ELI5: Explain Like I'm 5

Women in the patristic age

In a long time ago called the patristic age, women were treated very differently than they are nowadays. Men were the ones who had most of the power and decision-making in society. Women were seen mainly as wives, mothers, or daughters who had to obey their fathers or husbands.

However, there were some women in the patristic age who made a significant impact on the early Christian church. Some of these women were known as saintly women, and they were admired for their devotion to God and their good works.

One of the most famous of these women was Mary, the mother of Jesus. Another important woman was Mary Magdalene, who was one of Jesus' followers and was present at his crucifixion and resurrection. She was later proclaimed by the church as the "apostle to the apostles" because she was the first to witness Jesus' resurrection and share the news with the other disciples.

There were also other influential women in the early Christian church, such as Saint Helena, who was Emperor Constantine's mother and helped to promote Christianity throughout the Roman Empire. And there was Saint Monica, who was the mother of Saint Augustine, one of the most famous theologians in the history of the church.

Despite the limitations placed on women in the patristic age, these women managed to make significant contributions to the church and history as a whole.