The Religious History of American Women: Reimagining the Past

by Catherine A. Brekus (editor)

More than a generation after the rise of women’s history alongside the feminist movement, it is still difficult, observes Catherine Brekus, to locate women in histories of American religion. Mary Dyer, a Quaker who was hanged for heresy; Lizzie Robinson, a former slave and laundress who sold Bibles door to door; Sally Priesand, a Reform rabbi; Estela Ruiz, who saw a vision of the Virgin Mary — how do these women’s stories change our understanding of American religious history and American women’s history?

In this provocative collection of twelve essays, contributors explore how considering the religious history of American women can transform our dominant historical narratives. Covering a variety of topics — including Mormonism, the women’s rights movement, Judaism, witchcraft trials, the civil rights movement, Catholicism, everyday religious life, Puritanism, African American women’s activism, and the Enlightenment — the volume enhances our understanding of both religious history and women’s history. Taken together, these essays sound the call for a new, more inclusive history.




Ann Braude, Harvard Divinity School
Catherine A. Brekus, University of Chicago Divinity School
Anthea D. Butler, University of Rochester
Emily Clark, Tulane University
Kathleen Sprows Cummings, University of Notre Dame
Amy Koehlinger, Florida State University
Janet Moore Lindman, Rowan University
Susanna Morrill, Lewis and Clark College
Kristy Nabhan-Warren, Augustana College
Pamela S. Nadell, American University
Elizabeth Reis, University of Oregon
Marilyn J. Westerkamp, University of California, Santa Cruz

Genres: History, Religion

352 pages, Paperback

First published March 28, 2007

Reviews

[Jeremy · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book wasn't what I was looking for, but it was still interesting. I was looking for a survey of women in religious history. This was a collection of essays, primarily focused on very narrow case studies which could potentially spark a reframing of how we understand and approach certain aspects of religious history in America. There were a couple of broader essays, but a survey was never the intent of the editor.

That said, if you are interested, the essays are intriguing, though I think a couple of them use a bit too narrow a sample to promote a new vision for a particular aspect of church history (e.g. one woman's private journal as the basis for an entire essay).