REQUIRED TEXTS:
Peter Brown, The Body and Society: Men, Women and Sexual Renunciation in Early Christianity
Deborah F. Sawyer, Women and Religion in the First Christian Centuries
The Harper Collins Study Bible

COURSE REQUIREMENTS:
1) One short (6-8 pp)article review. (20%) Due week five.
2) One final project on topic of choice. 10-15 pp. Project must be presented in class in a 15-20 minute presentation. (50%) Due week ten.
3) Weekly journal recording responses to required readings, topics of discussion, etc. (20%)
4) Class participation and discussion. (10%)

SCHEDULE OF CLASS MEETINGS, TOPICS OF DISCUSSION AND READINGS:
All assignments preceded by an* are from the course reader. Please complete reading assignments by the scheduled date so that our discussions will be more productive.

WK 1 - THE HISTORICAL BACKGROUND
TU, 4/7 - Intro to class; Women in Greco-Roman culture; Women in Judaism
Readings: Sawyer 1-90

TH, 4/9 - The progress of early Christianity
Readings: *Carmody, Christianity: An Introduction pp. 74-104
*Meeks, The First Urban Christians, pp. 9-32.

WK 2 - NEW TESTAMENT WOMEN - FOLLOWERS OF JESUS
TU, 4/14 - The Story of Mary
Readings: *Warner, Alone of All Her Sex, pp. 3-49
New Testament: Matt. 1; Luke 1-3; John 2, 16-19

TH, 4/16 - Jesus and Women
Readings: Sawyer, 91-97
*Corley, Private Women . . ., pp. 147-179
New Testament: Mark 5; 7:4-30; 10:1-12; 14:1-11; 15:40-16:8
Luke 4:25-28; 10:38-42; 23:55-24:11
John 4:1-45; 11:1-12:11; 19:25-20:18

WK 3 - NEW TESTAMENT WOMEN - THE EARLY CHURCH
TU, 4/21 - Freedom, Leadership and Egalitarianism?
Readings: *Ross Kraemer, Her Share of the Blessings, pp. 125-156
*Karen Torjesen, When Women Were Priests, pp. 53-87
New Testament: Acts 1:1-8; 6:1-6; 9:36-43; 16:11-15; 18:24-28
Galatians 3:28; Romans 16; 1 Corinthians 7

TH, 4/23 - The Conservative Backlash?
Readings: Sawyer, 100-116
*Torjesen, 154-176
New Testament: I Timothy 2, 5; Ephesians 5-6; I Corinthians 11; 14:34-36
I Peter 2:18-3:8

WK 4 - WOMEN MARTYRS AND MONTANISTS
TU, 4/28 - Women as Martyrs
Readings: *"The Martyrdom of Saints Perpetua and Felicitas," in Kraemer, pp.
96-107.
*Warner, Alone of All Her Sex, pp. 68-78.
*Francine Cardman, "Acts of the Women Martyrs."
*"Acts of the Christian Martyrs," in Lefkowitz, pp. 318-323.

TH, 4/30 - Montanism
Readings: *Susanna Elm, "Montanist Oracles," in Schussler-Fiorenza, pp. 131-138
*Frederick Klawiter, "Case Study of Montanism"

WK 5 - WOMEN IN THE APOCRYPHAL TEXTS
TU, 5/5 - Background and Reading of the Texts
Readings: *"The Acts of Peter" and "The Acts of Paul"

TH, 5/7 - Interpretation of Women's Roles in the Acts
Readings: *Stevan Davies, Revolt of the Widows, pp. 50-69; 95-129.
Article Review Due

WK 6 - WOMEN IN GNOSTICISM
TU, 5/12 - Introduction to Gnosticism
Readings: *Elaine Pagels, The Gnostic Gospels, pp. xiii-xxxvi
*"The Gospel of Mary," and "The thunder: Perfect Mind" in The Nag Hammadi Library, pp. 523-527, 295-303.

TH, 5/14 - Gnosticism, God and Gender
Readings: *James Robinson, "Very Goddess and Very Man"
*Torjesen, When Women Were Priests, pp. 247-271

WK 7 - WOMEN AND SEXUALITY, PART ONE
TU, 5/19 - Homoeroticism and Christianity
Readings: *Bernadette Brooten, Love Among Women, pp. 303-362.

TH, 5/21 - The Mary/Eve Dichotomy
Readings: Sawyer, 146-157
*"Sayings of the Desert Fathers," in Kraemer p. 61
*Epiphanius, "Medicine Box"
*Susan Haskins, Mary Magdalen, pp. 58-97
*Torjesen, When Women Were Priests, pp. 203-244
*Tertullian, "The Apparel of Women"

WK 8 - WOMEN AND SEXUALITY, PART TWO - ASCETICISM
TU, 5/26 - Asceticism
Readings: Brown, The Body and Society, pp. 9-258
*Ross Kraemer, "The Conversion of Women . . . ."

TH, 5/28 - Asceticism
Readings: *"Letter from Jerome to Laeta," in Kraemer, pp. 129-137
*Miles, Carnal Knowing, pp. 53-77

WK 9 - PRESENTATIONS

WK 10 - PRESENTATIONS; Final Projects Due; Journals Due.