Chapter 17 question 4 Role of women

[starship.jrm]

I would like to go back to question 4 in chapter 17 about the role of
women in the early church. In looking at various sources of
information I was struck by how widely this issue is viewed today. In
Speaking out for women, a Biblical View By Philip Siddons He writes:
“Women had a significant role in the apocryphal literature. Women
disciples are frequently mentioned, and there are many dialogues
between women and Jesus in these interesting and imaginative
narratives.” Obviously he has stepped out side Acts and even the Bible
because he further writes: “In fact, throughout apocryphal literature
there is an intense interest in how Jesus and the apostles may have
involved women in their ministry in incidents other than those
recorded in the New Testament.” We can see he is clearly making a
strong argument for an active effort by women in the early church. We
also see in The Acts of the Apostles by Ben Witherington who write:
“The producers of the Western text, among their other agendas, were
seeking to cover up evidence of women playing important roles in the
early church, an agenda which clashes rather sharply with Luke’s own
attempt to highlight the roles women played throughout Luke-Acts.” He
seems to be trying to make out a conspiracy to hide the role of women
in the early church.

After 2000 years we seem to still be debating the role of women in the
church.

I believe these two books are in google books or simply search
prominent women in Acts 17 and you will get a “bunch” of hits.