When I was growing up I remember hearing many sermons, in which ministers declared that women were still experiencing pain during childbirth, and men still had to do hard work, because of the curse that God placed on mankind because of her sin. I imagine that the writings of the famous Church Father Tertullian had something to do with their opinions.
God’s judgment on this sex [that is women] lives on in our age; the guilt necessarily lives on as well. You are the Devil’s gateway; you are the unsealer of that tree; you are the first foresaker of the divine law; you are the one who persuaded him whom the Devil was not brave enough to approach; you so lightly crushed the image of God, the man Adam; because of your punishment, that is, death, even the Son of God had to die. And you think to adorn yourself beyond your “tunics of skins”?[1]
Something that I have always found interesting is that the Roman Church kept Tertullian’s ideas even after he left it and converted to Montanism.[2] Montanus founded his form of Christianity, with the aided of two women, Maximilla and Priscilla, who were believed to be prophetesses.[3] Do you think his view of women changed? Do you think the official doctrines of churches that reflect Tertullian's ideas should change?
[1] CSEL 70.59 as cited in Clark Women in the Early Church 39 http://walkingtowardsjerusalem.wordpress.com/2010/09/30/tertullians-disturbing-view-of-women/
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