Women in Ascetic Culture

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Women in Ascetic Culture

• From the Desert Mothers to Medieval Mystics

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Women in Early Christianity

• Were the first Evangelists/Missionaries after
  Christs resurrection (Jn 201-17)
• The original nucleus of the Church included
  several women along with the women and Mary the
  mother of Jesus, and with his brothers. (Acts
  114

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Women in Early Christianity

• Mary Magdeline
• Originally thought to be a reformed prostitute,
  scholarship now believes that this character is
  a composite of several women
• Represented as one of the first witnesses of the
  resurrection

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Mary Magdalene, Repenting

• Gustave Dore

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Women in Early Christianity

• Lydia
• A wealthy merchant who converted to Christianity
  and housed the Apostles while they were on their
  mission
• Acts 1315
• One of Several women who helped spread
  Christianity throughout the Roman Empire

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Women in Early Christianity

• Thecla
• Aristocratic young woman who, after hearing Paul
  preach, breaks her engagement to marry her
  husband
• Begins to follow Paul, becoming his aid
• Reporter
• Stenographer
• Helped Evangelize on Mission trips
• Her family is greatly opposed to her new
  lifestyle
• Tries to burn her at the stake
• Thecla defies her family, preaching and going on
  mission trips for the rest of her life
• One of several apocryphal stories of women
  renouncing their elevated status in the world to
  go and preach

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Women in Early Christianity

• Were persecuted as Christians just like men
  .Saul dragged off men and women and put them
  in prison (Acts 83 92 224)
• First Eucharistic and Baptismal services were in
  the home
• Religious experience within the womans domain
  elevated their authority
• Oversaw the baking of the bread, Eucharistic
  feast, ect.

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Women and the Home

• Home style worship was by far the greatest
  influencer on the role of women in the early
  Church
• Gave them authority, means and status
• As Worship moves out of the home and into the
  Basilicas, womens influence in the Church wanes
• Loss of role as provider of worship space
• Men began to control aspects of worship
  previously held by women

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Out of the Home and into the Church

• Development of Church hierarchy outside of the
  sphere of women
• Some women rose to the rank of Bishop but were
  slowly pushed out
• Women prohibited from being Deacons, Bishops,
  Priests, ect by early Church Hierarchy
• Largely seen as a product of Christianitys
  popularity
• As it spread, so did its interaction with Roman
  culture and its patriarchy

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Women and Asceticism

• Early Church writers such as Paul and Jerome
  advocated the renunciation of sexual activity
• Abstinence and virginity are symbols of purity
• Example Thecla
• The desire to be pure and to live like Christ led
  to many virgin women to live in solitude or in
  groups with like-minded women
• Lived in prayer and contemplation
• Originally in urban areas, then to the deserts

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Women and Asceticism

• Just like with the men, these groups began
  developing customs which eventually became
  rules
• Rules are laws that help define what the
  ascetic can and cannot do
• Rules helped eventually shape the tradition of
  each group, groups begin to be called Orders

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To the Desert!

• Urban monastic communities and solitaries began
  moving to the desert for several reasons
• City Corruption
• Disease and epidemics
• Social instability and crime
• Theological debates within Christianity

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City Nun v. Country Nun

• Comprised of upper-middle or upper class, very
  wealthy
• Scholarly, learned believers
• Lived in large houses with dedicated sacred space
• Houses were often on the edge of the city
• Rented apartments

• Mostly comprised of the lower, peasant class
• Unlettered Christians, little to no education
• Inclusive toward slaves
• Originally lived in caves, then primitive houses
  or huts

• Urban Monasticism

• Desert Monasticism

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Word to your Mother

• Entrance into female ascetic life was guarded by
  an Amma, or seasoned female ascetic leader
• Think a female Abbot
• Ammas became the leaders of the community
• Well respected, kept the Rule of the Order
• Was the lead teacher and led the call to prayer
• Think early Mother Superior
• The Amma developed a deep bond with her disciple
• The disciple followed her every move
• Rarely left her side

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Emphasis on Austerity

• Life was simple
• Lived in self-enforced poverty
• Made baskets or rope, would sell them to give to
  the poor
• Ammas taught that money was a form of evil
• Often, their only possessions were a mat, oil
  lamp, sheep skin, and a pair of clothes
• Cherished silence, strictly kept talk at a minimum

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One Question, One Word Why?

• The goal of asceticism for women was apethia
• A mature mindfulness, grounded sensitivity, and
  a keen attention to ones inner world as well as
  to the world in which one has journeyed (Laura
  Swan, Forgotten Desert Mothers, pg 25)
• A stripping of ones worldliness in favor of
  complete attention and devotion toward God

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The Sayings of the Desert Mothers

• Amma Sarah
• Lived in Upper Egypt, born wealthy
• Lived alone for many years before entering a
  monastic community
• Lived in a cave for nearly 7 years, died at the
  age of 18
• Rejected the world, waged a holy war with a
  demon of fornication
• Fornication meant any separation with God, not
  just sex

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The Sayings of the Desert Mothers

• Amma Sarah
• Did not pray for God to take away the demon,
  instead prayed Oh God, Give me strength.
• If I prayed God that all people should approve
  my conduct, I should find myself a pentitent at
  the door of each one, but I shall rather pray
  that my heart may be pure toward all.

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The Sayings of the Desert Mothers

• Amma Syncletica
• Born in Alexandria, from a well respected,
  Macedonian family
• Began asceticism in her familys home
• Known for her beauty and intelligence
• After family died, sells off all possessions to
  the poor, cuts off her hair as a sign of
  consecration
• Eventually moved to the desert

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Amma Syncletica, One Wise Woman

• In the beginning there are great many battles
  and a good deal of suffering for those who are
  advancing towards God and afterwards, ineffable
  joy. It is like those who wish to light a fire
  at firt they are choked by the smoke and cry, and
  by this means obtain what they seek (as it is
  said Our God is a consuming fire Heb 1224)
  so we also must kindle the divine fire in
  ourselves through tears and hard work.

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Amma Syncletica, One Wise Woman

• Do not let yourself be seduced by the delights
  of the riches of the world, as though they
  contained something useful on account of vain
  pleasure. Worldly people esteem the culinary art,
  but you, through fasting and thanks to cheap
  food, go beyond their abundance of food. It is
  written One who is sated loathes honey Prov
  277. Do not fill yourself with bread and you
  will not desire wine.

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Moving onto the Middle Ages and Medieval Era

• Monasteries and convents begin to focus on
  womens health
• From the eastern, desert communities
• Their writings written in Arabic
• Prescribed medicine and cures
• Writings were eventually compiled into a work
  called The Trotula, a work written mostly by
  nuns, monks and mystics

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The Trotula

• Mostly compiled and written in Salerno, a city
  most known in the Middle Ages for its medicine
• In Italy
• A cosmopolitan, trade city
• Lots of travelers from different lands

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The Trotula

• Dealt with everything from gynecology to general
  health
• First work to issue prenatal care for women
• Taught how to take care of newborn babies
• Used for nearly 4 centuries
• First work of its kind, though primitive in some
  of its cures, saved numerous lives

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Medieval Women Mystics