Virgins & Jezebels: The Origins of Christian Misogyny

This book is about men and misogyny in the

early Christian churches – not specifically about

women and their contribution to the life of the

primitive church, though, of course, the two

cannot be separated. In truth, this book is about

power, and who should exercise it. It is about

men’s clubs and the rules and regulations devised

by members to exclude their womenfolk, about

theological nonsense dreamed up and preached

to keep women in their place, to undermine the

fundamental and foundational values of Jesus’

kingdom – to keep the keys of that kingdom

safely in clerical hands.

The place of women in the life of the early

church is a vast area of historical and theological

study, but my principal focus is confined to the

startling prevalence of misogynistic attitudes and

practices in the various regions in which Jesus’

gospel was spread. The world has moved on from

those earlier times – and for the better. Society

now has female prime ministers, governors,

judges, lawyers, surgeons, cricketers, soldiers,

commentators, journalists and jockeys – but not

archbishops or bishops or even common priests ...

at least not in the Roman Catholic Church.