Virginity in Eastern Christianity

Paper Summary:

This paper is about the letter of St. Jerome to Eustochium, a nun in the 4th century, outlining why he thinks she has chosen correctly in remaining a virgin. It discusses how Jerome was instrumental in securing that celibacy was held as the noblest state and that marriage was seen as solely for the procreation of children, hopefully virgins. Virginity was to be exalted above any other lifestyle choice. It examines how at the time, the idea of virginity dominated the entire female livelihood and was a measure of a women's religiosity. Through the letter, it outlines the ideals for a woman in early Christianity and the thinking at the time towards the body and sex.

From the Paper:

"Throughout the letter there are also many references that clearly show Jerome's bias in thinking that virginity was the superior and proper way for a woman to live her life. He speaks about his letter to Julian, his friend, and is overjoyed to discover that his sister has chosen this path for herself and had remained firm in her resolve (Kelly, 51). He clearly praises Eustochium for dedicating herself to this great virtue from such a young age and comments that she is much stronger than her sister, who only took the vows of chastity after her husband died."

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