Clement of Alexandria, a major early Church father, was among
the most important early Christian thinkers on the subject of
gender. In this passage he reveals the essential problem: he wants
to both acknowledge that men and women are equally called to virtue,
but that men are still in some way better than women. In the process
he notes that men are better than women, but that women are better
than effeminate men.
CHAP. VIII. -- WOMEN AS WELL AS MEN, SLAVES AS WELL AS FREEMEN,
CANDIDATES FOR THE MARTYR'S CROWN.
Since, then, not only the Aesopians, and Macedonians, and the
Lacedaemonians endured when subjected to torture, as Eratosthenes
says in his work, On Things Good and Evil; but also Zeno of Elea,
when subjected to compulsion to divulge a secret, held out against
the tortures, and confessed nothing; who, when expiring, bit out
his tongue and spat it at the tyrant, whom some term Nearchus,
and some Demulus. Theodotus the Pythagorean acted also similarly,
and Paulus the friend of Lacydes, as Timotheus of Pergamus says
in his work on The Fortitude of Philosophers, and Achaicus in
The Ethics. Posthumus also, the Roman, when captured by Peucetion,
did not divulge a single secret; but putting his hand on the fire,
held it to it as if to a piece of brass, without moving a muscle
of his face. I omit the case of Anaxarchus, who exclaimed, "Pound
away at the sack which holds Anaxarchus, for it is not Anaxarchus
you are pounding," when by the tyrant's orders he was being
pounded with iron pestles. Neither, then, the hope of happiness
nor the love of God takes what befalls ill, but remains free,
although thrown among the wildest beasts or into the all-devouring
fire; though racked with a tyrant's tortures. Depending as it
does on the divine favour, it ascends aloft unenslaved, surrendering
the body to those who can touch it alone. A barbarous nation,
not cumbered with philosophy, select, it is said, annually an
ambassador to the hero Zamolxis. Zamolxis was one of the disciples
of Pythagoras. The one, then, who is judged of the most sterling
worth is put to death, to the distress of those who have practised
philosophy, but have not been selected, at being reckoned unworthy
of a happy service.
So the Church is full of those, as well chaste women as men, who
all their life have contemplated the death which rouses up to
Christ? For the individual whose life is framed as ours is, may
philosophize without Learning, whether barbarian, whether Greek,
whether slave--whether an old man, or a boy, or a woman.[8] For
self-control is common to all human beings who have made choice
of it. And we admit that the same nature exists in every race,
and the same virtue. As far as respects human nature, the woman
does not possess one nature, and the man exhibit another, but
the same: so also with virtue. If, consequently, a self-restraint
and righteousness, and whatever qualities are regarded as following
them, is the virtue of the male, it belongs to the male alone
to be virtuous, and to the woman to be licentious and unjust.
But it is offensive even to say this. Accordingly woman is to
practise self-restraint and righteousness, and every other virtue,
as well as man, both bond and free; since it is a fit consequence
that the same nature possesses one and the same virtue.[1] We
do not say that woman's nature is the same as man's, as she is
woman. For undoubtedly it stands to reason that some difference
should exist between each of them, in virtue of which one is male
and the other female. Pregnancy and parturition, accordingly,
we say belong to woman, as she is woman, and not as she is a human
being. But if there were no difference between man and woman,
both would do and suffer the same things. As then there is sameness,
as far as respects the soul, she will attain to the same virtue;
but as there is difference as respects the peculiar construction
of the body, she is destined for child-bearing and housekeeping.
"For I would have you know," says the apostle, "that
the head of every man is Christ; and the head of the woman is
the man: for the man is not of the woman, but the woman of the
man. I For neither is the woman without the man, nor the man without
the woman, in the Lord."[2] For as we say that the man ought
to be continent, and superior to pleasures; so also we reckon
that the woman should be continent and practised in fighting against
pleasures. "But I say, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not
fulfil the lusts of the flesh," counsels the apostolic command;
"for the flesh lusteth against the spirit, and the spirit
against the flesh. These, then, are contrary" (not as good
to evil, but as fighting advantageously), he adds therefore, so
that ye cannot do the things that ye would. Now the works of the
flesh are manifest, which are, fornication uncleanness, profligacy,
idolatry, witchcrafts, enmities, strifes, jealousies, wrath, contentions,
dissensions, heresies, envyings, drunkenness, revellings, and
such like; of which I tell you before, as I have also said before,
that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of
God. But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, long-suffering,
gentleness, temperance, goodness, faith, meekness."[3] He
calls sinners, as I think, "flesh," and the righteous
"spirit." Further, manliness is to be assumed in order
to produce confidence and forbearance, so as "to him that
strikes on the one cheek, to give to him the other; and to him
that takes away the cloak, to yield to him the coat also,"
strongly, restraining anger. For we do not train our women like
Amazons to manliness in war; since we wish the men even to be
peaceable. I hear that the Sarmatian women practise war no less
than the men; and the women of the Sacae besides, who shoot backwards,
feigning flight as well as the men. I am aware, too, that the
women near Iberia practise manly work and toil, not refraining
from their tasks even though near their delivery; but even in
the very struggle of her pains, the woman, on being delivered,
taking up the infant, carries it home. Further, the females no
less than the males manage the house, and hunt, and keep the flocks:--
"Cressa the hound ran keenly in the stag's track."
Women are therefore to philosophize equally with men, though the
males are preferable at everything, unless they have become effeminate[4]
To the whole human race, then, discipline and virtue are a necessity,
if they would pursue after happiness. And how recklessly Euripides
writes sometimes this and sometimes that! On one occasion, "For
every wife is inferior to her husband, though the most excellent
one marry her that is of fair fame." And on another:--
"For the chaste is her husband's slave,
While she that is unchaste in her folly despises her consort.
.... For nothing is better and more excellent,
Than when as husband and wife ye keep house,
Harmonious in your sentiments."
The ruling power is therefore the head. And if "the Lord
is head of the man, and the man is head of the woman," the
man, "being the image and glory of God, is lord of the woman."[5]
Wherefore also in the Epistle to the Ephesians it is written,
"Subjecting ),ourselves one to another in the fear of God.
Wives, submit yourselves to your own husbands, as to the Lord.
For the husband is head of the wife, as also Christ is the head
of the Church; and He is the Saviour of the body. Husbands, love
your wives, as also Christ loved the Church. So also ought men
to love their wives as their own bodies: he that loveth his wife
loveth himself. For no man ever yet hated his own flesh."[6]
And in that to the Colossians it is said, "Wives, submit
yourselves to your own husbands, as is fit in the Lord.[7] Husbands,
love your wives, and be not bitter against them. Children, obey
your parents in all things; for this is well pleasing to the Lord.
Fathers, provoke not your children to anger, lest they be discouraged.
Servants, be obedient in all things to those who are your masters
according to the flesh; not with eye-service, as men-pleasers;
but with singleness of heart, fearing the Lord. And whatsoever
ye do, do it heartily, as serving the Lord and not men; knowing
that of the Lord ye shall receive the reward of the inheritance:
for ye serve the Lord Christ. For the wrongdoer shall receive
the Wrong, which he hath done; and there is no respect of persons.
Masters, render to your servants justice and equity; knowing that
ye also have a Master in heaven, where there is neither Greek
nor Jew, circumcision and uncircumcision, barbarian, Scythian,
bond, free: but Christ is all, and in all."[1] And the earthly
Church is the image of the heavenly, as we pray also "that
the will of God may be done upon the earth as in heaven."[2]
"Putting on, therefore, bowels of mercy, gentleness, humbleness,
meekness, long-suffering; forbearing one another, and forgiving
one another, if one have a quarrel against any man; as also Christ
hath forgiven us, so also let us. And above all these things put
on charity, which is the bond of perfectness. And let the peace
of God rule in your hearts, to which ye are called in one body;
and be thankful."[3] For there is no obstacle to adducing
frequently the same Scripture in order to put Marcion[4] to the
blush, if perchance he be persuaded and converted; by learning
that the faithful ought to be grateful to God the Creator, who
hath called us, and who preached the Gospel in the body. From
these considerations the unity of the faith is clear, and it is
shown who is the perfect man; so that though some are reluctant,
and offer as much resistance as they can, though menaced with
punishments at the hand of husband or master, both the domestic
and the wife will philosophize. Moreover, the free, though threatened
with death at a tyrant's hands, and brought before the tribunals,
and all his substances imperilled, will by no means abandon piety;
nor will the wife who dwells with a wicked husband, or the son
if he has a bad father, or the domestic if he has a bad master,
ever fail in holding nobly to virtue. But as it is noble for a
man to die for virtue, and for liberty, and for himself, so also
is it for a woman. For this is not peculiar to the nature of males,
but to the nature of the good. Accordingly, both the old man,
the young, and the servant will live faithfully, and if need be
die; which will be to be made alive by death. So we know that
both children, and women, and servants have often, against their
fathers', and masters', and husbands' will, reached the highest
degree of excellence. Wherefore those who are determined to live
piously ought none the less to exhibit alacrity, when some seem
to exercise compulsion on them; but much more, I think, does it
become them to show eagerness, and to strive with uncommon vigour,
lest, being overcome, they abandon the best and most indispensable
counsels. For it does not, I think, admit of comparison, whether
it be better to be a follower of the Almighty than to choose the
darkness of demons. For the things which are done by us on account
of others we are to do always, endeavouring to have respect to
those for whose sake it is proper that they be done, regarding
the gratification rendered in their case, as what is to be our
rule; but the things which are done for our own sake rather than
that of others, are to be done with equal earnestness, whether
they are like to please certain people or not. If some indifferent
things have obtained such honour as to appear worthy of adoption,
though against the will of some; much more is virtue to be regarded
by us as worth contending for, looking the while to nothing but
what can be rightly done, whether it seem good to others or not.
Well then, Epicurus, writing to Menoeceus, says, "Let not
him who is young delay philosophizing, and let not the old man
grow weary of philosophizing; for no one is either not of age
or past age for attending to the health of his soul. And he who
says that the time for philosophizing is not come or is past,
is like the man who says that the time for happiness is not come
or has gone. So that young s as well as old ought to philosophize:
the one, in order that, while growing old, he may grow young in
good things out of favour accruing from what is past; and the
other, that he may be at once young and old, from want of fear
for the future."
Source.
From: Clement of Alexandria, Stromateis, trans in Ante-Nicene
Fathers, Vol 2, pp 419-421
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