An overarching history of women in the Christian Church from antiquity to the Reformation, perfect for advanced undergraduates and seminary students alike A History of Women in Christianity to 1600 presents a continuous narrative account of women’s engagement with the Christian tradition from its origins to the seventeenth century, synthesizing a diverse range of scholarship into a single, easily accessible volume. Locating significant individuals and events within their historical context, this well-balanced textbook offers an assessment of women’s contributions to the development of Christian doctrine while providing insights into how structural and environmental factors have shaped women’s experience of Christianity. Written by a prominent scholar in the field, the book addresses complex discourses concerning women and gender in the Church, including topics often ignored in broad narratives of Christian history. Students will explore the ways women served in liturgical roles within the church, the experience of martyrdom for early Christian women, how the social and political roles of women changed after the fall of Rome, the importance of women in the re-evangelization of Western Europe, and more. Through twelve chapters, organized chronologically, this comprehensive text: Examines conceptions of sex and gender tracing back their roots to the Jewish, Hellenistic, and Roman culture Provides a unique view of key women in the Church in the Middle Ages, including the rise of women’s monasticism and the impact of the Inquisition Compares and contrasts each of the major confessions of the Church during the Reformation Explores lesser-known figures from beyond the Western European tradition A History of Women in Christianity to 1600 is an essential textbook for undergraduate and graduate courses in Christian traditions, historical theology, religious studies, medieval history, Reformation history, and gender history, as well as an invaluable resource for seminary students and scholars in the field.

In this contribution to the study of women and religon, Westerkamp analyzes how the Holy Spirit empowered women inPurtanism and evangelicalism. she argues that "these women, socially and politically subordinate according to custom and law, expreinced the Holy Spirit during their lives and discoved their own charismatic authority." Focusing on prominent women, like A. Hutchinson, J. Lee, and N. Towle, Westerkamp explores the interactions between gendre and religion in Purtanism, the First Great Awakening, Methodism, and voluntary associations.

Through a thoughtful consideration of the complexity of the religious landscape of the Atlantic basin, the collection provides an enriching portrayal of the intriguing interplay between religion, gender, ethnicity, and authority in the early modern Atlantic world.

While books about the lives of women in church history are abundant, in this book Simonetta Carr focuses on the important questions they asked—relevant both in the past and today. Throughout church history, women like you (single, married, mothers, and grandmothers, with careers both in and outside their homes) have carefully considered theological issues and asked intelligent and penetrating questions, faithfully seeking the answers in Scripture. You will be encouraged through “Food for Thought” sections at the end of each chapter to consider their questions, raise your own, and discuss them with others. Join your sisters from the church of all ages in taking every thought captive to the obedience of Christ! Table of Contents: 1. Marcella of Rome (ca. 325–410): “How Do I Understand the Scriptures?” 2. Macrina the Younger (ca. 330–379): “Should a Christian Live Separate from the World?” 3. Monica of Tagaste (ca. 331−387): “Will My Son Be Lost?” 4. Dhuoda of Uzès (ca. 800–843): “How Can I Nurture a Distant Son?” 5. Kassia (ca. 810–865): “The Fullness of My Sin Who Can Explore?” 6. Christine de Pizan (1364–1430): “Is Woman a Defect of Creation?” 7. Argula Von Grumbach (1492–1554): “Should We Speak against Injustice?” 8. Elizabeth Aske Bowes (ca. 1505–1572): “How Can I Be Sure I Am Saved?” 9. Renée of France (1510–1575): “Should We Pray for God’s Enemies?” 10. Giulia Gonzaga (1513–1566): “How Can I Find Peace of Conscience?” 11. Olympia Morata (1526–1555): “What Can I Do if My Husband Neglects Me?” 12. Charlotte de Bourbon (1546–1582): “What Should I Consider in a Marriage Proposal?” 13. Charlotte Arbaleste Duplessis-Mornay (1550–1606): “Does God Care about Hairstyles?” 14. Dorothy Leigh (d. 1616): “What Should a Mother Teach Her Sons?” 15. Bathsua Makin (ca. 1600–1675): “Should Women Be Educated?” 16. Anne Bradstreet (1612–1672): “How Do I Know the True God Is the One Described in Scriptures?” 17. Elisabeth of the Palatinate (1618–1680): “Are Mind and Body Separate?” 18. Lucy Hutchinson (1620–1681): “How Can We Trust God’s Providence?” 19. Mary White Rowlandson (ca. 1637–1711): “Why Am I Troubled?” 20. Anne Dutton (ca. 1692–1765): “Can Women Write about Theology?” 21. Kata Bethlen (1700–1759): “Can I Marry a Nonbeliever?” 22. Marie Durand (1711–1776): “Can I Be a Secret Christian?” 23. Anne Steele (1717–1778): “Must I Forever Mourn?” 24. Isabella Marshall Graham (1742–1814): “How Can I Help Neglected Families?” 25. Phillis Wheatley (ca. 1753–1784): “How Can I Not Oppose Tyranny?” 26. Ann Griffiths (1776–1805): “What Have I to Do with Idols?” 27. Betsey Stockton (ca. 1798–1865): “Are These the Beings with Whom I Must Spend the Remainder of My Life?” 28. Lydia Mackenzie Falconer Miller (1812–1876): “Can True Science Disagree with the Bible?” 29. Sarah Miller (d. 1801): “Can Christians Have Disturbing Thoughts?” 30. Anne Ross Cundell Cousin (1824–1906): “Can We Sing in Heaven if Our Loved Ones Are Missing?” 31. Jeanette Li (1899–1968): “Can the Church of Christ Be Destroyed?”

Read the Stories of Eight Remarkable Women and Their Vital Contributions to Church History Throughout history, women have been crucial to the growth and flourishing of the church. Historian Michael A. G. Haykin highlights the lives of eight of these women who changed the course of history, showing how they lived out their unique callings despite challenges and opposition—inspiring modern men and women to imitate their godly examples today. Jane Grey: The courageous Protestant martyr who held fast to her conviction that salvation is by faith alone even to the point of death. Anne Steele: The great hymn writer whose work continues to help the church worship in song today. Margaret Baxter: The faithful wife to pastor Richard Baxter who met persecution with grace and joy. Esther Edwards Burr: The daughter of Jonathan Edwards whose life modeled biblical friendship. Anne Dutton: The innovative author whose theological works left a significant literary legacy. Ann Judson: The wife of Adoniram Judson and pioneer missionary in the American evangelical missions movement. Sarah Edwards: The wife of Jonathan Edwards and model of sincere delight in Christ. Jane Austen: The prolific novelist with a deep and sincere Christian faith that she expressed in her stories.

Books on the history of the Reformation are filled with the heroic struggles and sacrifices of men. But this compelling volume puts the spotlight on five strong and intellectually gifted women who, because of their absolute and unconditional commitment to the advancement of Protestant Christianity, paid the cost of their reforming convictions with martyrdom, imprisonment, and exile. Anne Boleyn (1507-1536) introduced the Reformation to England, and Katharine Parr (1514-1548) saved it. Both women were riveted by early versions of the "justification by faith" doctrine that originated with Martin Luther and came to them through France. As a result, Anne Boleyn was beheaded. Katharine Parr narrowly avoided the same fate. Sixteen-year-old Jane Grey (1537-1554) and Anne Askew (1521-1546) both dared to criticize the Mass and were pioneers of Protestant views concerning superstition and symbols. Jane Grey was executed because of her Protestantism. Anne Askew was tortured and burned at the stake. Catherine Willoughby (1520-1580) anticipated later Puritan teachings on predestination and election and on the reformation of the church. She was forced to give up everything she had and to flee with her husband and nursing baby into exile. Paul Zahl vividly tells the stories of these five mothers of the English Reformation. All of these women were powerful theologians intensely interested in the religious concerns of their day. All but Anne Boleyn left behind a considerable body of written work - some of which is found in this book's appendices. It is the theological aspect of these women's remarkable achievements that Zahl seeks to underscore. Moreover, he also considers what the stories of these women have to say about the relation of gender to theology, human motivation, and God. An important epilogue by Mary Zahl contributes a contemporary woman's view of these fascinating historical figures. Extraordinary by any standard, Anne Boleyn, Anne Askew, Katharine Parr, Jane Grey, and Catherine Willoughby remain rich subjects for reflection and emulation hundreds of years later. The personalities of these five women, who spoke their Christian convictions with presence of mind and sharp intelligence within situations of life-and-death duress, are almost totemic in our enduring search for role models.