Between Freedom and Submission: The Role of Women in the History of the Church

The essays presented in this volume address the question posed about the role of women throughout the history of the Church: which female figures had the opportunity, and under what circumstances, to express themselves and act freely, thereby exerting their influence in the family, social, spiritual, political, or cultural spheres, but above all, in the ecclesiastical realm. It explores the resources available for their education and training aimed at developing the functions to which they had access. The result is a broad historiographical panorama, characterized by a unique profile, due both to its extensive range - covering almost two thousand years of Church history - and to its openness to less-explored geopolitical contexts. Stimulating reflections on lesser-known figures and events that challenge established historiographical paradigms are not lacking. One of the most important aspects of the volume is its interdisciplinary nature; within the book, we find research conducted by specialists from various fields: history, biography, archaeology, patristics, and archival studies. A strong aspect of the book lies in the authors' efforts to measure the gap between an often negative and limiting paradigm of women's roles and their actual condition in a world that, in any case, was imbued with Christian values.