The Role and Meaning of the "Daughters of Covenant" in the Persian Church in the Fourth and Fifth Century AD

Andrzej Uciecha




Abstract

The unequivocal negative role of women, described as "harp" of satan, find its substraturn in the anthropological concept of Afrahat, which is based on a hierarchy of the virtue of creatures. The mistrust of women did not flow from "ontological motives", but from the practical considerations which were ber source (Guillaumont). Faithfulness to the biblical concept of creatures does not allow the complete negation of the value of women although, in the specific advice given to the "athletes" the theoretical opinions on this subject were caused to undergo various modifications. In these circumstances there was evidence of a radical stance in the sage in his appraisement of women, the principle of the degrees of good in creatures would be: all the works of God are good, but some are worse. It is not without good reason that the fact remains, that the uncompromising attitude to women is most frequently found in the Demonstrations on the Sons of the Covenant and On Virginity and Holiness, which touch on the themes of virginity and celibacy.

Keywords:

woman, Afrahat, daughters of the Covenant, virginity, Early Persian Church, Persian’s asceticism, Persian Martyrs


Published
2011-01-14


Uciecha, A. (2011). Rola i znaczenie „córek przymierza” w Kościele perskim IV i V wieku. Verbum Vitae, 19, 233–246. https://doi.org/10.31743/vv.2028

Andrzej Uciecha  naporus@gmail.com



License

The author(s) grant (s) to the Licensee a non-exclusive and royalty-free license in accordance with the provisions of the Appendix: LICENSE TO USE THE WORK