VM 05 | Dr. Amy Brown Hughes, Dr. George Kalantzis | Virginity & Martyrdom

The Alabaster Jar

In this conversation, Dr. George Kalantzis and Dr. Amy Brown Hughes join Dr. Lynn Cohick to discuss the figure of Thecla and the concept of virginity in early Christianity. They explore the significance of Thecla's story and its impact on the development of Christianity as well as the theological and social implications of virginity, including the redefinition of power dynamics and the assertion of agency. They also discuss the eschatological dimension of virginity, its connection to resurrection, and how individuals can live into the virtue of virginity in their own lives.

Key Takeaways:

• The physicality and materiality of Christian worship were central to the ancient Christian faith, emphasizing the importance of the body and the belief in resurrection.
• Virginity in early Christianity wasn’t primarily understood from a sexual standpoint but rather a position of power and bodily agency.
• To pursue virginity as a virtue was a deeply political act that was revolutionary for women during the time of the early church.

Visual Museum of Women in Christianity
The purpose of this collaborative project is to create a curated, permanent visual exhibit of women in the history, ministry, and piety of early, Byzantine, and medieval Christianity that will be available online for researchers, educators, and interested laypersons.
The goal of this multi-year project is to make the visual record of women in ministry and leadership available free of charge and unencumbered by permission requirements, and to include short teaching elements to guide the audience through the constitutive and pivotal role of women throughout Christian history.
Together with the visual story, the accompanying narrative will make it possible for patrons to learn about women throughout history and across the globe and their unique contributions to the life and faith of the church…
A history that remains mostly untold.
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Episode Sponsor:
The Alabaster Jar is brought to you by The Center for Women in Leadership, a newly formed 501©3 nonprofit organization whose purpose is to equip women in a context that is biblically rooted, theologically robust, and ethnically diverse to thrive as leaders in the academy and the Church. Follow them on Instagram @leadershipwithoutapology. Learn more about The Center for Women in Leadership at: https://www.leadershipwithoutapology.org/.