Women and Religion in the First Christian Centuries (1996 Sawyer), book

Women and Religion in the First Christian Centuries (1996) is a book by Deborah F. Sawyer.

Abstract

"Too often the religious traditions of antiquity are studied in isolation, without any real consideration of how they interacted. What made someone with a free choice become an adherent of one faith rather than another? Why might a former pagan choose to become a 'God-fearer' and attend synagogue services? Why might a Jew become a Christian? How did the mysteries of Mithras differ from the worship of the Unconquered Sun, or the status of the Virgin Mary from that of Isis, and how many gods could an ancient worshipper have? These questions are hard to answer without a synoptic view of what the different religions offered ... Women and Religion in the First Christian Centuries focuses on religion during the period of Roman imperial rule and its significance in women's lives. It discusses the rich variety of religious expression, from pagan cults and classical mythology to ancient Judaism and early Christianity, and the wide array of religious functions fulfilled by women. The author analyses key examples from each context, creating a vivid image of this crucial period which laid the foundations of western civilization. The study challenges the concepts of religion and of women in the light of post-modern critique. As such, it is an important contribution to contemporary gender theory. In its broad and interdisciplinary approach, this book will be of interest to students of early religion as well as those involved in cultural theory"--Publisher description.

Editions

Published in London & New York : Routledge, 1996.

Contents

1. Ancient Rome and Women's Lives -- 2. Women within Judaism and Christianity -- 3. The Greco-Roman Imagination -- 4. Gods and Goddesses -- 5. The Religion of Jewish Women -- 6. From Diversity to Conformity -- 7. Magna Mater and the Vestal Virgins -- 8. Wisdom, Lilith and Mothers -- 9. Sisters in Christ or Daughters of Eve?

External links

• [ Google Books]