Discuss the evidence for women's positions in Christianity from Jesus to the Pastoral epistles. In what ways did women's leadership roles change over time? Why do you think this happened?

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The Answer is The earliest Gospel traditions make clear that there were many women associated with Jesus: women provided financial support and accompanied him in his public ministry. Paul's undisputed letters indicate that women played a role in the foundation of the earliest churches. On the other hand, in some parts of his letters, Paul appears to teach that women should be submissive to men and not be active in church life. Since Paul's views of women could be interpreted as inconsistent-that women could serve in the church, but they must retain their social status as women-it is not surprising that Christian groups subsequently used Paul to advance their own, very different views. Some took the side that women could perform the same basic roles as men. Other Christians, however, took the opposite stance and argued that women should marry and occupy a traditional, submissive role (e.g., the Pastoral Epistles). As long as Christians met within the confines of the private home, women were able to hold positions of authority and prominence. As the movement grew, however, and Christianity became more public, it became problematic for women to retain their leadership positions.

Discuss the Evidence for Women's Positions in Christianity from Jesus