They Hold Our Doctrine: Women in Cultic Leadership from the time of Christ to the First Council of Nicaea

Abstract

This paper explores the history of named women in cultic leadership across Hebraic, early Christian and pagan worship traditions, from the first century of the Common Era to the First Council of Nicaea, showing that women in cultic leadership were not uncommon. It will review the terminology familiar to modern Christian liturgical leadership, tracing how those terms were first used and how they developed from descriptions of leadership roles into titles. It will also look at how women in cultic leadership were restricted as early as the end of the first century, coinciding with the development of ecclesiastical structure and the formalizing of cultic leadership. Evidence will be found in grave markings, statuary, artwork, canonical and extra- canonical letters, and the early attempts to standardize Christian liturgical offices.