Religion 221b, S '06
TTh 10:00-11:30
Office hours: M 10-12, T 1:30-3 and by appt. [x1028; amcguire@haverford.edu]

Women and Gender In Early Christianity

Prof. Anne McGuire

Haverford College

The full syllabus for this course is available within the Tri-College network at http://www.haverford.edu:8080/relg/relg221b/06221b.htm

Course Description: An examination of the representation of women and gender in early Christian texts, with attention to their historical and contemporary significance. In this course we'll employ a variety of methods (feminist, literary, historical, socio-cultural, theological) to explore the variety of early Christian views of women and gender. A special focus for Spring 2006 will be the varying representations of 3 female figures who have played important and varied symbolic roles in the history of the Christian tradition: Eve, Mary the mother of Jesus, and Mary Magdalene.

Course Requirements

1. Careful reading of all assigned texts, weekly one-page response papers, and participation in class discussion (30%).
2. Two Essays of 5-6 pages each, due Friday, February 24 and April 7 (40%).
3. A final research paper of 12-15 pages (30%).

Required Textbooks:

• Elisabeth Schuessler Fiorenza, In Memory of Her: A Feminist Theological Reconstruction of Christian Origins, 10th Anniversary Edition
• Ross Kraemer and Mary Rose D'Angelo, Women and Christian Origins.
• Patricia Cox Miller, Women in Early Christianity
• Karen L. King, The Gospel of Mary of Magdala.
• Bible. New Revised Standard Version.
• Additional Readings will be available at the web site, on reserve, or in class.
  

SYLLABUS OF READINGS

I. Women and Gender in the New Testament: The Gospels and Letters of Paul

Week I, 1/20 & 1/22: The Cultural and Social Contexts of Early Christianity

T, 1/20 Introduction to the Course: Women and Gender in Early Christianity and in Contemporary Scholarship
Th, 1/22: From Jesus Movement to Constantine: the Cultural and Social Contexts of Early Christianity

Readings for Week of 1/17-19

• Readings for Week of 1/17-19

  • Introductory Background reading:
    • Kraemer and D'Angelo, "Introduction," Women and Christian Origins (WCO), 3-10
    • Elisabeth Schuessler Fiorenza, "Remembering the Past in Creating the Future," Bread Not Stone: The Challenge of Feminist Biblical Interpretation," 93-115.
      • Fiorenza, Part One,
      • Fiorenza, Part Two
    • Fiorenza, In Memory of Her [IMOH], 99-104
      
      
  • Readings to Prepare for Discussion on Thursday:
  • First reading of The Gospel of Mark 1-8
  • Fiorenza, IMOH, 105-130
    • For further background:
      • Judith Hallett, "Women's Lives in the Ancient Mediterranean," Women & Christian Origins (WCO), 13-34.
      • Ross Kraemer, "Jewish Women and Christian Origins: Some Caveats," WCO, 35-49; "Jewish Women and Women's Judaism(s)," WCO, 50-73
• Th, 1/19: Topics for Class Discussion
  • Consider the issues and debates in early Christian studies discussed by Kraemer/D'Angelo (WCO) and Fiorenza. Which of these seem most relevant to the issues you want to see discussed in the course?
  • Examine closely the references to women in the Gospel of Mark. How are these women characterized? What roles do they play? How does their representation and/or characterization in GMark relate to the gospel's characterization of the male disciples of Jesus (the 12 and others)?

Week II, 1/27 & 1/29: Interpreting Stories about Women in the Gospel of Mark; Gender, Characterization, and Narrative Themes as Categories of Analysis

Week III, 1/31 & 2/2: Interpreting Stories about Women in the Gospel of Luke: Luke's Depiction of Mary the mother of Jesus and Mary Magdalen

Week IV, 2/10 & 2/12: Women and Gender in the Communities and Letters of Paul

Week V, 2/17 & 2/19: Women and Gender in the Post-Pauline and Johannine Communities

II. Women as Icons, Models, and Mentors: Eve, Mary, Mary Magdalen, and Others in Ancient Christianity and Contemporary Culture

Week VI, 2/24 & 2/26: Mary the Mother of Jesus in the New Testament and Later Christian Literature

Week VII, 3/2 & 3/4: Mary Magdalen in the New Testament and Later Christian Literature

SPRING BREAK - March 6-14

Week VIII, 3/16 & 3/18: Images of Eve, Mary, and Mary Magdalen in Nag Hammadi Texts of the Second & Third Centuries

Week IX, 3/23 & 3/25: "You are the Devil's Gateway": Varying Perspectives on Eve and Early Christian Constructions of Gender

Week X, 3/30 & 4/1: The Ideal of the Virgin and Martyr I: Thecla and Perpetua

Week XI, 4/13 & 4/15: The Ideal of Asceticism and the Representation of Holy Women: Drusiana, Agnes and Marcina

Week XII, 4/20 & 4/22: Ascetic Women of the Cities and the Desert; Sayings of the Desert Mothers

Week XIII, 4/27: Ideologies of Gender and the Construction of "Woman" in the Writings of the Church "Fathers"

Week XIV, 4/29: Presentation and Discussion of Research Topics

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