What did it mean for women to become Christians during the formative years of Christianity? What implications did this conversion have for women in their relationships, in everyday life, and in their view of the future? Theologian and social historian Luise Schottroff asks these questions as she investigates the world of the first Christian women.

In particular, she looks at the immeasurable influence that women had on the common life of the first Christian communities despite the struggles they endured under patriarchal domination. This book represents a significant step forward in the understanding of women in the New Testament and the early church.