The Female Role in Judaic and Early Christian Traditions

The Female Role in Judaic and Early Christian Traditions

Shakila T. Parks

Introduction to the Humanities – The Ancient World to Medieval Times



November 20, 2003











Introduction

Interesting perspectives of the roles women play in a historic social context can be obtained by studying the Judaic tradition, based primarily on the biblical Old Testament, and the Christian tradition, based primarily on the biblical New Testament. Secular historians amply note varying views on the roles women play in our society by chronicling feminist participation in large numbers in religious movements, particularly exampled in the modern era. However, women have also made significant influential impact on society as far back as the Judaic and early Christian epochs. Female participation in religious movements is striking, however, when compared to their relative absence in political movements until the twentieth century. Numerous studies on the role of women in pr...