Christian Women in the Patristic World

From facing wild beasts in the arena to governing the Roman Empire, Christian women—as preachers and philosophers, martyrs and empresses, virgins and mothers—influenced the shape of the church in its formative centuries.

This book provides a nearly complete compendium of extant evidence about Christian women in the second through fifth centuries, highlighting their social and theological contributions to early Christian beliefs and practices.

It integrates their influence into patristic church history and shows how their achievements remain edifying for contemporary Christians.