Women and Gender in the History of Christianity

(3 Credit Hours) · Undergraduate

Welcome to Women and Gender in the History of Christianity. In this class, we will trace the history of Christianity from its origins in the first century through the present, focusing especially on its impact on women and gender. We will see that women have always played a vital role in the life of the Church, contributing works of theology, philosophy, natural philosophy, literature, and art, many of which have been forgotten or obscured. We will also see the variable influence that Christianity has had on the construction of gender over time, investigating its impact on ideas of manhood, masculinity, womanhood, and femininity. We will trace these shifting ideas from antiquity through modernity in order to reveal the roots of many assumptions and ideas that we take for granted today.