It is critical to understand what was happening at the time of Early Christianity so people can understand where the religion got some of their ideas. This is important because it helps people better understand the religion. In the case of Early Christianity, early Christianity came about in the very early years of the first century. During this time, women were not give the same opportunities as their male counterparts. In Graeco - Roman society , the home of democracy , women were not allowed to vote. ( Kraemer ,1999,18 ) In Corinth, a town that Paul wrote to, women were confined to the home. Girls were married to older men and expected to have children and tend to the home. (Horsley, 1998 175 )t was life in which women were not expected to do a lot of things.
A look at the attitudes of people living during the birth of christians would not be complete without mention of Jewish people because Christians saw themselves as Jewish. Like their contemporary pagan counterparts , Jewish people did not treat women very well. Jewish men did not like to talk to women especially to those that were already wed . Scholars like to say that Jesus treated women better ; however, a careful look at the bible makes this clam sales. Jesse followers Societies norms during his time. He does talk to groups of both genders but the surviving accounts of Jesus do not have him conversing with single women( Kraemer,1999, 35-46)
Paul was really ahead of his time about women’s role in the religion. He believed that women and men had to respect marriage vows. In Corinthians two, he gives both women and men the permission to leave their significant other if they are not happy( 1 Corinthians 7:15). I am doing my essay on the first century so be sure to stick around for it.
Sources
1 Corinthians. In Holy Bible Gift and Award Edition. 2ed . Carol Stream: New Living Translation, 2007.
Horsley, Richard A., and Neil Asher Silberman. The Message and the Kingdom: How Jesus and Paul Ignited a Revolution and Transformed the Ancient World. New York: Grossett/ Putnam, 1997
Kraemer, Ross Shepard, and Mary Rose. D'Angelo. Women & Christian Origins. New York: Oxford University Press, 1999.