What exactly is the traditional role of women in the Orthodox Church? This question can be controversial, and attempts to answer it by referencing early Christianity are often short on solid scholarship in service to the Church. The subject of deaconesses is a significant lightning rod for this issue at the moment. Presbytera Dr. Anysia Metrakos joins me to discuss this question, which is her academic field of expertise.

SIGN UP for Presbytera Anysia's OSI course "Holy Women of Byzantium": https://www.orthodoxstudies.org/courses

Chapters:
0:00 - Intro
1:49 - Scholarship on women in the early Church
5:25 - Women's rights in the Empire
12:33 - Rise of monasticism
18:03 - Beginning of female asceticism
26:52 - Historical role of deaconesses
34:15 - Female leadership
40:07 - Saint Matrona
53:24 - Christianity's elevation of motherhood
56:25 - Coming work

#EarlyChurch #ChurchHistory #WomenSaints

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