The roles of women within both Cathar and gnostic communities seem to have been greater than that of orthodox Christian women both within the church leadership and theology. Women in gnostic communities were able to participate in the highest rituals of the sect, in fact, the participants of the Bridal Chamber ritual discussed in the Gospel of Phillip are mentioned as free men and virgins. Women also participated in the Cathar consolamentum, and typically retired to a Cathar hospice, removing themselves from the company of men, after undergoing the ritual.
In both Cathar and gnostic theology women played a vital, and often positive role. Unlike orthodox theology that identified Eve as the source of all evil, gnostic and Cathar theology usually placed the blame on the evil, male Creator, with the female role in the production of evil downplayed in many cases. In the gnostic tradition, women were able to receive and share great wisdom, as is seen in the Gospel of Mary. Women, including Eve and Mary, often appear as illuminators in gnostic writings. While the roles of women are not specifically discussed in most texts, the implication is that women had greater freedom and responsibility within these "heretical" sects. This may, at least in part, account for the popularity of these sects among women.
The links between the Cathar and gnostic traditions are clear, and can be effectively supported by the texts. The various medieval texts describing Cathar beliefs and practices can be clearly paralleled to texts from the Nag Hammadi library, particularly those that are attributed to Valentinian sects. The similarities extend across lines of belief, ritual, behavior and even gender roles. While the clearest similarity appears in the dualism of these religions, it extends far beyond that.
While it is difficult, if not impossible, to trace the historical contacts of these texts through the ages, the similarities between the belief systems are clear, indicating a continuing tradition of dualism in the Mediterranean and Europe. The continuation of this tradition is attested to by the many dualistic sects that sprang up during the years between the flourishing of gnosticism and that of Catharism. The discoveries of the Nag Hammadi library and Manichean collections are not only beneficial for the study of second and third century movements, but also for the study of later manifestations of dualistic beliefs and religions, such as Catharism.
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