Acts of Paul and Thekla - Holly Pettit: Power, Belief, and the Inner Life

Mar

Saint Thekla reliquary, German, late 15th to early 16th century, wood with polychromy - Princeton University Art Museum. Public Domain.

Paul's Teaching on Sex Liberated Thekla. For the Rest of Us, It's More Complicated.

My women's group read The Acts of Paul and Thekla aloud. My margin notes said "Sex? No sex? WTF?????" This essay is about what happens when a woman with a complicated past finally reckons with Paul.

11 Mar 2026

7 min read