Women in the Early Church: Message of the Fathers of the Church Series (Message of the Fathers of the Church, V. 13.)
Average Rating: out of 2 Reviews
Price: $24.95
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Manufacturer: Liturgical Press
EAN (European Article Number): 9780814653326
Number of Items: 1
Binding: Paperback
Author: Elizabeth Ann Clark
Publisher: Liturgical Press
Dewey Decimal Number: 261.834409015
Publication Date: 1984-10
Reading Level: 260
Description: I read this book because it was required for a seminary class on early church history. I was really looking forward to it because all the previous reading was about church fathers. It was awful. There have to be good books out there that aren't so negative. I want to know where all the women were who were making great strides for the church. They were not in this book.
Customer Reviews
Review Summary: okay overview of early church theology...
Date: 2008-04-30
Details: Women in the Early Church by Elisabeth Clark is primarily a collection of documents written by the Church Fathers during the first through fifth centuries. Clark argues that the Church Father's had an attitude of ambivalence towards women (Clark, 15), and she examines writings that portray women both in a positive and a negative light. The texts are arranged topically and many are preceded by a short introduction describing their historical context and the theological significance written by Clark. The book looks at the negative view of women portrayed in Creation and the subsequent Fall, the role of martyrdom in the church, and the positive view of women that developed through the rise of asceticism. Clark also samples texts addressing the wider role of women in the world and women who are seen as models of pure life throughout the Early Church period.
Clark does an okay nice job setting these texts in their historical context, and gives a range of texts that show both ways that women were looked down upon during this period as well as ways that women were idealized and honored for their purity. While Clark affectively reaches the goal she set out to achieve, it would have been helpful if she had included a broad overview of the theological views of women for each of the topics that she addressed as well as included more texts showing the leadership role that so many women did participate in.
This was an okay book, but if you are looking for an overview of the views of women during the Early Church period, I would highly recommend Women In Early Christianity: Translations From Greek Textsby Patricia Cox Miller which provides a better overall description of the historical context that these texts are found, and is a good reference book.
Review Summary: Women and the Early Church
Date: 2006-10-31
Details: I read this book because it was required for a seminary class on early church history. I was really looking forward to it because all the previous reading was about church fathers. It was awful. There have to be good books out there that aren't so negative. I want to know where all the women were who were making great strides for the church. They were not in this book.
out of 2 Reviews
