Introduction
Women position and role in the society has been a matter of considerable attention from different communities in the world. The history of the women civilization and freedom date back in the seventieth and eighteenth centuries when women fought for their position in the society. The situation of women in church and their role in the same environment also have come under scrutiny since many years ago. Many questions have been raised whether women should take the role as a church leader and many issues. However, the story dates back many years ago during the error of Saint Paul when he wrote the letters to Corinthians where in its letter; there was an element of inclusive leadership ( Frend, 2014). During this time, the women had a different role in the church, and they were not even allowed to prophesized issues without covering their head. However, the women had a role which they played in the society. For instance, the story, as well as the account of Perpetua, indicates some critical roles women played in church as well as the whole community.
Thesis : Women had a major role in the society since many years ago, they played a major role in church too, and however, their participations in the community leadership were often met with challenges since they antagonized the expected roles by the traditional.
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What were the roles that women could take in the early church?
` Women are undoubtedly the most prayerful gender in the world. However, their role in the church environment has been blanketed by the men for several years. But, the male gender dominance in the church does not necessarily mean that ladies have no role in the church. In fact, they have as important role in the church as men. The first role women played in the church is to visualize situations or events in the church ( Gonzalez, 2010). This one way that Christians believe that they communicate with their God. In the reading, there are many occasion where through her visionary God-given talent, St. Perpetua visualize many issues which could not be done by an ordinary individual. For instance, after her baptism when the brother told the Lady as her father later named the Perpetua, that she had the power to communicate directly to God after receiving Baptism. Alternatively, Alternatively, Perpetua visualizes about her younger brother who died of cancer and intervened for him. He sadly put him in prayers to console his soul. Visualizing the unseen things was a role women played even in the early churches. For instance, in the latter of St. Paul to Corinthian, he highlighted the role of women as prophets and urged them to cover their heads whenever making any prophecies.
Also, women had a great role in praying for people in the church. This is a role which many women still assume in church even in this error. This role never begins in the current error; it began a long time ago. For instance, St. Perpetua had no option when she visualizes the image of her brother who had had cancer and later died of the same illness. She intervened for him like a prophet. She prayed for him and put him in his daily prayers routine as asserted by Frend (2014).
What were the expectations for women in different stages of life?
Human being undergoes some life stage development from a child to an old man or old woman. Each different state of development comes with expectation for both males and females. For instance, at the child stage, much is not expected from women. They are still young and adored. The expectation at this stage is simple cognitive activates such as talking, walking, eating and many others. At the adolescent stage, young women were expected to be taught ways of life and means of becoming a good wife. At thirty years of age, women were expected to be married and settle with their families. They were supposed to be nursing their babies and many others. At an old stage, they were expected to be giving the young ones wise ideas on how to be good wives and mothers ( Herrin, 2016).
In what ways were women able to lead and serve their communities?
Women had a great role in serving their community in a leadership position. Women fought for the freedom of their fellow women in the community as asserted by Grenz and Kjesbo (2010). The ancient tradition gave little space to women in the society. Men highly jeopardized the freedom of women, and they were seen as creators with a minimal role in the society. They were confined in their kitchen and taking care of the babies as we see St. Perpetua does. However, few women who managed to get the light fought for the freedom of their fellow women. Their primary duties were inclusive of making their fellow women aware of their rights. They also organized a demonstration to ensure that their rights were preserved. Alternatively, they community, they consoled and mediated for women who were abused by their cruel husband. They made sure that woman rights were recognized in the society.
In what ways did their participation in early Christianity reject or challenge the roles traditionally expected of them in Greco-Roman society?
The Greco-Roman society had given the women rights of expression, leadership and association less priority in the community. The women were not supposed to contribute any meaningful issues in church or tradition. However, the participation of women in the church issues was often met by fierce action. The traditional roles were felt like useless whenever a woman would go ahead and participate on weighty matters of the society. For instance, St. Perpetua is in prison in our case since she had a firm position in Christianity. This means that the traditions felt diminished whenever women participated in early Christian’s activities ( Gonzalez, 2010).
Conclusion
The position of women in the society as well in other professionals has been a subject of discussion currently and even many years as the history suggests. The debate on the role of women and their position not only occupies the professional field, but it also covers a significant part of the religious environment. However, the history gives women hope in this issue since it documents clearly that even in early Christian days; women had a significant role in the Christian society and churches. Also, the historians have it that some women defied the odds and had themselves well placed in the central position of church leadership, positions which they used to play a significant role in the society. Lastly, the traditions had women confined within the boundaries of the domestic work ( Frend, 2014) . Their job was to help their families move on, and they were not expected to indulge in issues which were much relevant in the society. For this reason, women would find themselves on the wrong side of the tradition in case they went against these issues.
References
Frend, W. W. (2014). Martyrdom and persecution in the early Church: A Study of Conflict from the Maccabees to Donatus . Wipf and Stock Publishers.
Gonzalez, J. L. (2010). The Story of Christianity: Volume 1: The Early Church to the Dawn of the Reformation (Vol. 1). Zondervan.
Grenz, S. J., & Kjesbo, D. M. (2010). Women in the Church: A Biblical theology of women in ministry . InterVarsity Press.
Herrin, J. (2016). Women and the faith in icons in early Christianity. Culture, Ideology and Politics , 56-83.
