From Women's Piety to Male Devotion: Gender Studies, the Acts of Paul and Thecla, and the Evidence of an Arabic Manuscript

When we read early Christian narratives such as the Acts of Paul and Thecla, what is the relationship between the characters portrayed in the story and the “real-life” persons and groups who composed and transmitted the work? In the second-century Greek account, Thecla abandons her fiancé and family...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Author: Davis, Stephen J. 1966- (Author)
Format: Electronic Article
Language:English
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Published: Cambridge Univ. Press [2015]
In: Harvard theological review
Year: 2015, Volume: 108, Issue: 4, Pages: 579-593
Standardized Subjects / Keyword chains:B Acts of Paul and Thecla / Handwriting / Arabic language / Geschichte 1755 / Gender studies
IxTheo Classification:HC New Testament
KAB Church history 30-500; early Christianity
KAH Church history 1648-1913; modern history
NBE Anthropology
Online Access: Volltext (Verlag)
Volltext (doi)
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Summary:When we read early Christian narratives such as the Acts of Paul and Thecla, what is the relationship between the characters portrayed in the story and the “real-life” persons and groups who composed and transmitted the work? In the second-century Greek account, Thecla abandons her fiancé and family to follow Paul and his ascetic message. She endures a trial by fire in Iconium, resists sexual assault on the road to Antioch, and survives attacks by beasts in the Antiochene arena, all the while supported by a wealthy widow as her patron, a friendly lioness as her protector, and a chorus of women in the stadium who extol her perseverance and cry out to the governor for mercy. In the end, after baptizing herself, Thecla is released, dresses herself like a man, and begins preaching the gospel as an itinerant apostle.
ISSN:1475-4517
Contains:Enthalten in: Harvard theological review
Persistent identifiers:DOI: 10.1017/S0017816015000395