Образ Божи или врата на дявола. Патристическата концепция за жената (II–V век)
An Image of God or the Devil's Gateway. Patristic Concepts of Female Nature in the Second through the Fifth Centuries

Summary/Abstract: Through an analysis of biblical and patristic texts, the author traces the evolution which the Christian concept of female nature underwent in the period between the second and the fifth century. The study is centered around the topics which were most frequently dwelled upon in the writings of the Church Fathers: e. g., the creation of the Woman, her role in the Fall, the possible ways for women's salvation and their roles in the religious life of Christian communities. The Church Fathers displayed an ambivalent attitude toward women: while advancing arguments in favor of the subordinate status of women in society, they believed that both sexes were created in the image of God. Thus, during the first centuries of its history, Christianity strove to reconcile two contradicting views on men and women. On the long run, the view that women — like men — were God's creatures contributed to women's gradual elevation in status in society.

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