Tavia & Alke: Female Leaders in the Apostolic Fathers
When reading the New Testament and the Church Fathers, women serving in various kinds of ministry is something that can be seen, but is often in the background. Women in the Church have unfortunately gone unnoticed at times, but the impact the Holy Spirit has brought through their witness is immeasurable.
In the case of the Apostolic Fathers, there are different women mentioned throughout these writings. In this blog, we’re going to take a look at two women mentioned by Ignatius of Antioch: Tavia and Alke (or Alce) of Smyrna. Tavia is only mentioned once, while Alke is mentioned three times, one of which is outside of Ignatius’ writings.
While we know very little about these women, the little details we get from the writings imply they had a very influential role in the Church of Smyrna during the time Polycarp was bishop.
Tavia of Smyrna
The first reference to Tavia and Alke are found in Ignatius’ letter to the Smyrnaeans. In his conclusion to his letter, he writes,
“I salute the house of Tavia, and pray that it may be confirmed in faith and love, both corporeal and spiritual. I salute Alke, my well-beloved, and the incomparable Daphnus, and Eutecnus, and all by name. Farewell in the grace of God.”
Tavia being the first saint named in this conclusion of greetings, along with her house being referenced, implies that she not only manages her house, but there is a strong possibility she hosts the church in Smyrna.
A woman managing their house and hosting a church would’ve not been a new concept by the 2nd century, as we see multiple examples of this in the New Testament. Probably the most obvious example would be Lydia in Acts 16. But there is also Nympha in Colossians 4:15, as well as other women mentioned like Pheobe (Romans 16), Eudia and Syntyche (Philippians 4:2-3) who may have possibly housed churches as well.
During this time frame and culture, it would be inaccurate to assume those hosting churches in their home had little to no authority. (Osiek, MacDonald, and Tulloch, 2006 Pg. 152) Considering the patriarchal setting of the New Testament and Apostolic Fathers, husbands being absent in these references are noteworthy. It implies the women are either single, widowed, or have a husband who does not follow Christ.
“All of these passages (in reference to Lydia, Nympha, and Tavia) are definite allusions to women who have at least no believing husband or other male with authority in the house, and it is difficult to imagine a woman hosting regular meetings of a house church with an unbelieving husband in residence.”
Alke of Smyrna
After writing to the Smyrnaeans, Ignatius follows up with a letter to their bishop, Polycarp. Towards the end of the letter, Ignatius writes, “I pray for your happiness forever in our God, Jesus Christ, by whom continue in the unity and under the protection of God, I salute Alke, my dearly beloved. Farewell in the Lord.” (Ignatius to Polycarp 8.3)
Once again we see Ignatius sending greetings to Alke, and showing admiration for her. Interestingly, we see the name of Alke mentioned in The Martyrdom of Polycarp. Considering Alke was a part of Polycarp’s church, it is reasonable to assume this is the same Alke mentioned by Ignatius.
In the martyrdom account, it mentions that after Polycarp dies the Christians wanted to take Polycarp’s body, but Satan interferes and influences the Romans to deny the church his body. The writers of the martyrdom account call out Nicetes as being the one who discourages the Romans from giving Polycarp’s body. Nicetes is mentioned as Alke’s brother.
This little detail gives us the most context for Alke’s story. It is possible that Alke came from a family of high status, and after hearing the Gospel, used her resources to aid the Church. (Schoedel, 1985, Pg. 253)
This potentially caused tension between her and her family. If this is the case, then Alke was a patron for the Church, and considering how dear she is to Ignatius over in Antioch, her aid wasn’t limited locally to Smyrna. Considering too how much Ignatius stresses in his letters the expectation for Christians to endure persecution, it is not surprising if Alke’s story moved Ignatius.
Patronage in the early Church was essential for both the Apostles to do their missions work, and for the local churches to survive. The giving of patrons was also quite diverse, not limited to just money, but also land, food, and connections to other people of power. (Osiek, MacDonald, and Tulloch, 2006, Pg. 195-196)
To be a patron for the early Church was not to just be a generous financial donor. Patrons like Phoebe in Romans 16 were also advocates who voluntarily used their power to aid church leaders and help others.
Conclusion
I hope to examine other women mentioned in the Apostolic Fathers, as I feel they tend to be glossed over too often. But for Ignatius, women saints like Tavia and Alke were not to be glossed over. He saw their ministry and work, and how God was using them, and admired them for it.
Bibliography
Schaff, P. (2016). The Complete Ante-Nicene, Nicene, and Post-Nicene Collection of Early Church Fathers. Toronto, Canada.
Osiek, MacDonald, & Tulloch. (2006). A Woman’s Place: House Churches in Earliest Christianity. Minneapolis, MN. Fortress Press.
Schoedel, W.R. (1985). Ignatius of Antioch: A Commentary on the Letters of Ignatius of Antioch. Philadelphia, PA. Fortress Press.
Thumbnail Image: “Jesus healing the bleeding Woman” -From the Catacombs of Marcellinus and Peter.