Atos das mulheres: a atuação feminina no cristianismo do primeiro século na perspectiva de Atos dos Apóstolos
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2024-09-03
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O uso do passado como instrumento de legitimação do discurso, é um fenômeno bastante observado entre grupos políticos e religiosos, ao longo da história. Na experiência cristã ocidental os textos bíblicos foram utilizados para, entre outras coisas, normalizar a violência contra a mulher. Este trabalho objetiva observar o texto de Atos dos Apóstolos, analisando-o como documentação histórica; e oferecer uma alternativa à baixa criticidade e honestidade intelectual, encontrada em muitas obras confessionais sobre o texto. A partir de uma colaboração entre métodos da história das religiões e a história das mulheres, essa pesquisa analisa como o autor registrou, em seu texto, a atuação de mulheres nas origens dos cristianismos. Os registros de representações femininas foram sistematizados e dispostos de modo a demonstrar não apenas a quantidade de ocorrências, mas também a qualidade dos registros: a distinção entre ações individuais e coletivas; e o registro do nome e outras referências, como nacionalidade e ofício. Através da análise desses dados, junto à bibliografia especializada, pudemos observar que as mulheres são um grupo numérico, relativamente, bem representado no conjunto do livro. Também é possível observar uma ampla atuação de mulheres na vida social e religiosa. O autor não estabelece nenhum tipo de regra moral, ou padrão de comportamento sexual/familiar, para homens ou mulheres, e as representações familiares são bastante diversas. O perfil socioeconômico relacionado às personagens femininas também possui uma ampla diversidade. As mulheres em Atos não estão reclusas ou caladas, embora seja possível notar seu afastamento gradual da administração religiosa, conforme a igreja se institucionaliza. O texto também é bastante tímido ao indicar mulheres em viagens missionárias, e com poder, nas altas instâncias de julgamento, mas não sem exceções. Em comparação com outras fontes, Atos se estabelece em um campo intermediário, no que diz respeito ao protagonismo feminino.
The use of the past as a tool for legitimizing discourse is a phenomenon frequently observed among political and religious groups throughout history. In Western Christian experience, biblical texts have been employed, among other purposes, to normalize violence against women. This study aims to examine the Book of Acts of the Apostles, analyzing it as historical documentation, and to offer an alternative to the lack of critical engagement and intellectual honesty often found in many confessional works on the text. By integrating methods from the history of religions and the history of women, this research investigates how the author recorded the roles of women in the early Christian context. Records of female representations were systematically organized to demonstrate not only the frequency of occurrences but also the quality of these records: distinguishing between individual and collective actions, and including names and other references such as nationality and occupation. Through the analysis of these data, supported by specialized bibliography, we observed that women are relatively well-represented numerically within the text. It is also evident that women had substantial involvement in social and religious life. The author does not impose any moral rules or standards of sexual or familial behavior for either men or women, and the portrayals of family life are quite diverse. The socioeconomic profiles of female characters also exhibit significant diversity. Women in Acts are neither reclusive nor silent, although a gradual distancing from religious administration is noticeable as the church becomes institutionalized. The text is also relatively reserved in depicting women engaged in missionary journeys and holding power in high judicial positions, though there are exceptions. Compared to other sources, Acts occupies an intermediate position regarding female protagonism.
The use of the past as a tool for legitimizing discourse is a phenomenon frequently observed among political and religious groups throughout history. In Western Christian experience, biblical texts have been employed, among other purposes, to normalize violence against women. This study aims to examine the Book of Acts of the Apostles, analyzing it as historical documentation, and to offer an alternative to the lack of critical engagement and intellectual honesty often found in many confessional works on the text. By integrating methods from the history of religions and the history of women, this research investigates how the author recorded the roles of women in the early Christian context. Records of female representations were systematically organized to demonstrate not only the frequency of occurrences but also the quality of these records: distinguishing between individual and collective actions, and including names and other references such as nationality and occupation. Through the analysis of these data, supported by specialized bibliography, we observed that women are relatively well-represented numerically within the text. It is also evident that women had substantial involvement in social and religious life. The author does not impose any moral rules or standards of sexual or familial behavior for either men or women, and the portrayals of family life are quite diverse. The socioeconomic profiles of female characters also exhibit significant diversity. Women in Acts are neither reclusive nor silent, although a gradual distancing from religious administration is noticeable as the church becomes institutionalized. The text is also relatively reserved in depicting women engaged in missionary journeys and holding power in high judicial positions, though there are exceptions. Compared to other sources, Acts occupies an intermediate position regarding female protagonism.