This Female Man of God: Women and Spiritual Power in the Patristic Age, AD 350-450

by Gillian Cloke

This book is a study of the contribution of women to the development of the newly legitimate Christian church in the twilight of the Western Roman Empire. There are many women noted for the example of their life in this period, regarded amongst the luminaries of the day; but while their male mentors, the patristic authors have retained their fame, the women who surrounded and influenced them have all but disappeared from sight. The women themselves are partly to blame for this, for in order to be pious it made sense to disguise one's sex sometimes literally: Dr Cloke gives examples of those whose sex was discovered only after their death - they sought to become androgynous, a third sex before God. This book looks at a multitude of examples in some detail and takes an overview of the role of Christian women at this time. It should appeal not only to historians, classicists and theologians, but also to anyone who takes a general interest in the changing status of women over the the centuries.

Genres: Nonfiction, Ancient History, History, Feminism, Theology, Christianity

256 pages, Paperback

First published December 8, 1994

Reviews

[M. · Rating 3 out of 5]

So, the patristic age was ambiguous in its image of women although far more benefitial than one could imagine at first, compared with the alternatives that the Roman Empire offered, yet the author refers to Paul as misogynistic and celebrates some ambiguous passages of apocryphal texts that woul seeem to give women authority far beyond the figure of the deaconess. However, this book is still useful as to understand and go to some of the sources of the ages.

There is this tension between the woman being seen as Eve's image, and yet also a nature that could be overcome, where the "weaker vessel" could be spiritually more advanced than the "stronger" one; where even by "female" gifts one could reach the state of reason that would overcome the sinfulness, where even prostitute had the upper hand in refusing the advances of tempted monks.

I would like to consult further sources, but despite its glaring mistakes, it was interesting as an introduction.

[Ashleigh Smith · Rating 2 out of 5]

I read it for a paper for History of Christianity. difficult read.

[Timothy Dougherty Jr. · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cloke provides a worthwhile text of the history of women's spirituality in this time period. Recognizing that one can only come to understand these women's lives through the writings of church fathers, she concludes that women's holiness is found through the patristic notion of spiritual maleness insofar as a person becomes the full image of God through becoming male in every facet of life besides the sexual. She begins this history of women through a discussion of holy virginity, then to widowhood and two chapters on marriage and family life, finishing the body of the book with a chapter on vocation. The text itself is riveting and helps one see that the feminism of today is inspired by people's desire to counteract these patristic views.