When Women Were Priests | Women's Leadership in the Early Church and the Scandal of Their Subordination in the Rise of Christianity

This landmark book reveals not only that women were priests, bishops, and prophets in early Christianity, but also how and why they were then suppressed.

Karen Jo Torjesen, Ph.D., is the Margo L. Goldsmith Chair of Women’s Studies and Religion at Claremont Graduate School in California, and an associate of the Institute for Antiquity and Christianity. She is widely regarded as a leading authority on women in ancient Christianity.

“In an accessible and engaging style, Torjesen details the historical evidence that women were priests, bishops, and even prophets in the early Christian church. Compelling, relevant reading.”
–“Ms.”

“A powerful work of synthesis. Torjesen is nothing short of brilliant in tracing the connection between the church’s move from private to public spheres and the corresponding move to suppress women’s leadership. The cumulative effect of the book’s argument is to make more rationally urgent than ever the removal of this scandal.”–Elizabeth A. Johnson, author of “She Who Is”

“Brilliantly lays bare the historic roots of the church’s prejudice against women. A powerful, revealing, insightful book.”-
-RT. REV. John S. Spong, Bishop of Newark

“Provacative in argument and engagingly written….Bound to stimulate discussion.”
–Elizabeth A. Clark, co-editor, “Women and Religion”