Why Does Thecla Argue The Role Of Women In Religion

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In antiquity it was uncommon for a woman like Thecla to ignore her family and make her own choices. The author constructs Thecla as a woman to argue the roles of men and women in religion. Women in her time were expected to be silent, obedient, and they were not allowed to be a leader of a church. Thecla, like Penthesilea and Judith, steps out of the norms of her people and chooses her own way to live. Thecla as a woman goes against religious beliefs of her era and demonstrates that even women can make their own choices.
Thecla goes against her family and refuses to marry her fiancé due to her new found beliefs due to Paul. Little did Thecla know that she was going to be sentenced to a punishment that would make her an example to any virgin

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