Jesus groups in the first and second centuries engaged in extensive experimentation with the boundaries of communal identity. The diversity of these experiments led to conflict, both within groups and between groups and outsiders. We can find evidence of these conflicts preserved within the writings of these early groups, most often in the context of discussions of the status and role of women. Gender was an important tool both in identity experimentation and formation for these groups, and therefore in setting boundaries as well. While later Christianity became fiercely patriarchal, we can still recover the voices of those who challenged conventions of gender in their negotiations of their Jesus group identities. The Acts of Paul and Thecla offers one significant opportunity to hear these voices, and this course will use this little known story to frame our discussions of how communities of the Anointed discovered and developed who they were.
If you require a scholarship, please reach out to Dean Celene Lillie at academyinfo@westarinstitute.org.
