The Graduate School of Arts and Sciences (GSAS) hosted scholars from the Mary Magdalene Fellowship with Impact program to examine representations of female figures in Christian liturgies, specifically exploring the influence of Mary Magdalene on past, present and future Christian women. The event was held on Feb. 27 in the Lowenstein Center’s 12th-Floor Lounge.
The Mary Magdalene Fellowship with Impact award provides summer funding and support for graduate students conducting research on women in Christianity, according to the GSAS website.
Mary Magdalene was a loyal disciple of Jesus and the first to proclaim his Resurrection, making her one of the most prominent female figures in the Bible and the subject of much feminist theological discourse.
The six-hour event featured two panels of experts, one composed of faculty and the other of PhD candidates, each of whom presented overviews of their research. The panelists’ projects ranged from the examination of Christian art to the daily lives of nuns in medieval Europe.
The faculty members who appeared on the first panel to discuss their research included: Emanuel Fiano, associate professor of theology and co-director of the Center for Jewish Studies at Fordham; Karina Martin Hogan, associate professor of theology at Fordham; Michael Peppard, professor of theology at Fordham; and Sarit Kattan Gribetz, associate professor of religious studies and Jewish Studies at Yale University.
My own interpretation of (the Book of Ruth) has certainly been greatly broadened and enriched by reading the perspectives of biblical scholars from different global contexts, but also by reading it with groups of lay readers who bring their own concerns and experiences to the book Karina Martin Hogan, Associate professor of theology
Hogan discussed how feminism features in the Book of Ruth between different geographical and cultural contexts.
The Book of Ruth tells the story of Ruth, a Moabite widow who moves to Bethlehem with her mother-in-law Naomi after the deaths of both their husbands. There, Ruth marries Boaz, an honorable and wealthy man, and becomes part of the lineage of King David and Jesus Christ. In many interpretations, the story is taken to represent God’s ultimate plan for redemption, even for ordinary people, and love for outsiders.
Hogan described how her interpretation of the story has been influenced by scholars and laypeople she has encountered thanks to the fellowship program.
“My own interpretation of (the Book of Ruth) has certainly been greatly broadened and enriched by reading the perspectives of biblical scholars from different global contexts, but also by reading it with groups of lay readers who bring their own concerns and experiences to the book,” Hogan said.
Gribetz and Peppard both emphasized the reciprocal relationship between depictions of early Christian women and the development of contemporary perspectives. Gribetz presented Helena, an empress and prominent Catholic saint called “Equal to the Apostles,” as an example of a Christian woman who used her wealth to service the poor. Gribetz noted the employment of “Helena’s memory as an inspirational model for contemporary wealthy women.”
Peppard described how “positive images of Magdalene as an apostle will only multiply in contemporary Christian art as former generations who knew her only as a vented sinner give way to newer ones.” Peppard was referring to the misinterpretation that Magdalene was a prostitute, which persisted for centuries. The Church dismissed the claim in 1959, but the idea has remained in popular memory, only recently giving way to new, different representations.
The faculty panel was followed by a keynote address given by Ashley Purpura, associate professor of religious studies at Purdue University, whose work was described as being at the forefront of scholarship exploring the intersection of feminist theology and Orthodox Christian tradition. Purpura earned her PhD in theology from Fordham in 2014, and she “remains quite active within the Fordham community” as the co-editor of the Fordham “Orthodox Christianity and Contemporary Thought” book series.
Purpura’s speech focused on the diverse voices and figures represented in Christian liturgy, using Magdalene as an example of how acknowledging female perspectives in the literature can reveal a source of empowerment for its early female readers.
Even though singing about Mary Magdalene as disciple, minister and apostle has not historically led to a widespread recognition of women’s authority and vocations … they may still yet offer affirmation of women’s voices, ministries and witnesses in ways that are particularly empowering and relatable to women Ashley Purpura, Associate professor of religious studies at Purdue University
“Even though singing about Mary Magdalene as disciple, minister and apostle has not historically led to a widespread recognition of women’s authority and vocations … they may still yet offer affirmation of women’s voices, ministries and witnesses in ways that are particularly empowering and relatable to women,” Purpura said.
Yet, Purpura states that it is “not enough to historically find the voices of women … because the historical record will always to some degree be limited.” To go beyond these limitations, she encouraged scholars to practice “imagining what might have been said … reading against the grain … (and) considering how women might have perceived and continued to perceive women’s voices in ways different from what men, particularly clerical men, have told them.”
“Women’s voices speak across and break down barriers by the mere fact that they are offered by women,” Purpura said.
The second panel gave an independent scholar and a series of PhD candidates the opportunity to explain the research projects they have been able to conduct as recipients of the fellowship. They presented their individual areas of interest, such as medieval clerical concubines and the portrayal of domestic violence in hagiography (writings about the lives of saints).
In medieval times, it was relatively common for priests to have long-term monogamous relationships with women called clerical concubines. This practice emerged across Europe after clerical celibacy was officially mandated by the Church in the 12th century. These women’s lives were deeply intertwined with their churches, and they performed a great deal of domestic labor which has not been historically recognized.
It is my hope though that this project will not only shed some light on the entanglement between embodiment, sanctity and storytelling in Byzantium, but will also help us continue to examine the manner in which violence is depicted, particularly gendered violence. Anna Irwin, PhD candidate in theology
Hillary Bylund, a PhD candidate in theology and social ethics at Fordham, expressed her gratitude for the fellowship program for providing crucial support for her dissertation, which explores how artistic representations of figures like Magdalene can act as a form of resistance and inspire change. Bylund looked particularly at advocacy for women to hold ministerial positions.
“The only reason this (project) was possible was because this Mary Magdalene Fellowship filled that very critical gap of summer funding, and so I’m very thankful for this because I think that it not only allowed me to explore my own questions which have turned into my dissertation … but it also has introduced me to a network of other people that are really passionate about advocating for women’s inclusion in ministry, and that’s been really amazing,” Bylund said.
Anna Irwin, a PhD candidate in theology at Fordham, shared a similar sentiment regarding the significance of the fellowship program in making her research on spousal abuse of Byzantine female saints possible. In her research, she looked at how domestic violence was represented in hagiographies (biographies on the lives and venerations of saints) of the time.
Irwin’s research centered on Saint Thomais of Lesbos, a Byzantine woman who was raised to sainthood for her piety and service in her everyday life while enduring severe abuse from her husband.
Instead, we cultivate attention to detail, openness to surprise (and) a willingness to encounter newness where we did not expect it. Brenna Moore, Chair of the Fordham theology department
“It is my hope though that this project will not only shed some light on the entanglement between embodiment, sanctity and storytelling in Byzantium, but will also help us continue to examine the manner in which violence is depicted, particularly gendered violence,” Irwin said.
Hagiographies of Thomais portray her abuse as beautiful, comparing her bruises to pearls and other precious jewels.
This discovery is somewhat analogous to other panelists’ research on the highly visual portrayal of violence, particularly sexual violence, against female saints. For instance, Natalie Maria Reynoso, a PhD candidate at Fordham, examined the Persian Martyr Acts, a series of Greek and Syrian texts recounting the persecution of Christians by the Sasanian Empire. Reynoso argued that the hagiographers of these texts “construct an idealized notion of holiness for Christian women, which necessitates the perseverance of virginity unto death.”
Closing remarks were given by: Brenna Moore, chair of the department of theology at Fordham; Ann Gaylin, dean of GSAS; and Rita Houlihan, who established the fellowship program.
Moore thanked the panelists and attendees for their engagement in theological discourse and research in higher education, engagement which Moore said enables us to “resist traditions of Christianity that want to squelch out mystery and multi-valence. Instead, we cultivate attention to detail, openness to surprise (and) a willingness to encounter newness where we did not expect it.”
Gaylin reiterated Moore’s point on the event’s significance, stating that herself and the attendees are “all a little wiser for these scholars’ meticulous work to uncover the past and help us understand (that) the past (has) tremendous implications for how we live in and respond to the present moment.”
How do we get artists interested in taking what you all have studied and bringing it into a contemporary setting? How do we inspire the next generation of biblical scholars?Rita Houlihan, Co-founder of Catholic Women Preach
Houlihan is a confirmation teacher, serves on the Future Church Board of Directors and is a founding member of the “Catholic Women Preach” project. Her sponsorship of the fellowship program is part of her efforts to “restore our historical memory of Biblical women leaders … counter demeaning legends and touch the public’s imagination.”
Houlihan directly addressed the Fordham community, urging scholars to move away from traditional, patriarchal depictions of women in liturgical texts, particularly naming Augustine and Aquinas.
“My challenge and my request for Fordham going forward is to look at some … really good sources about women and theology,” Houlihan said. “How do we get artists interested in taking what you all have studied and bringing it into a contemporary setting? How do we inspire the next generation of biblical scholars?”
This feminism-focused event occurred in the last days of February before Women’s History Month in March. Fordham’s Women’s Herstory Committee has begun their annual “Pitstop for a Purpose” drive to collect donations for the non-profit organization “I Support the Girls,” which distributes bras and menstrual products to those experiencing homelessness. The committee will officially kick off the month at their “Brew and Bites” event, which will take place on the Plaza on March 5 at 1 p.m. Fordham’s ninth annual Women’s Luncheon will take place at the McShane Center on March 26, 1-3 p.m.
