When Women Were Priests: Women's Leadership in the Early Church and the Scandal of Their Subordination in the Rise of Christianity [Paperback]

Karen J. Torjesen (Author)

Book Description

Release date: April 15, 1995

This landmark book reveals not only that women were priests, bishops, and prophets in early Christianity, but also how and why they were then suppressed.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"Absolutely first rate!" -- --Jouette M. Bassler, associate editor, The HarperCollins Study Bible

"Brilliantly lays bare the historic roots of the church's prejudice against women. A powerful, revealing, insightful book." -- --RT. REV. John S. Spong, Bishop of Newark

"Provacative in argument and engagingly written....Bound to stimulate discussion." -- --Elizabeth A. Clark, co-editor, Women and Religion

From the Publisher

This landmark book reveals not only that women were priests, bishops, and prophets in early Christianity, but also how and why they were then suppressed.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 278 pages
• Publisher: HarperSanFrancisco (April 15, 1995)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0060686618
• ISBN-13: 978-0060686611
• Product Dimensions: 5.3 x 0.7 x 8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 10.9 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (13 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #171,838 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

86 of 92 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars Reclaiming the past May 29, 2003

By FrKurt Messick HALL OF FAMETOP 500 REVIEWERVINE™ VOICE

Format:Paperback

Karen Jo Torjesen's book, 'When Women Were Priests' examines the subject of women in the early Christian movement, and particularly the role of women in the leadership positions in the church. Torjesen, a leading expert on women in ancient Christianity, is on faculty at Claremont Graduate School.

As women have attained rights to ordination in various denominations (Anglican, Methodist, Lutheran, Presbyterian, Baptist) and even other religions (the first woman to be ordained a rabbi in the United States took place in 1972), increasingly scholars have come to re-examine the role of women in the early church, and have been arguing with mounting evidence and persuasiveness that this is not a new phenomenon, but rather a recapturing of women's roles that have periodically existed in both Jewish and Christian communities.

The question of the gender of a priest (the requirement by Roman Catholics, as in the Vatican's 1976 Declaration on the Question of Admitting Women to the Priesthood that priests be in the bodily image of Christ, for example) brings into question sexuality and the common perception of women by society. When Barbara Harris was consecrated at the first female bishop in the Episcopal Church (USA) in 1989, Time magazine made a reference to her red nail polish--as if this has anything to do with her qualifications; but of course, it has everything to do with the way people perceive the issue.

Torjesen examines multiple sources of ancient data to show evidence that women were preachers, prophets, pastors and patrons in the early Christian movement. Some of these can be found in the Bible itself. The tradition of women as prophets actually dates back to Jewish times: Deborah was a judge, and Miriam, the sister of Moses, is described as a prophet in one of the oldest parts of the Torah, the song of Miriam (in Exodus). Various art works depict women in liturgical stances or settings, behind a table (presumably presiding) or with arms outstretched in liturgical praise fashion. Of course, one gospel account speaks of Mary Magdalene being the first person to see the risen Christ, and being charged to tell the others of the miracle, hence becoming 'Apostle to the Apostles'. Indeed, the non-canonical Gospel of Thomas and Gospel of Mary each show a rivalry between Mary and Peter for pre-eminence among the apostles, with Jesus coming down on Mary's side.

Various Pauline letters another other extra-testamentary writings show a strong female presence among the leaders of communities and house-churches--Junia is hailed by Paul as 'foremost of the apostles' (Romans 16:7); synagogue and grave archaeology have turned up inscriptions such as Sophia of Gortyn, elder and head of the synagogue of Kisamos lies here. Where Christians emulated the synagogue style of worship and organisation, naturally women's leadership would have been carried over too. Of course, in house-church traditions the role of women's leadership is understood, as women's dominance of household affairs is well-known and documented throughout the Roman Empire at the time of Christianity's first expansions. Indeed, one second-century critic of Christianity, Celsus, dismissed it as 'a woman's movement'.

Torjesen's better chapters are the early ones which talk about history and evidence; her later chapters on theology, biology (?) and society are interesting, but less valuable from a critical-scholarship standpoint. Each section, however, is generously documented with notes and sources, and the book would be valuable if only for the extensive notations. Happily, this book is much more than that--clear and energetic in writing, controversial but well-explained and well-defended, Torjesen makes her case well and adds valuable material for the defensive of women's leadership in churches today, and much for those who maintain more traditional mores to think about. In essence, if one can't refute the arguments here (and I am not saying they cannot be refuted--merely that they must be engaged, not dismissed), one must examine the basis for holding the exclusive-male-leadership belief.

41 of 47 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars Insightful reading July 13, 2001

By "puccinigirl"

Format:Paperback

I must admit that I expected this to be an exhaustive work providing evidence for when women were priests, as the title suggests. However, while the subject is certainly touched upon, the book focuses much more on the socio-political environment of the developing Christian movement, including the Jesus movement, in relation to women, and how this environment shaped Christianity's general beliefs about women's roles. While I would have liked to see the title developed more throughout the book, it is still certainly a work worth the read. Torjensen's skill of examining the greco-roman cultural (and philosophy) and how it influenced Christianity is quite insightful. While this observation is certainly nothing new, Torjesen conducts a thorough investigation. Her scholarship is quite good and this work is sure to be a classic in feminist theological resources. Her writing style flows well and, rather than facing doom and gloom in the end, one feels a certain inspiration to move forward and reclaim the message of Jesus that was so highly regarded in the early Jesus movement, which is anything but what Christianity has become in (generally) the present-day organized form of the church. If you are interested in understanding more of "why" women have been so oppressed in Christianity, this is an excellent historical source. I highly recommend this work!

47 of 58 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars This book recovers the truth in spite of sexist social norms July 21, 2003

By Gidget

Format:Paperback

Contrary to what another reviewer has said, women were leaders in the early church. Stating this fact is not a revision to be in line with social norms, in fact, it flies in the face of what most mainline Christians seem to want to believe. The reason he has never read about some "movement" in the early church to have women leaders is that no movement was necessary, since women were leaders from the beginning of Christianity until the religion was changed to fit Roman norms. This book only suggests that we change it back to the way it was in the first few centuries. This is not revisionist, it is reconstructionist. If people do not think women should have any voice, power, or leadership under Christianity, then they are practicing the Roman version, not the true egalitarian religion that Christianity started out as. Before Rome institutionalized Christianity, the Christians stood in opposition to the Roman social norms. Then Constantine co-opted the religion and the Romans gradually adapted Christianity to fit their society. The mainline Christianity of today reflects this Hellenization of the original religion. Our society is comfortable with this less-than-healthy corruption of Jesus' teachings because our society suffers some of the same social ills as ancient Rome. This book suggests a restoration of Christianity that is healthier and more true than the Constantinian version. Another, better known book that also deals with this subject matter is In Memory of Her by Elisabeth Schussler Fiorenza. If you find When Women Were Preists to be too unclear or unacademic, Schussler Fiorenza's book should be more satisfying as it is very academic.