Thecla

1990, Karen Armstrong, 8: Karen Armstrong: The Acts of Paul and Thecla, Ann Loades, Feminist Theology: A Reader, page 83, One of the first of the virgin saints to act as an important role model for women was Thecla, the legendary disciple of St Paul.

In the context of impending martyrdom, the beauty of Thecla’s virgin body connotes dynamis owing less to the eros she evokes and more to the chastity, piety, and resistance she promotes.⁶⁹ That Thecla is also an object of erotic desire, however, is evidenced in men's reactions to her.

Thecla, a saint of the Catholic church and whose feast day is celebrated on September 23, traveled with Paul on occasion and was even called “female apostle” and “equal to the apostles.”