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
Focus for Spring
2006: Eve,
Mary, and Mary Magdalene
in Early Christian Traditions
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The Morning of the
Resurrection (1882)
Sir Edward Burne-Jones
(1833-1898)
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Images of Eve, Mary, and
Mary Magdalene in the History of Art
Syllabus and Course Information
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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 in canonical and non-canonical sources. 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:
- Careful reading of all assigned
texts, weekly one-page response papers, and participation in class
discussion (30%).
- This is not a lecture course. All
students are expected to come to class ready to participate in
discussion.
- Half the class will hand in response
papers on Tuesday; the other half on Thursday.
- These one-page single-spaced essays
should offer close analysis of a particular passage in the primary
source readings assigned for class, or they should raise
critical questions about secondary sources (the writings of contemporary
scholars). Students who have written for class may be asked to
share an observation or a question about the material for class
discussion.
- Two Essays of 5-6 pages each, due
Monday, February 27 and April 7 (40%).
- A final research paper of 12-15
pages (30%). Proposals due Tuesday, April 9 in class.
Annotated bibliography and outline due Friday, April 21; 5-page
draft due last week of class.
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.
Resources
for the Study of Artistic Images
From my web site for Relg. 216b,
Images of Jesus
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
- 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, 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
Readings for week of 1/24-26
- Topics for T, 1/24: Study, Paper, Discussion:
Stories about Women in the Gospel of Mark 1-8
- Consider
the stories about women, the disciples, the family of Jesus, and
other social groups in GMk 1-8 in relation to the larger themes emerging
in the gospel - e.g., the "good
news [gospel] of the Kingdom of God," the identity of Jesus,
and various tensions, e.g., between secrecy/hiddenness and openness/revelation;
between faith/understanding and unfaith/misunderstanding; and between
insiders and outsiders? How are we to read the stories about women
in GMk 1-6 in relation to these themes and tensions in the text?
- Consider, for example, stories about
such apparent 'insiders' as Jesus' family (Mark 3:31-35) and the
disciples (Mark 4 and throughout) in relation to stories about apparent
outsiders, such as the women with the flow of blood (Mark 5:25-43)
and the Syrophoenician woman(Mark 7:24-30).
- Topics for T, 1/26: Stories about Women
in the Gospel of Mark 9-16
- Reread the entire Gospel of Mark closely
with careful attention to the gospel's depiction of the disciples
of Jesus and of the women who interact with him. Compare the disciples'
failure to 'hear' and 'understand' Jesus (Mk 4:10-13, 4:40-41; 6:17-29;
6:47-52; 8:14-21, 8:31-33; 9:30-35; 10:32-37, etc.) with the responses
of various women depicted in the text - from the women with the flow
of blood and the .Syrophoenician woman to the woman who anoints Jesus
at Bethany (14:3-9), and the women at the cross and the empty tomb
(15:40-16:8).
- Reread the gospel and its stories about
women and think about their relation to the themes of the gospel
as a whole and to the category of gender. Choose one story and develop
your own interpretation or retelling of the story to share with the
class.
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
Readings for week of 1/31-2/2
- The Gospel of Luke - focus on passages
listed below, esp. Lk 1-3, 7:36-8:3; 10:38-42, 11;27-28, and 23:49-24:12.
- D'Angelo, "(Re)Presentations
of Women in the Gospel of Matthew and Luke-Acts," WCO, 171-191 (focus on analysis
of Luke
- Synoptic Comparison of the Empty Tomb and
Resurrection Appearances
Mary Rose D'Angelo, "Reconstructing
'Real' Women from Gospel Literature: The Case of Mary Magdalene," WCO, 105-28
Recommended for further reading:
Commentaries on Luke in The Women's Bible Commentary and Searching the Scriptures.
Vol. II (r).
- Topics for T, 2/3: Women in the Gospel
of Luke, First Reading; Focus on Luke's depiction of Mary the Mother
of Jesus:
- Read the Gospel of Luke 1-10 with careful
attention to women who play a role in the narrative and women who
appear in the sayings/parables of Jesus. Compare with GMark. Consider,
for example: Elizabeth, Mary, Anna (Lk 1-3); the woman who anoints
Jesus (Lk 7:36-50); Mary Magdalene and others from Galilee (8:1-3);
Jesus' saying on his mother and brothers (8:19-21) Jairus' daughter
and the hemorrhaging woman (8:40-56); and Mary and Martha (10:38-42).
- Compare closely the context and features
of Mark's story of the anointing woman (Mark 14:3-9) with Luke's
story of the woman who anoints Jesus in Luke 7:36-50.
Topics for Th, 2/5: Interpreting Stories
about Women in the Gospel of Luke: Focus on Mary Magdalen and the Women
at the Empty Tomb
- Continue your reading and analysis of
stories and sayings about women in Luke, with particular attention
to the relation between the structure and themes of Luke (the role
of the Holy Spirit; prophecy; repentance and forgiveness) and its stories
about women. Consider: 1) stories about women (esp. the woman bent
over inn 13:10-17 and women at the crucifixion and the empty tomb in
23:49-24:12) and 2) women/gender in sayings of Jesus: Jesus' saying
on what is blessed (11:27-28); on division in households (12:49-53);
the parable of the lost coin (15:8-10); the parable of the widow and
judge (18:1-8); on marriage and resurrection (21:27-40); the daughters
of Jerusalem (23:27-31).
- Choose one story and offer a reinterpretation
of the story within its literary, historical, or theological contexts
in Luke.
- Use the PDF documents on the crucifixion,
empty tomb and resurrection narratives in the 4 gospels to analyse
more clearly what Luke does with this material. What do you make of
the differences in Luke's version of these stories. Be especially attentive
to the differences between their respective references to Mary Magdalen
(Luke 8 and 24 and parallels).
Week
IV, 2/10 & 2/12: Women
and Gender in the Communities and Letters of Paul
Readings for week of 2/10-12
- Galatians; 1 Corinthians, focus on chapters
5-7, 11, 14-15; Romans 16
- A
Chronology of Paul's Life and Letters
- Genesis 1-3; focus on Genesis 1:26-27
- M. MacDonald, WCO, "Reading Real Women
through the Letters of Paul," 199-218
- E. Castelli, "Paul
on Women and Gender," WCO,
221-233
- Topics for
T, 2/10 "There is No Male and
Female; For You Are All One in Christ" (Gal. 3:28)
- What is
the central message of Paul's "gospel" according
to Galatians? What is the relation between Paul's theological claims
about covenant inheritance and his statements about women? Consider
especially Gal. 3:28-29 and 4:21-31.
- What is the significance of differences
based on ethnicity (Jews and Greeks), social class (slave and free),
and gender (male and female), according to the Paul of 1 Corinthians?
Compare and contrast with the persepctives of Gal. 3:28-29.
- Examine
Romans 16 for evidence of women at work in the Pauline mission. Evaluate
MacDonald's arguments on the roles of "real woman" in Pauline churches.
- Topics for
Th, 2/21 Sexual Issues in Corinth; Gender, Marriage, and the "Body" in
Pauline Christianity
- How does
Paul's argument about the relation between the individual and communal "Body" in
1 Corinthians affect his position on sexual matters in Corinth? How
does his view of the impending End (eschaton) have on his views of
marriage, sexuality, and the community?
- Analyse the uses of Genesis 1-3 in the
language and arguments of Gal. 3:28 and 1 Corinthians 11. What evidence
do you see of ancient constructions of gender in the interpretation
of Genesis 1-3 and the argument of 1 Corinthians 11?
- Compare Gal. 3:28 with the similar formula in 1 Corinthians 12. What
do you make of the differences of wording and context?
Week
V, 2/17 & 2/19: Women
and Gender in the Pauline and Post-Pauline Communities
Readings for week of 2/14-16
- Colossians and Ephesians, special focus
on Col. 3:18-4:1, Ephesians 5:21-33 (the household codes)
- 1 Timothy (focus on references to women,
esp. Eve in 1 Tim 2:8-15)
- Genesis and Gender:
Pay attention especially to the different interpretations of the notion
of the Human Being (ha-adham, anthropos) created in the image of God (Gen.
1:26-27) and the account of the creation of the earth creature and its
division into man and woman (Hebrew ish and ishsha; Greek aner and gyne).
- MacDonald, "Early Interpreters of Paul on
Women and Gender," WCO, 236-251
- Topics for T, 2/14 and 2/16 The Legacy
of Pauline Tradition: The Household Codes and Pastoral Letters
- Analyse the construction of social relations
in the household codes of Colossians and Ephesians. Compare with
what we know of social roles, especially those associated with class
and gender in the Pauline communities.
- Compare
and contrast the interpretation of Genesis 1-3 in 1 Timothy with
that of Gal. and 1 Corinthians (and see also Romans 5). What do you
make of the similarities and differences in general, and between
1 Corinthians 11 and 1 Timothy 2.
Week VI, 2/21 - 3/2: Women
and Gender in the Gospel of John; Logos and Sophia; The Mary's of the Gospels
of John and Thomas
Topics for T,
2/21 and 2/23 Women and Gender in the Gospels of John and Thomas; Logos
and Sophia; "Mary" in
the Gospels of John and Thomas
- For Tuesday, 2/21
- Gospel of John, Read the entire Gospel
of John closely with careful attention to: 1) the conception of Jesus'
preexistence as Logos of God and 2) the women who play an important role
in the story: Focus on: Mary at the wedding in Cana (2:1-12); the Samaritan
woman at the well (John 4:7-42); Mary, Martha, and Lazarus (11:1-53); the
woman who anoints Jesus (12:1-8; here: Mary of Bethany; compare with Mk
14:3-9 and Lk 7:36-50); Mary at the cross (19:25-27); Mary Magdalene at
the cross and outside the empty tomb (19:25, 20:1-18).
- WISDOM Literature: Proverbs
8 (skim for other passages on personified Wisdom), Wisdom of Solomon (skim
for images of Wisdom personified; select 1-3 passages that correlate to
ideas about the Logos in Gospel of John 1)
- E.
Schuesler Fiorenza, "The Gospel of John," In
Memory of Her, 323-334.
- D'Angelo, WCO, 129-137, 145-146
- Topics for 2/21:
- Focus on the connections between Wisdom in Jewish Wisdom literature
(Proverbs and Wisdom of Solomon) with Hebrew texts
- What do you make of the differences between John's presentation of Jesus'
ministry, teaching, and interactions with women in comparison to the Synoptic
Gospels? What is the significance of John's account of the women at the
cross, empty tomb, and the resurrection appearances.
- For Thursday, 2/23
- The Gospel of Thomas
- The
Gospel of Thomas [a
gospel discovered in Egypt in 1945 as part of the Nag Hammadi Library];
Focus on Sayings 22 and 114, and other allusions to Genesis (review Genesis
and Gender handout)
- A. McGuire, "Women,
Gender and Gnosis in Gnostic Texts and Traditions," WCO, 257-299.
- For further background on the Nag Hammadi
texts, see:
- Topics for Th, 2/23
- Compare and contrast the representation
of Jesus' teachings on the Kingdom of God in the Gospel of Thomas
with the NT Gospels.
- What is the relation between creation
and salvation in GThomas? Consider, for example, the text's references
to Adam and other imagery drawn from Genesis 1-3. How do the figures
of Adam and Eve fit into the religious worldview of GThomas?
- What is the relation between gender
and salvation in the Gospel of Thomas? Analyse the tension between
Gospel of Thomas 22 and 114, as well as other references to male
and female.
Paper
#1 due by Monday, 2/27, 3 p.m. in Gest, second floor
SPRING BREAK
Week
VII, 3/14 & 3/16: "Mother
of the Living" or "Devil's Gateway": Images
of Eve and Mary Magdalen in Nag Hammadi Texts of the Second & Third
Centuries
Readings for week of 3/14
- Topics for Week of 3/14 Genesis 1-3 as
Site of Contention; Eve and the Creation in the Hypostasis of the Archons
vs. Patristic Perspectives
- The Hypostasis of the Archons as
a retelling of Genesis 1-6: Eve, Norea, and the Savior in HypArch
- Tertullian, On
the Apparel of Women, esp.
Introduction
- Patricia Cox Miller, Timeline, Women in
Early Christianity, 326-27
- Topics for 3/14The
Hypostasis of the Archons from Nag Hammadi offers a radical retelling of
Genesis from the perspective that the Creator God is not the true God.
Notice the sharp distinction between Ialdabaoth vs. Incorruptiblity and
the Divine Spirit, and think about the implications of this revisioning
of the God who gives the command not to eat of the tree of knowledge (gnosis).
How does this text's reinterpretation of Genesis affect its representation
of Eve and her daughter Norea? What impact is this likely to have had on
the roles of women in the communities that read this text?
- How do the various manifestations of the divine
in HypArch relate to the Jewish and early Christian conceptions of Sophia
and Logos?
- Compare and contrast the representation of
EVE in HypArch with those found in the Pauline literature and in Tertullian
- Reading for 3/16: The Gospel of Philip and other Valentinian Conceptions
of Gender and Salvation
- Miller, Women in Early Christianity, 305-310
on Female Imagery and Metaphors
- The Gospel of Philip
- Topics for Th, 3/16
- Analyse the conception of salvation
as a restoration of unity in the Gospel of Philip. Analyse GPhil's
use of Genesis 1-3 in establishing its paradigms of creation and
salvation.
- How does Mary Magdalen figure in this
gospel? Compare and contrast with the NT gospels, GThomas, and the
Gospel of Mary.
Week VIII: Mary Magdalene
in the Memory and Imagination of the Early Church
Readings for
week of 3/21: Mary Magdalene in the New Testament, The "Gnostic
Gospels," and Contemporary Culture
- Review references
to Mary Magdalene in the New Testament Gospels: GMk 15:40-16:1, [16:19];
Mt 27:55-61, 28:1; Lk. 8:1-3; 24:9-11; Jn 19:25-20:18.
- In class on
Tuesday, we'll view portions of an ABC News special, "Unlocking
the DaVinci Code," which includes interviews with Dan Brown, Karen King,
Elaine Pagels, and others
- Mary Magdalene in The Gospels of Mary
and Philip and in Dan Brown's The DaVinci Code
- Karen King, The Gospel of Mary of Magdala
- [Read
the entire book due by the end of the week; focus particularly
on the text and on King's discussion of
the historical contexts]
- See also The
Gospel of Mary [Magdalene] for
an online translation
- Excerpts from the Gospel of Philip
- Relevant Excerpts from The Da Vinci
Code
- Note particularly the use of The Gospel of Philip and The Gospel
of Mary in Teabing's account
- Topics for Papers and Discussion, T 3/21
and Th 3/23 Mary Magdalene in the New Testament, The Gospels of Mary
and Philip, and The DaVinci Code
- For Tuesday's class, focus particularly on the representations of Mary
Magdalene in The Gospels of Mary and Philip, and their re-presentation in
the excerpts from The DaVinci Code
- Analyse Mary's role as a recipient
of revelation in The Gospel of Mary. Compare and contrast
with her role as a witness of the resurrection in the New Testament
texts.
- How do the
GMary and GPhilip illustrate the spirituality of Mary and the other
disciples? What does it mean to become "a complete human being" in
the Gospel of Mary? Compare with GThomas 114.
- Consider
the representation of "the
Gnostic gospels" in the DaVinci Code and the ABC News documentary
portions of which we'll see in class. What is the difference between
a critical historical perspective on the evidence and the perspective
represented by Teabing and Dan Brown?
- For Thursday's class, focus particularly on representations of Mary Magdalene
in relation to the discussion of women's roles in early Christianity (readings
from Cardman and Miller)
- F. Cardman, "Women,
Ministry, and Church Order in Early Christianity," WCO, 300-322
- Women as Teachers and Prophets, in Patricia
Cox Miller, Women in Early Christianity, 1-40, focusing
particularly on 5-8, 17-19, 29-40
- Compare the
varying representations of Mary Magdalene in the New Testament, the "Gnostic Gospels," and
in contemporary culture.Consider,
for example, visual representations of Mary: Gallery
of Images: Images of Mary Magdalene and
representations of Mary Magdalen in contemporary culture (poetry,
music, film, literature - e.g., iThe Last Temptation of Christ , Jesus
Christ Superstar; Godspell, The DaVinci Code, etc.
Week IX: The Ideals of
the Virgin and the Martyr I: Thecla and Perpetua
For Tuesday, 3/28, The Acts of Paul and Thecla
- The Acts of Paul and Thecla, in Patricia Cox Miller, Women in Early
Christainity, 155-180
- Margaret MacDonald, Rereading Paul: Early
Interpreters of Paul on Wmen and Gender, Women and Christian Origins,
236-253
- Review Francine
Cardman, "Women,
Ministry, and Church Order," WCO, esp. 301-02
- Nancy
A. Carter, "The Acts of Thecla: A Pauline Tradition Linked to
Women
- "Martyrs," in
P. Miller, Women in Early Cty, 40-47
- The
Passion of Perpetua, online at the Medieval Sourcebook (above)
- Gaile Corrington
Streete, "Women
as Sources of Redemption and Knowledge in Early Christian Traditions," WCO,
330-354.
- Recommended:
Patricia Cox Miller, "Perpetua
and Her Diary of Dreams," Dreams in Late Antiquity: Studies in the
Imagination of a Culture, Princeton University Press, 1994
- Also Recommended for
further reading:
- Carolyn Osiek, "Perpetua's
Husband," Journal of Early
Christian Studies
- See also Stephen Davis, The Cult of St.
Thecla; Joyce Salisbury, Perpetua's Passion; Maud McInerney, Eloquent
Virgins: From Thecla to Joan of Arc (r)
F, 4/7, Paper #2 Due by 3
p.m. in Gest, second floor. Guidelines
for Essay 2
Week
X, 4/4 & 4/6: The
Ideal of Asceticism and the Representation of Holy Women: Drusiana and Maxmilla
in the Apocryphal Acts
Readings for week of 4/4-6
- For Tuesday and Thursday: Portraits of Ascetic Women in the Apocryphal
Acts: Drusiana and Maximilla
- Drusiana: The Story of Drusiana from
The Acts of John, from E. Clark, WIEC, 88-96
- Maxmilla in the Acts of Andrew, Miller, 180-191
- Virginia
Burrus, "Word
and Flesh: The Bodies and Sexuality of Ascetic Women in Christian
Antiquity," Journal
of Feminist Studies in Religion 10 (1994) 27-51 (handout)
Note the similarities between the stories
of Thecla, Drusiana, and Maximilla. Consider the idealization of
these women against the male characters who would control them, but
consider also the role of the idealized male character in each text:
the Apostle - Paul, John, Andrew. What is the relation between the
male apostle and the female idealized in each text?
F, 4/7, Paper #2 Due by
3 p.m. in Gest, second floor. Guidelines
for Essay 2
Week XI, 4/11 and 4/13: Women
in Marriage and Virginity; Ideologies of Gender and the Construction of "Woman" in
the Writings of the Church "Fathers"
Due T, 4/11, in class:
Proposal for final reseach paper
Readings for week of 4/11-13
- For Tuesday: Virginity and Marriage; Agnes
the Virgin Martyr
- Selections in Miller, Women in Early Christianity on Female
Comportment, Virginity, and Marriage, 71-105, 253-267
- Miller, WEC, Portraits of Ascetic Women, 192-228 (selections on Agnes
and Olympias)
- Agnes texts: Agnes texts,
in Clark, WIEC, 106-114
Recommended for further reading: Virginia Burrus, "Reading
Agnes: The Rhetoric of Gender in Ambrose and Prudentius," Journal
of Early Christian Studies 3 (1995) 25-46.
For Thursday: Ascetic Women: The Desert Mothers
- Women in Desert Asceticism, Miller, 228-249
- E. Castelli, "Virginity
and its Meaning for Women's Sexuality in Early Christianity" Journal of
Feminist Studies in Reigion 2 (1986) 61-88 (pdf attached)
- For further reading:
Elizabeth Clark, "Ideology,
History and the Construction of Woman," JECS 2 (1994) (handout)
- Miller, WEC, 192-228, Macrina
Week
XII, 4/18 & 4/20: Female
Imagery and Theology
Readings for week of 4/18-20
- Miller, "Female Imagery and Theology," 289-307
- For Tuesday, 4/18, Focus on Representations of the Virgin Mary
- Review NT Sources and compare with sources in Miller, 291-304
- For Thursday, 4/20 Focus on Representations of Female Aspects of the Divine
in Miller, 307-321
- The Female Divine: Representations of Isis and
Wisdom
- Thunder, Perfect Mind from Nag Hammadi
- Female Images and Metaphors, in Miller, 307-312
- The Orthodox Theology of the Divine Trinity: Father, Son, Holy Spirit
Week
XIII, 4/27 & 4/29: Readings
and Topic to be Selected by Class; Presentation and Discussion of Research
Topics
For Tuesday, 4/27: Readings to be Selected by Class
For Thursday, 4/29 No additional Class Readings
- Each student should be prepared to speak for ca. 5 minutes on his/her
final project for the course
- Due in class: 5-page draft, annotated
bibliography, and outline of final paper
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