Wealthy Women In The First-Century Roman World And In The Church -- By: Margaret Mowczko

Journal: Priscilla Papers
Volume: PP 32:3 (Summer 2018)
Article: Wealthy Women In The First-Century Roman World And In The Church
Author: Margaret Mowczko


Wealthy Women In The First-Century Roman World And In The Church

Margaret Mowczko

Marg Mowczko holds a BTh from the Australian College of Ministries and an MA in early Christian and Jewish studies from Macquarie University. She is a prominent egalitarian blogger (see MargMowczko.com). Marg lives near Sydney, Australia, with her husband, Peter.

The setting of the NT is the first-century Roman Empire, an ancient world alien to modern societies. Not too long ago, our understanding of women in this ancient world was especially limited. It was presumed first-century women were housebound with few freedoms and rights, and that good women lived quiet lives in anonymity under the authority of husbands or fathers. This scenario was indeed the case for many women, but not for all women. If we read the NT carefully we can see this for ourselves. In the NT, we see that women were active in public spaces. Some were artisans like Priscilla, or in business like Lydia. Some women were independently wealthy like Phoebe, and some were even of royal birth with the privileges and power that came with nobility. There was not one place or one role for women as though all women were the same. In fact, only two roles were out of bounds for women, being a Roman soldier or an imperial official.1 Women filled many places and many different roles in society and in the church.

In this article, I look at the social dynamic of class, a dynamic that typically trumped gender.2 I also look at what the NT says about particular women who were wealthy. My hope is that this discussion will present a broader, more authentic view, beyond limited stereotypes, of the place and participation of certain women in the first-century church.

While this article narrowly focuses on wealthy women, who made up a small but significant part of the early church, I want to emphasise that wealth is not, and was not, a prerequisite for ministry. Jesus and Paul welcomed the poor and marginalised as both members and ministers in the Jesus movement.

Patriarchy And Class

Patriarchy3 was a prevailing dynamic of Roman society, but it was not the only dynamic at work. As well as being patriarchal, Roman society was utterly class-conscious. The two dynamics are not the same, even though there is some overlap. Class distinctions were observed and reinforced daily. For instance, where someone sat in the theatre was determined by class. And where someone sat at a dinner party, if fortunate enough to be invited, was determined by class and even by relative status, or precedence, within one’s class.You must have a subscription and be logged in to read the entire article.
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