Join leading biblical scholar Elizabeth Schrader Polczer for eight fascinating lectures that explore prominent women from the pages of the New Testament and early Christian literature. Explore their important and sometimes unexpected roles in early Christianity, as well as how modern scholars have viewed and interpreted these extraordinary women.

Have questions about the program? Send an email to Peter Megginson (Travel Study Director) at [email protected] or call 800-221-4644, ext. 424 (Toll-free).

Topics We’ll Cover

• Leading female characters from the New Testament, and how their stories continued to evolve in early Christian literature
• Legendary stories associated with several important women in early Christianity
• Debates about women and women’s roles in early Christianity
• How women were portrayed in the New Testament, the Apocryphal Acts of the Apostles, the Nag Hammadi codices, and the early church fathers

When Is the Course?

Live classes every Monday and Thursday in July 2026 | 7:30pm – 9:00pm EST
Classes will be recorded; exact dates TBD

This Course Includes

• 8 live classes, with a live Q&A session following each lecture
• Link to download the class recordings

Lecture Overview

1. Women in Pauline Literature
2. Mary, the Mother of Jesus
3. Mary Magdalene
4. Mary, Martha, and the Anointing Women
5. Salome
6. Thecla
7. Perpetua and Felicity
8. Macrina

Your Instructor

Elizabeth Schrader Polczer is Assistant Professor of New Testament at Villanova University. She holds a doctorate in early Christianity from Duke University, with a focus on textual criticism, Mary Magdalene, and the Gospel of John. [More Bio]

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