At foundation, women under both Christianity and Buddhism were able to occupy religious positions. Under the Mahayana school of Buddhism, women have always been able to be Bodhisattvas, enlightened assistants to the Buddha, and this practice remains. In early Christianity, women were able to occupy positions as priestesses, but this practice was outlawed by the Council of Nicea in 325 CE. Instead, the most significant religious role accessible to Christian women was to become a nun. Throughout much of Christian history, these ‘brides