Virgins

MARIA GWYN MCDOWELL

An order of the church primarily composed of women dedicated to God through renouncing marriage and committing to a life of holiness.

Basil the Great in the 4th century says that “She is named a virgin who has will­ingly consecrated herself to the Lord, and has renounced marriage and preferred the life of holiness” (Ep. 99; Elm 1996: 139). St. Basil is here defining and regulating a popular and varied group of early ascetics which existed from at least the early 3rd century and was in need of reform. The earliest textual witnesses to such women (and men) are of Syriac provenance (“Sons and Daughters of the Covenant”). Ignatius in his Letter to the Smyrneans refers to “widows who are called virgins.” The well- established order of widows supplied a model for the newly developing order of virgins discussed in the Apostolic Constitu­tions, a 4th-century text based in part on the early 3rd-century Didascalia. Possibly, the orders were closely related; it is unclear whether the ambiguous term for widow assumed a deceased spouse or if a virgin was necessarily unmarried. Basil’s sister Macrina, whose ascetic lifestyle and charitable service provide the basis for his regulations, insists on becoming a “virgin widow.” Her “widowhood,” however, is the result of the death of her fiance, not her husband. The conflation between widows, virgins, and the deaconess makes it difficult to discern distinct functions, relationships, and the manner in which the rise of one may have precipitated or encouraged the demise of another.

As celibacy was increasingly esteemed in the patristic-era church, so too were the virgins. Seating arrangements in the liturgi­cal assembly indicated rank, and virgins eventually preceded widows. Vowed virgin­ity allowed women to escape marriage and devote themselves to the service of God while remaining within social proprieties. A virgin might live with her family, in a community of women, in ascetic commu­nities with men, even in popular but con­troversial “spiritual marriages.” If wealthy, she might live in her own home. Virgins were present in urban centers and small towns. They had no apparent role in the ecclesial framework, though they engaged in charitable work (Macrina) and could wield considerable power (Empress Pulcheria). All followed very similar princi­ples of self-control, fasting, and continence. By the 4th century the order was increasingly institutionalized, requiring a free confession at the age of reason, a period of trial to discern intention and suitability, and financial remuneration. Female monasteries resulted from the pop­ularity of the order, but only became a viable option by the late 4th century, becoming the major social matrix of orga­nized Christian virginal life thereafter.

As an eschatological sign, virginity indi­cates complete dedication to God as brides, as well as a rising above sexual passions. The ideal virgin in the Orthodox religious tradition is the holy Theotokos, whose faithfulness to God alone is the model for all Christians. The restoration of the order of virgins today (apart from female monasteries) seems difficult given radically different understandings of anthropology and social mores. What remains enduringly valuable about the vir­ginal witness is the praxis of prayerful lives dedicated to God in charitable service to others in the midst of urban living rather than social separation.

Plate 78 Romanian nun of the community of Voronets engaged in making candles. Photo by John McGuckin.

SEE ALSO: Asceticism; Cappadocian Fathers; Chastity; Deaconess; Widows.

REFERENCES AND SUGGESTED READINGS

Elm, S. (1996) Virgins of God: The Making of Asceticism in Late Antiquity. Oxford: Clarendon Press