Logo

 

Banner Image:   National-News-banner-Purple
Template Mode:   Baptist Times
Icon
    Post     Tweet

Christians Airbrushed Women Out of History

A band of forgotten women were hugely influential in the rise of Christianity, a five-year study has found

 
band of women
But Professor Kate Cooper, from The University of Manchester, says their contribution has been neglected by the mainstream churches.

The study identifies dozens of forgotten Christian women who were influential in the first and second centuries, during a period when Christianity was - in some respects - more progressive towards women than today. They include Lydia the Purple-seller of Philippi remembered in the Book of Acts, who was the first person to sponsor St Paul.

According to Professor Cooper, women played a central role in spreading the new Christian faith through informal friendship and family networks.

Their authority within Christian communities was earned through their role as parents, community organisers, and small business owners. They regularly preached the gospel in the first two centuries of Christianity, and in some communities women carried out baptisms.

It wasn’t until the Roman Emperor Constantine’s conversion to Christianity, in around 313 AD, the religion became institutionalised: male bishops were now government officials and women came to be seen as players in the background rather than public figures.

Professor Cooper said, ‘These women – saints who had a radical and powerful presence in the early church – have been hidden in plain sight.

‘Many Gospel stories, for example – such as the story of Mary and Martha in the Gospel of Luke – can tell us far more about women’s role if we stop to pay close attention – something male writers have not done.

‘The ancient sources mention the women, but over time less and less attention was given to their role. Really, they have been airbrushed out of history.

‘It is quite sad that a religion which began with a mother and her wonderful baby should still have so much difficulty with remembering to honour the contribution of its women.’


Band of Angels: The Forgotten World of Early Christian Women by Professor Kate Cooper from The University of Manchester is published by Atlantic Books.
    Post     Tweet
The 2025 Sam Sharpe Lecture
This year's lecturer Dr Selina Stone brings a prophetic and deeply theological lens to the Sharpe legacy of "liberation from below”, writes Wale Hudson Roberts
Fresh Streams calls Baptists Together to a day of prayer and fasting
Fresh Streams is inviting Baptist churches, ministers, and individuals across the UK to unite in a dedicated day of prayer and fasting on Thursday, 25 September 2025
'A thank-you—from those taught, challenged, and inspired by her ministry'
The Revd Dr Karen E. Smith was surprised with the presentation of a new volume published in her honour at this year’s Baptist Historical Society Summer Conference
Calling previous members of the Joppa Group
Were you a member of the Joppa Group? Do you have historic papers about it? An invitation-based roundtable event is being co-convened to mark the 40th anniversary of the group's founding. Paul Weller explains more
Ripples of Change - a service of celebration and thankfulness
A service has been organised to mark the role Jane Day served in our Baptist family as Centenary Enabler, combining thankfulness for the progress made, as well as a time of lament for many of the findings of Project Violet. Lisa Kerry explains more
I Will...Leave a lasting legacy
The Baptist Union of Great Britain with BMS World Mission have now launched a new church resource to help those considering an ongoing blessing to support God’s mission both in the UK and overseas
     Latest News 
    Posted: 29/07/2025
    Posted: 04/06/2025
    Posted: 21/05/2025
    Posted: 07/01/2025
    Posted: 07/01/2025
     
    Text Size:  
    Small (Default)
    Medium
    Large
    Contrast:  
    Normal
    High Contrast