Virgins & Jezebels: The Origins of Christian Misogyny

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This book is about men and misogyny in theearly Christian churches - not specifically aboutwomen and their contribution to the life of theprimitive church, though, of course, the twocannot be separated. In truth, this book is aboutpower, and who should exercise it. It is aboutmen's clubs and the rules and regulations devisedby members to exclude their womenfolk, abouttheological nonsense dreamed up and preachedto keep women in their place, to undermine thefundamental and foundational values of Jesus'kingdom - to keep the keys of that kingdomsafely in clerical hands.The place of women in the life of the earlychurch is a vast area of historical and theologicalstudy, but my principal focus is confined to thestartling prevalence of misogynistic attitudes andpractices in the various regions in which Jesus'gospel was spread. The world has moved on fromthose earlier times - and for the better. Societynow has female prime ministers, governors,judges, lawyers, surgeons, cricketers, soldiers,commentators, journalists and jockeys - but notarchbishops or bishops or even common priests ...at least not in the Roman Catholic Church.