Emmanuel
Few theologians argue that these pseudepigraphal texts are not included in the canon due to a blatant dismissal of women . However , if texts such as Paul ’ s First Letter to the Corinthians ( 11:2-16 ; 14:33b- 36 ) could be included in the canon , there is no reason for these texts to have been eliminated based on Peter ’ s dismissal of women , since a similar dismissal appears in canonical letters from Paul . The argument that the Church fathers intentionally eliminated texts that undermined the status of women is void , due to the inclusion of such texts .
Study of Church history through a gendered lens is essential in developing a more accurate and complete history of the Catholic Church .
The history of the Church for the past two millennia has already had its influence on the role and interpretation of women in the life and mission of the Church . Due to these long-standing traditions , there is no need to question and dissect every text and tradition with a new gendered lens .
However , there is a need for scholars of Catholic and religious studies to reevaluate the standards by which texts were considered canonical or noncanonical with a new gendered lens . This would not be with the intention of re-compiling the canon , but rather to shed a scholarly , critical light on the forgotten or intentionally-erased stories and the influence of women from early church history .
This influence is essential in understanding the formation of the church , and it is essential to study all of church history through a gendered lens in order to develop a more accurate and complete history of the Catholic Church .
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Ann Graham Brock , Mary Magdalene , The First Apostle : The Struggle for Authority , ( Cambridge , MA : Harvard University Press ), 2003 , 61 . Ibid , 65 . Peter Kirby , The Gospel of Peter , translated by Raymond Brown , ( Early Christian Writings ), http :// www . earlychristianwritings . com / text / gospelpeter-brown . html . Margaret Y . MacDonald , “ Reading Real Women through the Undisputed Letters of Paul ,” in Women and Christian Origins , ( London , Oxford University Press ), 1999 . The Gospel of Thomas : The Hidden Sayings of Jesus , interpreted Harold Bloom , ( New York , NY , and San Francisco , CA : Harper ), 1992 .
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