Her Share of the Blessings: Women’s Religions Among Pagans, Jews, and Christians in the Greco-Roman World Reviews

Review by Brian Griffith for Her Share of the Blessings: Women’s Religions Among Pagans, Jews, and Christians in the Greco-Roman World
Rating:
A well-researched account of devout women in Judeo-Christian tradition, their gifts to religion, and the restrictions placed on those gifts. Kraemer compares developments, both within and between regional churches. In many areas, Kraemer shows, women never lost their right to serve as teachers and deaconesses. As Archbishop John Chrysosthom of Constantinople explained (around the year 400), the New Testament clearly encouraged women to teach, and even to teach males. Obviously it took women to teach other women in their quarters. And if the church forbade females to instruct men, how could a Christian woman ever bring her male relatives to Christ? (Chrysostham,, “First Homily on `Salute Priscilla and Aquila,'” cited p. 188). As Chrysosthom spoke, he perhaps bore in mind a famous mother from central Turkey named Emmelia, whose sons included two major saints of the Eastern Church — Basil of Caesarea, and Gregory of Nyassa. Emmilia’s sons certainly proclaimed their debt to her. And we may wonder how many Christian teachers ever raised up better students than this woman.

With attention to step-by-step increments, Kraemer measures the growing restrictions on women’s devotion. Where male leaders tried to stop females from serving the sacred meal, on suspicion they might be menstruating and pollute the host, the women could always hold their own ceremonies for females only. The women of Salamis (in Asia Minor) certainly did so, but then their Bishop, Epiphianus, complained of self-appointed female priests who presumed to conduct their own services:

“They attempt to undertake a deed that is irreverent and blasphemous beyond measure — in her [Mary’s] name they function as priests for women. … For some women prepare a certain kind of little cake with four indentations, cover it with a fine linen veil on a solemn day of the year, and on certain days they set forth the bread and offer it in the name of Mary.” (p. 166.)

Kraemer follows this theme northward as Christianity spread into Europe, moving into regions with ancient traditions of reverence for local holy women. In these areas, local priests often treated support from female leaders as a blessing rather than a corruption. Therefore, in 494, Roman Pope Gelasius felt he must castigate the overly permissive priests of Lucania (Portugal):

“As we have learned to our anger, such a contempt for the divine truths has set in that even women, it has been reported, serve at the holy altars. And everything that is exclusively entrusted to the service of men has been carried out by the sex that has no right to it.” (p. 132.)

In detail and sensitivity the book is very illuminating. It gives a history-long overview, showing how great a role the mothers and daughters of Western religion have played.