Ordained Women in the Early Church

Kevin Madigan is the Winn Professor of Ecclesiastical History at Harvard Divinity School, Harvard University. Carolyn Osiek is the Charles Fischer Professor of New Testament (retired), Brite Divinity School, Texas Christian University.

• PrefaceSource Abbreviations1. Introduction2. New Testament Texts and Their Patristic CommentatorsRomans 16:1–21 Timothy 3:8–111 Timothy 5:3–133. Women Deacons in the East: Literary Texts, Literary Allusions, InscriptionsLiterary Texts and AllusionInsciptions4. Women Deacons in the East: Canons and Comments on Church PracticeDidascalia and Apostolic ConstitutionsOther Sources before the Sixth Century, in Chronological OrderJustinian, Novellae5. Women Deacons in the East: Later Texts6. Women Deacons in the WestLiterary TextsInscriptionsCanons and Comments on Church Practice7. Women Deacons: Testamentum Domini Nostri Jesu Christi and Related Texts8. Women PresytersIn the EastLiterary Texts, Canonical, and LegendaryInscriptionsIn the WestWives of ClericsThree North Africans against Women PresbytersCanons and Episcopal LettersInscriptions9. ConclusionsAppendixesA. Locations of Deacon InscriptionsB. Locations of Deacons in Literary SourcesC. Locations of PresbytersD. Family Relationships Identified for Women in InscriptionsIndex of Ancient NamesIndex of Deaconesses, Presbyters, and EpiscopaIndex of Modern Authors

The richly varied texts introduce us to a remarkable group of women. -- Rev. Dr. John Binns Church Times 2005 An invaluable resource for all who are interested in the historical evidence relating to the ordination of women as deacons and presbyters in the early centuries up to roughly the sixth century. -- Mary Coloe Review of Biblical Literature 2006 Kevin Madigan and Carolyn Osiek's collection and analysis of the historical documents on the topic is important and relevant to church historians and modern church leaders alike. Review of Biblical Literature 2006 Kevin Madigan and Carolyn Osiek... have done the important work of bringing together into one volume all known Greek and Latin references to women deacons and presbyters. -- Andrew Gregory Church of England Newspaper 2006 Thanks to this work, most of the pieces of the jig saw of the history of women in the diaconate are laid out before us. Distinctive Diaconate 2006 A masterful compilation and translation. -- Phyllis Zagano Theological Studies 2006 Madigan and Osiek bring considerable scholarly expertise and experience to this difficult task. -- Bonnie Flessen Currents in Theology and Mission 2007 A thorough, well-researched, and lucid documentary history. -- Daniel Keating Henoch 2007 Finally, readers have a single compendium in English of the evidence that women did hold church office as deacon, presbyter, and bishop, not simply as spouses of male officeholders and not in heretical sects but in their own right and in the Catholic Church. -- Maureen A. Tilley Catholic Biblical Quarterly 2008 No academic library (and particularly seminary library) will want to be without this book. -- Leslie Baynes Religious Studies Review An excellent resource for deeper study of original texts as well as for informed entry into current ecclesial discussions of practice and polity. -- Francine Cardman Journal of Religion 2009 It is impossible to come away from this excellent, erudite and evenly argued book without some very uncomfortable questions about how women in the church have from the beginning been fitted into wider society's conception of what is appropriate and expedient. -- Morwenna Ludlow New Blackfriars 2009 Madigan and Osiek have produced the best, most comprehensive, and extremely useful documentary history to date regarding the ordination of women in the early church. -- William Tabbernee Catholic Historical Review 2007