Women Patrons and Mothers in Associations and the New Testament

Susan E. Benton

doi:10.1628/978-3-16-163465-9

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Susan E. Benton

Women Patrons and Mothers in Associations and the New Testament

[Frauen als Schirmherrinnen und Mütter in Vereinigungen und im Neuen Testament.]

2025. Approx. 230 pages.

forthcoming in May 2025

Wissenschaftliche Untersuchungen zum Neuen Testament 2. Reihe (WUNT II)

DOI 10.1628/978-3-16-163465-9

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978-3-16-163465-9

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Summary

Using examples of ancient women in Greco-Roman community leadership roles, Susan E. Benton develops models for imagining how the women in early Christian groups functioned. She considers how Phoebe resembled patrons of civic organizations and how Prisca and other leading women acted like »mothers« in groups.

Drawing on current research in Classics and Roman history, Susan E. Benton analyzes inscriptional evidence about women in the leadership of Greco-Roman associations in Latin West and Greek East. She then uses the resulting profile of civically engaged women to compare to women of early Christ-groups in the Pauline corpus. Women patrons of associations provide a valuable source for envisioning Phoebe, the only New Testament person called a prostatis . Mothers of associations suggest a pattern of involvement for women of the Christ groups, often called »house church leaders.« From the mothers of associations, the author extrapolates about how Prisca likely functioned in the community of faith that she served. Altogether, a more developed picture emerges of the concrete contributions possible for women in early Christianity who shared their resources and shaped the lives of their communities.

Table of contents:

Chapter 1: Benefactors, Associations, and Women in Early Christ Groups
1.1 Situating Inscriptional Analysis of Women Benefactors in the Field of New Testament Studies - 1.1 Situating Inscriptional Analysis of Women Benefactors - 1.2 Women Patrons and Mothers as Comparanda - 1.3 Methodology - 1.4 Outline of the Book

Chapter 2: Patrons and Mothers in the Latin West
2.1 Overview: The Big Picture of Women Benefactors in the Roman West - 2.1 The Big Picture of Women Benefactors (Roman West) - 2.2 Case Studies: Specific Inscriptions with Women Patrons and Mothers - 2.2 Case Studies: Inscriptions with Women Patrons and Mothers - 2.3 Assessment: Hemelrijk's thesis in the West, with additional evidence - 2.3 Assessment: Hemelrijk's thesis in the West - 2.4 Conclusion: Women as Patrons and Mothers in the Latin West

Chapter 3: Patrons and Mothers in the Greek East
3.1 Regional Distinctions: The Greek East, and Asia Minor in Particular - 3.2 Overview: The Big Picture of Benefactors in the Greek East - 3.3 Case Studies: Specific Inscriptions with Women Patrons and Mothers - 3.4 Concluding Assessment: Patrons and Mothers in the Greek East

Chapter 4: Phoebe of Cenchreae
4.1 Incorporating Scholarship on Women in the Ancient Mediterranean - 4.1 Scholarship on Women in the Ancient Mediterranean - 4.2 Understanding Phoebe in the Ancient Mediterranean World - 4.3 Conclusion

Chapter 5: Prisca and the Women of Pauline Christ Groups
5.1 Hosts of Early Christ Groups - 5.2 Prisca, with Aquila - 5.3 Other Women Leaders of the Christ Groups in the Pauline Letters

Chapter 6: Conclusion
6.1 Retrospect - 6.2 Prospects