynum's article and your
Petroff
sourcebook to class! Remember that there will be a quiz as
well. My Tuesday lecture & the readings for the week
(especially Petroff's introduction, the Angela of Foligno reading, and
the Bynum article) are all fair game for the quiz, though I will not
ask you obscure questions.
*On Angela Foligno (warm up for discussion of Bynum
article): What references to food do you find in Angela of
Foligno's "Book"? Discuss the significance of these references.
1. According to Caroline Bynum, how did a woman's
relationship with food have an impact on
men and other people around her?
(Give
examples from Bynum's article.) What factors played a role in women's
decision to give up food, both religiously and socially?
2. How did consumption of the eucharist unite women
with
Christ? What were some of the women's theories supporting this?
3. Fasting is a recurring theme in the life of
Lidwina of
Schiedam.
What were her hopes and
intentions in a) receiving the eucharist, and b) giving food to the
poor?
4. What examples from the text demonstrate the
relationship
between fasting, chastity, gluttony and lust?
5. Fasting was practiced among women as a way of
becoming closer
to Christ and cultivating their spiritual life. What other more
unconventional
uses of fasting are discussed in the article?
6. Bynum's
article brings up some modern theories for why
these women fasted. What are some of
these theories and do you think they are applicable to the study of
these
women? Explain why or why not.
7. What stereotypical views of women and eating disorders
today are the same (or different) as in the thirteenth and fourteenth
centuries? Provide examples from the text.
Week 14: Readings
from Julian of Norwich and Margery Kempe - Bring Petroff
to class!
Remember you may
choose to answer one of these questions or write your own short
reflection on one of the texts for extra credit in class participation.
1.
In
the chapter introduction, Pertroff tells us
that the recluse Julia of Norwich had her first visions at age thirty
and did
not reach a full understanding of them until she reached the age of
fifty when she wrote
elaborately about the hidden meanings of her earlier experience.
In her "Showings" Julian herself tells us that
she reached "an inward
instruction" of the invisible
meanings of the allegory of
the servant. What does this
tell us of the value of a long life
of contemplation?
2. How does Julian of Norwich use descriptions of clothing to support
the divisions in her understanding of her revelation from God?
What is especially important about the servant's clothing? The
servant's clothing is not the only symbolism in Julian of Norwich's
vision. What other important symbols does she describe?
Discuss the meaning of some of these symbols.
3. In Julian's vision of Christ, what does the picture of Christ
sitting on the barren and waste ground signify? (p.310)
According to Julian's interpretation of her vision, what central
theological doctrine does this revelation teach?
4. Discuss the different forms of piety that Margery Kempe practices
throughout her Book. Note specific examples. What different
responses or reactions does her spirituality provoke from other people?
5. Throughout her account Margery keeps "showing herself" (or her
manner of life) and presenting her revelations to priests, monks, and
theologians. Note a couple concrete examples from the text.
Why do you think she does this, and why are these incidents so central
to her narrative? How do the church authorities generally respond
to Margery?
6. Margery Kemp suffered many trials, perhaps none so much as her
uncontrollable crying. However, through what some may label a
disability she pressed on in her faith and devotion to God. How
would you interpret this aspect of her life? Can we see in
Margery a neo-feminist in her battle against those who would classify
her as a heretic, or should she be viewed only as a devout woman,
serving her God?
7.
Though Margery holds no official rank or position in the church, what
types of leadership roles does she play throughout the Book?
Refer to
specific examples. In what ways does she teach others, and whom
does
she teach?
8. Pertroff says that we can imagine the extent of Margery of Kempe's
martyrdom by how many times she was told to shut-up. She was also
accused of heresy.
What do these
passages reflect about how women like Margery were viewed by their
communities and/or by the structures of ecclesiastical authority of her
day.
** Comparisons: In both of these
writings we hear a woman’s voice. Where
did a mystic woman’s power of expression come from? How was she
empowered to
speak as a spiritual guide? Why did Margery speak in the third
person? Though
the accounts of Julian and Margery seem quite different in content,
what about their lives and spiritual experiences ties them together.