Marg Mowczko

Exploring the biblical theology of Christian egalitarianism

Category: Church History

Remembering Theosebia of Nyssa

Theosebia was the biological and spiritual sister of Gregory of Nyssa. Surviving sources show that she was deeply loved and admired.

January 10, 2022 4 Comments

Rachel Speght Replies to a Misogynist in 1617

Rachel Speght responded to a misogynist in the early 1600s by writing a witty piece that encourages respect for women. It still entertains.

January 7, 2022 7 Comments

Beth Allison Barr on (un)Making Biblical Womanhood

Throughout her book, Dr Barr aims to show that complementarianism isn’t the only option for those who believe the Bible is the authoritative Word of God.

June 2, 2021 9 Comments

Atto of Vercelli, Hatto of Vercelli, women elders

Atto of Vercelli on Female Priests in the Early Church

Atto, bishop of Vercelli in the 900s, saw in church tradition that women had led churches and were presbyters (priests or elders). He did not think this was a bad thing.

June 30, 2020 12 Comments

Chrysostom on New Testament women ministers

Chrysostom on 5 Women Church Leaders in the NT

Chrysostom (d. 407) praised Priscilla, Phoebe, Euodia, Syntyche, and Junia. He acknowledged that these women were leading ministers in their churches.

June 10, 2020 6 Comments

Olympias: Deaconess and Chrysostom’s Friend

Olympias renounced her aristocratic lifestyle to serve the church. She was an ordained deaconess and Chrysostom’s dear friend.

July 25, 2019 18 Comments

Marcella of Rome: Academic and Ascetic

Marcella of Rome (325–410), friend of Jerome, dedicated herself and her considerable talents and resources to serving the church and helping the poor. Here’s some information about this remarkable woman.

February 1, 2019 2 Comments

3 Legendary Ladies: Judith, Thecla, and Catherine of Alexandria

Judith, Thecla, and Catherine of Alexandria are three heroines whose stories of conviction and courage are part of our history and heritage.

May 7, 2018 9 Comments

Freebies for Students of Early Christianity

Discovering the beliefs, practices and policies of early Christians is a fascinating pursuit. To help, here are resources on the early church that are freely available online.

April 10, 2018 3 Comments

Pontius Pilate’s wife knew Jesus was innocent

Matthew 27:19 mentions Pontius Pilate’s wife and her dream about Jesus. What do we know of this woman? Was she a Jewish convert? A Christ-follower?

September 29, 2017 7 Comments

Aemilia Lanyer: 17th-century Christian feminist & author

Aemilia Lanyer was an English author and professing Christian who advocated for equality for women in a poem published in 1611.

July 29, 2017 2 Comments

Wealthy Women in the First-Century Roman World and in the Church

Not all first-century women fit the stereotype of being hidden and housebound. Some were influential and prominent in society and in the church.

April 19, 2017 4 Comments

Colossians 3:19 husbands love your wives, bitter

The Roman woman who instructed her husband in the Faith

Here are a couple of lines from the Acts of Peter about Candida, a woman who instructed her husband in the faith in the first century.

June 9, 2016 4 Comments

The Church at Smyrna and her Women (Part 2)

This is the second part of a two-part series which looks at the women in the church at Smyrna in the post-apostolic period. This article focuses on Gavia.

April 22, 2016 4 Comments

The Church at Smyrna and her Women (Part 1)

In Christian writings known as the Apostolic Fathers, we discover that women were active in ministry in the church at Smyrna. Part 1 looks at Alke (or Alce) of Smyrna.

April 21, 2016 2 Comments

The Countess of Huntingdon and Gospel Ministry

Selina Hastings, the Countess of Huntingdon, was a tireless leader and an influential benefactor of the Methodist movement in Britain in the 1700s.

January 20, 2016 No Comments

Freebies for Students of the New Testament

Here are links to free New Testament courses presented by top Bible scholars, as well as free books and other resources.

April 15, 2015 7 Comments

Count Zinzendorf and an Egalitarian Revival

In this article Rob Dixon writes about the egalitarian views of Count Zinzendorf (b.1700) who once stated “If we put women in the corner we will lose a jewel.”

April 9, 2015 8 Comments

Adam and Eve in ancient Gnostic literature 1 Timothy 2

Adam and Eve in Ancient Gnostic Literature and 1 Tim. 2:13–14

Here are excerpts from ancient Gnostic texts that present Adam and Eve in a very different light. Do they help us to understand 1 Timothy 2:13-14?

March 9, 2015 7 Comments

Eusebius and Letter Writing in the Early Church

I’m amazed by the number of letters and other documents written by early Christians. Eusebius discusses some of these in his church history.

February 5, 2015 2 Comments

Queen Candace of Ethiopia

In his Church History, Eusebius wrote, “Ethiopia even to the present day is ruled, according to ancestral custom, by a woman” (cf. Acts 8:27). Is there any truth in his statement? As it turns out, there is.

January 24, 2015 16 Comments

A newer translation of Eusebius’s “Church History”

Eusebius’s Church History (or Ecclesiastical History) fills in many of the gaps in the New Testament accounts of the Apostolic Church … and more. It’s an interesting read!

January 20, 2015 5 Comments

(6) Phoebe: Deacon of the Church in Cenchrea

In Part 6 we look at more evidence that deacons in the apostolic and post-apostolic period were travelling envoys and agents, and that some were teachers.

November 25, 2014 No Comments

Febe una diácono de la Iglesia en Cencrea

(5) Phoebe: Deacon of the Church in Cenchrea

In Part 5, I look at 1 Timothy 3:8-13, concerning male and female deacons in the Ephesian church, and at Phoebe as a prostatis (patron). I briefly compare her ministry with that of Olympias and also Stephanas (1 Cor. 16:15-18).

November 25, 2014 7 Comments

(4) Phoebe: Deacon of the Church in Cenchrea

In part 4 I look at the deacons in the Philippian church and at the development of church offices in the apostolic and post-apostolic churches.

November 18, 2014 9 Comments

(3) Phoebe: Deacon of the Church in Cenchrea

We have only two lines about Phoebe in the Bible, but Theodoret of Cyrrhus has more information about her. Did Phoebe travel to Spain with Paul? Did she deliver his letter to the Romans?

November 14, 2014 No Comments

Fresco of literate first century woman, Pompeii

The First Century Church & the Ministry of Women

In this article I provide a brief overview of church life in the first century and I highlight the ministry contributions of women.

October 8, 2014 11 Comments

What was the job description of Jesus’ apostles?

What does it means to be a leader and have authority in the church? Did Jesus commission his first disciples to be leaders? What was their job description?

August 29, 2014 29 Comments

Apostles in the New Testament Church

In this article I look at people who were apostles in the New Testament church, at their qualifications, and at what they did as apostles.

July 20, 2014 15 Comments

Female Martyrs and their Ministry in the Early Church

Female martyrs in the early church, such as Blandina and Perpetua, “conformed themselves to Christ, even in death.”

May 2, 2014 1 Comment

The “Feminization” of the Church

Kristen Rosser has written an excellent article on the so-called “feminization” of the church, and how we can address this issue. With her permission, I have posted it here.

March 7, 2014 14 Comments

3 views on the ministry of the Seven in Acts 6

What was the ministry of the seven men in Acts 6? This article looks at possible ministries by tracking Luke’s use of the word “diakonia” in the book of Acts. Where they deacons?

February 4, 2014 19 Comments

King James Bible, New Living Translation NLT

7 Things to Know About the King James Bible

The King James Bible is a great English translation, but is it the best? This article looks at 7 aspects of the KJV translation.

December 18, 2013 61 Comments

Barbara Aland and the Nestle-Aland Greek NT

Most modern translations of the New Testament rely on the Nestle-Aland Greek New Testament. One of the editors of recent editions of this Greek New Testament is scholar Barbara Aland. This article provides a brief history of the Nestle-Aland text and a brief biography of Barbara Aland.

December 11, 2013 1 Comment