VM 15 | Rediscovering Thecla: Miracles, Martyrdom, and Women’s Voices in Early Christianity

In this episode of the Visual Museum Podcast Series, Dr. Lynn Cohick and Dr. Kelly Dippolito dive into the dramatic and inspiring story of Thecla, a first-century virgin martyr whose tale is told in the Acts of Paul and Thecla. Join us as they explore her acts of faith, miraculous escapes, and the cultural impact she had on early Christianity. This conversation highlights themes of asceticism, resurrection, and the powerful role of women’s voices in shaping church history. They also discuss how Thecla’s legacy was lost and rediscovered, inviting listeners to reflect on what her testimony means for faith and courage today.

Key Takeaways: 

• Thecla’s story, though not canonical, was highly influential in early Christianity and served as a model of faith, courage, and self-restraint for both women and men. 
• Her acts of devotion, including her choice of asceticism and her miraculous escapes, challenged the cultural norms of her time and highlighted the importance of personal conviction. 
• Thecla’s testimony and the stories of other early Christian women were lost or diminished over time, especially after the Protestant Reformation. 
• Thecla’s legacy invites modern listeners to reflect on the value of women’s voices, the meaning of true faithfulness, and the enduring hope of resurrection in Christian tradition.

Visual Museum of Women in Christianity

The purpose of this collaborative project is to create a curated, permanent visual exhibit of women in the history, ministry, and piety of early, Byzantine, and medieval Christianity that will be available online for researchers, educators, and interested laypersons.

The goal of this multi-year project is to make the visual record of women in ministry and leadership available free of charge and unencumbered by permission requirements, and to include short teaching elements to guide the audience through the constitutive and pivotal role of women throughout Christian history.

Together with the visual story, the accompanying narrative will make it possible for patrons to learn about women throughout history and across the globe and their unique contributions to the life and faith of the church…

A history that remains mostly untold.

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Episode Sponsor:

The Alabaster Jar is brought to you by The Center for Women in Leadership, a newly formed 501©3 nonprofit organization whose purpose is to equip women in a context that is biblically rooted, theologically robust, and ethnically diverse to thrive as leaders in the academy, the marketplace, and the Church. Follow them on Instagram @leadershipwithoutapology. Learn more about The Center for Women in Leadership at: https://www.leadershipwithoutapology.org/.