Canadian religious history has been written with relatively little reference to the role of women. Throughout the years, the church itself has intensified this problem by restricting the options of women -- excluding them from the most valued roles and positions. In the past, Christian women were obliged to find alternative avenues for the expression of their faith and, as a result, their experience has been unusually rich and varied. This pioneering anthology traces the history of Canadian women in the Roman Catholic, Anglican, and Protestant traditions from the early days through the 1960s. Seventeen Canadian scholars tell the stories of individuals who have worked in traditional and non-traditional roles, alone and as members of groups, both within and outside church structures. All of the articles present new or little-known material, relating the faith, determination, and inventiveness of women whose experience has so far been overlooked. The volume includes an introductory overview of women's church work as well as a comprehensive bibliography of papers and books published about women in the Christian church in Canada, both in English and French. The incorporation of feminist analysis and an emphasis on gender issues set this collection apart from all other studies of Canadian church history. A unique and valuable book, it not only fills a void in the chronicles of religion, it adds an important new dimension to Canadian history.

Changing Women, Changing History is a bibliographic guide to the scholarship, both English and French, on Canadian's women's history. Organized under broad subject headings, and accompanied by author and subject indices it is accessible and comprehensive.

A fundamental and well-illustrated reference collection for anyone interested in the role of women in North American religious life.

Tracing two thousand years of female leadership, influence, and participation, Elizabeth Gillan Muir examines the various positions women have filled in the church. From the earliest female apostle, and the little known stories of the two Marys - the Virgin Mary and Mary Magdalene - to the enlightened duties espoused by the nun, the abbess, and the anchorite, and the persecutions of female "witches," Muir uncovers the rich and often tumultuous relationship between women and Christianity. Offering broad coverage of both the Catholic and Protestant traditions and extending geographically well beyond North America, A Women's History of the Christian Church presents a chronological account of how women developed new sects and new churches, such as the Quakers and Christian Science. The book includes a timeline of women in Christian history, over 25 black-and-white illustrations, a glossary, and a list of primary and secondary sources to complement the content in each chapter.

"As Canadian as the maple leaf" is how one observer summed up the United Church of Canada after its founding in 1925. But was this Canadian-made church flawed in its design, as critics have charged? A Church with the Soul of a Nation explores this question by weaving together the history of the United Church with a provocative analysis of religion and cultural change.

A comprehensive history of Christianity in the century when it truly became a global religion.