I finished The Cambridge History of Christianity: Constantine to c. 600.
On pages 671-672, Marilyn Dunn refers to Origen's view that differences
in gender "were temporary and insignificant in the vast cycle of
regeneration and renewal". There were consequences as monastics adopted
this view. First, this view challenged "prevalent philosophical and
scientific views of female inferiority or incompleteness." Second,
monasticism attracted Roman aristocratic women. These women angered
their families by embracing lifetime celibacy, thereby forgoing marriage
and the corresponding "property strategies".
Jerome did not agree
with Origen's view, but he did concur that celibacy was superior.
Jerome said there was a hierarchy in which "virgins would be rewarded
one hundredfold, widows sixtyfold and the married only thirtyfold"
(Dunn's words on page 673).
There is debate about whether early
Christianity's commitment to celibacy hurt or helped women. An argument
on the "hurt" side is that Christian men resisting their sexual urges
led to a stigmatization of the object of their attraction, women. An
argument on the "help" side is that celibacy enabled women to transcend
the gender roles of their society.