by Jose Fenestra

Created on: January 29, 2011   Last Updated: April 23, 2011

According to Webster’s Dictionary, gender is the property that distinguishes organisms on the basis of their reproductive and social role as well as identity. Social role and identity serve a large part in understanding early Christian texts. Gender was not solely determined by one’s anatomy. Through these texts, one can understand how each social role was constructed and what it took to be masculine or feminine in each culture. This gives us a glimpse of how our gender construction is configured today. These cultures did not define people as male or female based on Christianity. There are many different ways in which someone could have been seen as a male or a female. 

Martyrdom of Perpetua and Felicitas is a good example of this altered gender construction. Perpetua and Felicitas both undergo changes from female to male throughout the story. At the beginning, both have female reproductive parts, and had female social roles. They were, at this point, viewed as women. Their first step to becoming male was when they admitted to being Christian. “Well, so too I cannot be called anything other than what I am, a christina”(Martyrdom of Perpetua and Felicitas 1). Christians were viewed, in their own eyes, as more masculine. Perpetua and Felicitas, along with other christians, were then captured for practicing the Christian religion. Once they were captured, they baptized themselves. “During these few days, I was baptized, and I was inspired by the spirits not to ask for any other favor after the water but simply the perseverance of the flesh” (Martyrdom of Perpetua and Felicitas 1). This act breaks their womanly ties and shows that the Christian men and women were all shown as equals. They were Christians and their captors were not. This male progression was then halted because Perpetua still had a nursing son. Childbearing is a female characteristic. “ I nursed my baby, who was faint from hunger”(Martyrdom of Perpetua and Felicitas 1). This was a sign of weakness as it brought her pain to see her child suffering and also to not be with her child. Perpetua was then allowed to keep the child in the prison with her for the well-being of the child. This allowed her to shed her pain and continue on the path that was ultimately leading her to masculinity. These Christian prisoners were condemed to the arena to be killed by wild animals. Felicitas was eight monthes pregnant. “It was against the law for women

• 1
• 2
• 3
• 4
• 5
• 6
• Next Page >>