VM 16 | Christine Calareso Bleecker | Empress Theodora in Mosaics and History

In this episode of the Visual Museum Podcast Series, Dr. Lynn Cohick and Christine Calareso Bleecker explore the remarkable life and enduring legacy of Empress Theodora, one of the most influential women in Byzantine history. Discover how Theodora rose from humble beginnings to become a powerful leader alongside Emperor Justinian, advocating for women’s rights, social reform, and religious inclusion. They also delve into how historical accounts shaped her image, the significance of her portrayal in the dazzling mosaics of Ravenna, and her impact on law and faith.

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/.