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Abstract
This is an analysis of the role of women in the early Christian church. The roles examined will be the roles of Christian virginity and Christian marriage. In the early church, women were held in high praise for being brides of Christ. For a time, this was held as the ideal for women. Sexuality was often seen as the result of sin, and it was something to either be destroyed or controlled. A woman who was able to achieve this was to be praised highly due to her purity and actions. However, certain theologians thought otherwise. These theologians emphasized marriage and bearing sons for the church. Marriage was seen as a commandment by God instead of a punishment due to sin. The Early Church tended to emphasize a womans chastity and purity instead of her bearing sons. However, as the church began to develop, it instead focused on Gods commandment to humanity in Genesis: the commandment to multiply the earth. This is an examination of the theological values and impacts of both virginity and marriage.