Women's Religions in the Greco-Roman World: A Sourcebook

by Ross Shepard Kraemer (Editor)

This is a substantially expanded and completely revised edition of a book originally published in 1988 as Maenads, Martyrs, Matrons, Monastics . The book is a collection of translations of primary texts relevant to women's religion in Western antiquity, from the fourth century BCE to the fifth century CE. The selections are taken from the plethora of ancient religions, including Judaism and Christianity, and are translated from the six major languages of the Greco-Roman Greek, Latin, Aramaic, Hebrew, Syriac, and Coptic. The texts are grouped thematically in six Observances, Rituals, and Festivals; Researching Real Documents to, from and by Women; Religious Office; New Religious Affiliation and Conversion; Holy, Pious, and Exemplary Women; and The Feminine Divine. Women's Religions in the Greco-Roman World provides a unique and invaluable resource for scholars of classical antiquity, early Christianity and Judaism, and women's religion more generally.

Genres: Nonfiction, History, Religion, Academic

520 pages, Paperback

First published February 5, 2004

About the author

Ross Shepard Kraemer is a professor of Religious Studies at Brown University, specializing in early Christianity and other religions of the Greco-Roman Mediterranean.

Reviews

[Suzanne Thackston · Rating 5 out of 5]

This showed up on a friend's WTR list, and I commented that I own it but am not qualified to review it because I haven't sat down with it and read it cover to cover.
Then I thought, "That's some bullshit." This is a fantastic resource, and while I haven't 'read' it in a linear fashion, I refer to it all the time. It's one of the first I open when I need a resource.
So yeah, I'm giving it 5 stars even though there MAY be bits in there I don't like. If I find any (which I doubt) I'll edit this.

[Jennifer Malin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting and meticulously documented collection of ancient writings on women's involvement in religion. I was looking for information on pagan worship, so I was a little disappointed that a large portion of the book (maybe almost half) focuses on Judeo-Christian stuff. That was interesting, too, but not what I expected.

[Jess · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not so great for narrative history, but a fantastic trove of primary documents big and small that bring the participation of women in that era's religions to life. More like Sherk or the second volume of Beard North Price than the first volume of Beard North Price.

[Amy Hughes · Rating 4 out of 5]

An excellent and wide-ranging collection of early texts. The introductions and bibliographies on each were particularly helpful.