Ordained Women in the Early Church: A Documentary History

In a time when the ordination of women is an ongoing and passionate debate, the study of women's ministry in the early church is a timely and significant one. With this book, church historians Kevin Madigan and Carolyn Osiek present fully translated literary, epigraphical, and canonical references to women in early church offices. Through these documents, Madigan and Osiek seek to understand who these women were and how they related to and were received by, the church through the sixth century. They chart women's participation in church office and their eventual exclusion from its leadership roles."Madigan and Osiek have produced the best, most comprehensive, and extremely useful documentary history to date regarding the ordination of women in the early church." -- Catholic Historical Review"An invaluable resource for all who are interested in the historical evidence relating to the ordination of women as deacons and presbyters in the early centuries up to roughly the sixth century." -- Review of Biblical Literature"An excellent resource for deeper study of original texts as well as for informed entry into current ecclesial discussions of practice and polity." -- Journal of Religion"A masterful compilation and translation." -- Theological Studies"Finally, readers have a single compendium in English of the evidence that women did hold church office as deacon, presbyter, and bishop, not simply as spouses of male officeholders and not in heretical sects but in their own right and in the Catholic Church." -- Catholic Biblical QuarterlyOrdained Women in the Early Church: A Documentary History, was published 2005 under ISBN 9780801879326 and ISBN 0801879329.