This is a list of Christian women in the early church who were leaders and members of the early Christian churches and communities. The list is roughly in chronological order of year when they lived or died. For this list the early church is considered to have started towards the end of the 1st century (after the time of the New Testament church) and to have ended towards the close of the 6th century.
The first column lists the woman's name, her "also known as", location and year. Also known as means her position, titles or status. Some were referred to during their life as deacons, presbyters, ministers, martyrs, Empress or Augusta. Later they may have been called church patrons, teachers, leaders, church mothers, Desert Mothers, martyrs or saints. [1] [2] There is a link in the woman's name to her Wikipedia page or one mentioning her. Readers can go to the linked page to read more life details and about any churches who may venerate her. If there is no link, there are references to sources that discuss the woman and her position in the early church.
The image column reproduces images, icons or pictures available from Commons that represent the woman.
The description and legacy column uses the historical, literary or archeological evidence (such as letters, inscriptions, texts and funerary art) to summarise the woman's contribution to the early church and her legacy. As far as possible, historical sources are used rather than hagiography.
Name, also known as, location, year | Image | Description and legacy |
---|---|---|
Two slave women deacons ministers, deaconesses, maid-servants Pliny's letter c112 | ![]() | The governor, Pliny the Younger, wrote a letter to Emperor Trajan; one of the earliest documents showing persecution of the church by Roman authorities. Pliny wrote he had ordered the torture of two slave women called "ministers" or "deacons" to find out about Christian beliefs and practices. Their legacy was that they revealed the early church met together to sing hymns, vowed to live moral lives and practised a spiritual equality between men and women, slave-owners and slaves that was counter-cultural to the patriarchal and socially stratified Roman society. [3] [4] [5] [6] [7] [1] |
Ammia of Philadelphia Philadelphia (now Alaşehir in Turkey), Asia Minor c100-160 | Ammia was mentioned by Eusebius as a renowned prophet, a successor to the apostles, with the same status as the prophets Phillip's daughters and Agabus (Acts 21) and later Quadratus. [8] [9] [10] | |
Blandina maid of Lyon, martyr of Lyon, saint, virgin d177 [11] | ![]() | Blandina was a Christian slave girl, one of the martyrs of Lyon, who was tortured, exposed to wild animals, tied to a stake in the arena and finally killed for her faith. She encouraged and strengthened a fellow martyr, the teenage boy Ponticus. [12] For the onlookers, Blandina was inspirational and persuasive, modelling endurance, Christ-likeness and personal spiritual power in withstanding powerful authorities [13] even though she was a young woman and a slave with no social or legal status. [14] [2] [11] |
Agatha of Sicily virgin, martyr | Agatha of Scily was a virgin and martyr venerated as a saint in Roman Catholic tradition. She was tortured to death by Quintianus. | |
Cecilia of Rome virgin, martyr 177 [15] | Cecilia was a noble lady of Rome who was martyred after her husband Valerian, his brother Tiburtius, and a Roman soldier named Maximus. [16] After their deaths, Cecilia collected their bones and buried them, then preached and evangelised to many people in Rome. She was executed for preaching and practising Christianity. [17] | |
Vibia Perpetua saint d203 [18] [date of arrest and martyrdom] | ![]() | Perpetua, a noblewoman, was arrested with Felicitas (her friend and servant), Saturnius, Revocatus, and Secundulus. She wrote a prison diary, Passion of Saints Perpetua and Felicity, thought of as a rare surviving example of female Christian writing of that period. [19] Because Perpetua refused to renounce her faith, even at the pleading of her father, and she was a fellow Christian and friend to her servant, she is regarded as one of the women martyrs who upset Roman hierarchical social and family relationships. [19] |
Felicitas saint d203 [18] [date of arrest and martyrdom] | ![]() | Felicitas was arrested along with Saint Perpetua and others and placed in gladiatorial/animal shows. She did not deny being a Christian. [20] She was pregnant when she was arrested. In jail, she gave birth at eight months to a girl who was given to 'sisters' to raise. [21] |
Ammion, Epikto, Artemidora, Leta, Kale presbyter/presbytide, woman elder Phrygia, Thera (Santorini), Egypt, Bruttium, Sicily early 200s, [8] c2nd-3rd cent., late 5th cent., 4th-5th cent. | The descriptions of women as presbyter are taken from inscriptions on their tombs or other memorials. Presbyter usually means an elder or priest. These women may have held official or unofficial leadership positions in their churches. Although mainly from about the 4th century church councils and church fathers argued against women teaching or leading the church, in practice women taught in various ways or were respected for their wisdom in some early churches. [8] [1] | |
Lucy 304 [22] | ![]() | Lucy worked with the poor and those confined to their homes by bringing them food. She is also thought to have done the same for those Christians hiding in the catacombs. [23] [20] |
Agnes of Rome virgin martyr, saint 304 [24] | ![]() | Twelve year old Agnes was a Christian from a noble family but expected to marry the Roman son of a city official. She informed him that her fiancé was Jesus Christ. She was subsequently executed by a sword. She was a model for chastity and commitment to Christ. [20] [25] Constantine's daughter, Constantia, built a basilica, Sant'Agnese fuori le Mura, on the site of her tomb. [26] |
Paula of Rome saint, desert mother, wealthy widow Lived 347-404 [2] | ![]() | Paula of Rome was a widowed Roman noblewoman, disciple and friend of Jerome, who became an ascetic bible scholar and abbess. At Bethlehem, she established a double monastery and hostel for pilgrims. Paula memorised scripture, sang the psalms, [27] was fluent in Greek and Hebrew and acted as patron, financing Jerome's translation of the bible into Latin, now known as the Latin Vulgate bible. [28] [2] [29] Jerome dedicated many of his commentaries and books to her. [29] |
Macrina the Younger saint, consecrated virgin, monastic leader, teacher of the Word | ![]() | Macrina was intelligent and educated. After her fiancé died suddenly when she was twelve, she vowed not to marry. She took care of her family and supported them after her father died. She was influential in the education of Bishop Peter of Sebaste, St. Gregory, and Basil of Caesarea who were her brothers. She also established a religious community and became its head. [31] [8] |
Catherine of Alexandria saint, martyr, scholar | ![]() | Catherine of Alexandria was a saint who was martyred in the early 4th century by Maxentius. She was both a princess and a noted scholar, who became a Christian around the age of 14, converted hundreds of people to Christianity, and was martyred around the age of 18. More than 1,100 years following her martyrdom, Saint Joan of Arc identified Catherine as one of the saints who appeared to her and counselled her. [34] |
Helena Empress, Augusta, Helena of Constantinople est. lived 248-326/27 [2] | ![]() | Helena was the Empress of the Roman Empire (consort of the future Roman Emperor Constantius Chlorus who reigned 293–306) and mother of Emperor Constantine the Great. Constantine proclaimed her Helena "Augusta", a title of imperial influence. She made a pilgrimage to Palestine and the eastern provinces where she supervised the building of churches on his behalf and supported Christians to freely practise their religion. [2] [35] |
Olympias the younger, deaconness, saint 361-408 [36] | Olympias was a wealthy widow who donated her inheritance to the church and the poor, founded and led a monastery, built a hospital and orphanage, was friends with John Chrysostom, Gregory Nazianzen, and Gregory of Nyssa. Her piety impressed Emperor Theodosius. She was ordained a deaconess by Nectarius, Archbishop of Constantinople. [36] [37] [38] [39] [40] | |
Nino apostle, evangelist, teacher, saint [8] c338 or 340 | ![]() | Nino is regarded as a missionary who studied under a woman teacher of theology in Jerusalem then preached to the Georgians. Her teaching led to the conversion of the king (Mirian III) and queen (Nana of Iberia) and the Christianisation of Georgia. [8] |
Theodora [41] magistra, teacher of the faith, keeper of the law, Aphrodite (pet name) [8] Rome 382 date of inscription | Theodora is known as a teacher of the Christian faith through the inscription on her tomb in the Basilica of St Agnes, written by her husband, Evacrius. The inscription is in Latin and uses the language of theological teachers to describe her as a "keeper of the law" showing her knowledge of the scriptures and "teacher of the faith" to the saints in Rome. [8] [Not to be confused with other Theodoras] | |
Monica 387 [42] | ![]() | Monica had great influence over the development of her son Saint Augustine's faith. It was her prayerful life that influenced the conversion of Augustine who wrote about her extensively in his book Confessions . [43] [42] Augustine and his friends would gather for discussions on philosophy and he would ask Monica to join in the discussions. [44] She also was known for her charitable works. [45] |
Fabiola saint, nurse, hospital founder Rome and Bethlehem d399 [46] | ![]() | From a wealthy Roman family, Fabiola became a widow to her second husband, repented of her past life and devoted herself and her wealth to the church, helping the poor and sick. She founded a hospital in Rome (and a pilgrim's hospice) where she personally treated patients and for a time lived an ascetic life and studied scripture with Paula and Jerome in Bethlehem, nursing in their hospice. She became a role model for Christian women to provide medical aid to people living in poverty. [17] [47] [46] |
Fritigil Queen Fritigil of the Marcomanni Marcomanni, Austria, Czech Republic c397, mid 4th century | ![]() | Fritigil corresponded with Ambrose, Bishop of Milan, converted to Christianity, persuaded her husband to convert and to make peace with the Romans, travelled to Milan to meet Ambrose but he died before she reached him. Little else is known about her but that she exercised political and spiritual authority and led her people into Christianity. [48] [49] [50] [51] |
Marcella theological teacher, saint Rome 325-410 | ![]() | Marcella was a wealthy widow who refused to remarry, instead she stopped wearing jewellery and began to live a more ascetic life, hosting gatherings of Christian clergy and theologians in her home. She taught virgins and widows and was a correspondent and friend of Jerome although she would not relocate with him to Bethlehem. Marcella advised both men and women on questions around Scripture and theology and publicly helped refute the heresy of Origenism. When the Goths invaded Rome and sought to rob her she pleaded for the safety of the consecrated virgins with her, was eventually taken to safety but died soon after from being beaten. [8] [2] [52] |
Aelia Pulcheria Augusta Constantinople Lived 399-c453 [2] | ![]() | Pulcheria was daughter to Emperor Arcadius and Empress Eudoxia, and sister to Theodosius II for whom she acted as regent and guardian. Pulcheria committed herself to Christianity and virginity at a young age and ensured the future Emperor Theodosius II was tutored in the Christian faith. She built three churches in Constantinople, was friend to the archbishops/patriarchs of Constantinople and Pope Leo I and a patron to monastic communities. She was influential in both imperial and church politics and helped convene and guide the Council of Ephesus and the Council of Chalcedon. [2] |
Cerula and Bitalia Mid 400s? | Leaders and teachers in the early church in Naples, Italy. Because of their depictions in a fresco above tombs, it has been speculated they could have been bishops. [53] [54] |
Eusebius of Caesarea, also known as Eusebius Pamphilius, was a Greek Syro-Palestinian historian of Christianity, exegete, and Christian polemicist. In about AD 314 he became the bishop of Caesarea Maritima in the Roman province of Syria Palaestina.
Ignatius of Antioch, also known as Ignatius Theophorus, was an early Christian writer and Patriarch of Antioch. While en route to Rome, where he met his martyrdom, Ignatius wrote a series of letters. This correspondence forms a central part of a later collection of works by the Apostolic Fathers. He is considered one of the three most important of these, together with Clement of Rome and Polycarp. His letters also serve as an example of early Christian theology, and address important topics including ecclesiology, the sacraments, and the role of bishops.
John Chrysostom was an important Early Church Father who served as Archbishop of Constantinople. He is known for his preaching and public speaking, his denunciation of abuse of authority by both ecclesiastical and political leaders, his Divine Liturgy of Saint John Chrysostom, and his ascetic sensibilities. The epithet Χρυσόστομος means "golden-mouthed" in Greek and denotes his celebrated eloquence. Chrysostom was among the most prolific authors in the early Christian Church.
Pope Linus was the bishop of Rome from c. AD 68 to his death. He is generally regarded as the second Bishop of Rome, after St. Peter. As with all the early popes, he was canonized.
Polycarp was a Christian bishop of Smyrna. According to the Martyrdom of Polycarp, he died a martyr, bound and burned at the stake, then stabbed when the fire failed to consume his body. Polycarp is regarded as a saint and Church Father in the Eastern Orthodox Church, Roman Catholic Church, Oriental Orthodox Churches, Lutheranism, and Anglicanism.
The 340s decade ran from January 1, 340, to December 31, 349.
Clement of Rome, also known as Pope Clement I, was a bishop of Rome in the late first century AD. He is considered to be the first of the Apostolic Fathers of the Church, and a leading member of the Church in Rome in the late 1st century.
Hippolytus of Rome was a Bishop of Rome and one of the most important second–third centuries Christian theologians, whose provenance, identity and corpus remain elusive to scholars and historians. Suggested communities include Rome, Palestine, Egypt, Anatolia and other regions of the Middle East. The best historians of literature in the ancient church, including Eusebius of Caesarea and Jerome, openly confess they cannot name where Hippolytus the biblical commentator and theologian served in leadership. They had read his works but did not possess evidence of his community. Photios I of Constantinople describes him in his Bibliotheca as a disciple of Irenaeus, who was said to be a disciple of Polycarp, and from the context of this passage it is supposed that he suggested that Hippolytus so styled himself. This assertion is doubtful. One older theory asserts he came into conflict with the popes of his time and seems to have headed a schismatic group as a rival to the bishop of Rome, thus becoming an antipope. In this view, he opposed the Roman Popes who softened the penitential system to accommodate the large number of new pagan converts. However, he was reconciled to the Church before he died as a martyr.
Basil of Caesarea, also called Saint Basil the Great, was Bishop of Caesarea Mazaca in Cappadocia, Asia Minor. He was an influential theologian who supported the Nicene Creed and opposed the heresies of the early Christian church, fighting against both Arianism and the followers of Apollinaris of Laodicea.
James the Just, or a variation of James, brother of the Lord, was a brother of Jesus, according to the New Testament. He was the first leader of the Jerusalem Church of the Apostolic Age. Traditionally, it is believed he was martyred in AD 62 or 69 by being stoned to death by the Pharisees on order of High Priest Ananus ben Ananus. James, Joses, Simon, and Judas are mentioned as the brothers or siblings of Jesus as well as two or more unnamed sisters.
Doctor of the Church, also referred to as Doctor of the Universal Church, is a title given by the Catholic Church to saints recognized as having made a significant contribution to theology or doctrine through their research, study, or writing.
Saint Quadratus of Athens was a Greek Apostolic Father, bishop of Athens. He is counted among the Seventy Apostles in the tradition of the Eastern Churches.
Lucian of Antioch, known as Lucian the Martyr, was a Christian presbyter, theologian and martyr. He was noted for both his scholarship and ascetic piety.
Saint Blandina was a Christian martyr who died in Lugdunum during the reign of Emperor Marcus Aurelius.
Paula of Rome was an ancient Roman Christian saint and early Desert Mother. A member of one of the richest senatorial families which claimed descent from Agamemnon, Paula was the daughter of Blesilla and Rogatus, from the great clan of the Furii Camilli. At the age of 16, Paula was married to the nobleman Toxotius, with whom she had four daughters, Blaesilla, Paulina, Eustochium, and Rufina. She also had a boy, also named Toxotius. As a disciple of Jerome, she is considered the first nun in the history of Christianity.
Saint Domnina and her daughters Berenice and Prosdoce are venerated as Christian martyrs by the Roman Catholic and Eastern Orthodox Churches. St. Domnina is not to be confused with Domnina of Syria, a 5th century figure.
Saint Peter, also known as Peter the Apostle, Simon Peter, Simeon, Simon, or Cephas, was one of the Twelve Apostles of Jesus Christ and one of the first leaders of the early Christian Church. He appears repeatedly and prominently in all four New Testament gospels as well as the Acts of the Apostles. Catholic tradition accredits Peter as the first bishop of Rome—or pope—and also as the first bishop of Antioch.
The Church Fathers, Early Church Fathers, Christian Fathers, or Fathers of the Church were ancient and influential Christian theologians and writers who established the intellectual and doctrinal foundations of Christianity. The historical period in which they worked became known as the Patristic Era and spans approximately from the late 1st to mid-8th centuries, flourishing in particular during the 4th and 5th centuries, when Christianity was in the process of establishing itself as the state church of the Roman Empire.
Christian monasticism first appeared in Egypt and Syria. This is a partial chronology of early Christian monasticism with its notable events listed. It covers 343 years.
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