Random Lifeness
Well Online classes are in full wing, I’m taking two, Church History 1 and Philosophy of Religion. I’m used to working at least 20 hours a week and taking 9 credits. This summer I’m taking six credits and haven’t started work yet (long story) so I’ve got a bit of free time on my hands. I’ve been watching (too much)Veronica Mars on Netflix and even started trying out some new recipes to keep myself entertained.
My usual excuse for not blogging (lack of time) by my own admission no longer holds water. So we’ll see what new excuses I can come up with.
Today I’m going to talk a bit about what I’ve learned while reading about church history this past week. I’m not going to talk about the boring parts, but about some of the more meaningful things I picked up.
The most prominent thing that I learned this, learned isn’t quite the right word, more like the thing that finally sank in, was the plight of women throughout history. I think what really made this sink in was reading Tertullian’s On the Apparel of Women. That’s right Tertullian dedicated an entire work to how women should dress. Aside from the obvious issues you’d expect to have with this, regardless of your gender (I hope), there are some really unsettling things in this document.
Example 1:
“You, however, have no cause of appearing in public, except such as is serious. Either some brother who is sick is visited, or else the sacrifice is offered, or else the word of God is dispensed. Whichever of these you like to name is a business of sobriety and sanctity, requiring no extraordinary attire, with (studious) arrangement and (wanton) negligence. And if the requirements of Gentile friendships and of kindly offices call you, why not go forth clad in your own armour; (and) all the more, in that (you have to go) to such as are strangers to the faith? So that between the handmaids of God and of the devil there may be a difference; so that you may be an example to them, and they may be edified in you; so that (as the apostle says)
God may be magnified in your body.
I won’t lie, I’ve told my fair share of woman jokes, especially in relation to their geographic proximity to the kitchen, but it was all in good fun. What Tertullian seems to be saying is that women should stay in the kitchen house, essentially “why are you dressing up? Unless someones dying you should be in the house. This kind of got me down and really thinking about just how bad things have been for women throughout history. It’s not that I didn’t know that women were treated poorly throughout history. To be I honest I didn’t really care. I thought there were more important issues to be bothered by. Women are treated far better today than they were then and they weren’t treated as poorly as some minority groups were. Basically I thought they should just get over it. I don’t know what really changed my mind, or how changed it is but I think that I better understand now.
So yeah, here are a few more gems from the theologian who brought you the Trinity
Example 2:
do you not know that you are (each) an Eve? The sentence of God on this sex of yours lives in this age: the guilt must of necessity live too. You are the devil’s gateway: you are the unsealer of that (forbidden) tree: you are the first deserter of the divine law: you are she who persuaded him whom the devil was not valiant enough to attack. You destroyed so easily God’s image, man. On account of your desert— that is, death— even the Son of God had to die.
I’m sure Tertullian was a nice guy.. To put it mildly this is a tad harsh don’t you think? I’d be curious to hear is reasoning behind this. I can’t really pick it apart cause I honestly don’t know how he builds his case for this. He’s too practiced a theologian to not have a reason for he claims he’s making (though undoubtedly not a good reason) and I’m curious what that reason is.
So women I don’t think that you are the devil’s gateway or that you are the reason Jesus had to die and I’m sorry your sex has been treated like crap throughout history and I’m sorry that you sometimes still get treated like crap by the opposite sex.
