The Acts of Paul and Thecla: Asceticism and Female Heroism in Early Christianity - Lecture 20

Explore a 49-minute lecture from Yale University's Introduction to New Testament course that delves into the Acts of Paul and Thecla. Examine how this early Christian text presents a narrative similar to Greco-Roman novels, but with a focus on asceticism and purity. Analyze the anti-marriage and anti-family message within the story, and how it challenges the cycle of sex, birth, death, and decay prevalent in the ancient world. Consider the possibility of interpreting the text from a feminist perspective, given Thecla's emergence as the true hero. Investigate the literary context, the gospel of asceticism, sexual hierarchy in ancient culture, and early Christian views on asceticism as a response to mortality. Conclude by examining Thecla's role as the heroine of the narrative.

- Chapter 1. The Acts of Paul and Thecla in Its Literary Context
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- Chapter 2. The Gospel of Asceticism in the Acts of Paul and Thecla
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- Chapter 3. The Cultural Phenomenon of Sexual Hierarchy
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- Chapter 4. The Early Christian Answer to the Cycle of Birth and Death: Asceticism
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- Chapter 5. Thecla, the Heroine
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