ALA Booklist (Wed Mar 01 00:00:00 CST 2000)

Part of the excellent Religion in America series, this book is a standout in its discussion of the role that women have played in American religious life. Beginning at the beginning, with Puritan and Native American women, Braude goes on to discuss how women from various groups, including African Americans, immigrants, and social crusaders, shaped the face of religion in the U.S. The subject is even more fully developed as Braude explains how and why women have been the spiritual, social, and even financial backbone of religious institutions, yet have never had the power of their male counterparts. Included are individuals such as colonist Margaret Winthrop and African American preacher Jarena Lee, as well as religious leaders such as Mary Baker Eddy and Mother Elizabeth Seaton. Black-and-white illustrations and historical engravings pepper the text. Most enhance the discussion, and the cover art, a reproduction of the painting Church Supper will draw readers in. Chronology and extended bibliography appended. (Reviewed March 15, 2000)

Horn Book (Sun Apr 01 00:00:00 CST 2001)

From the early seventeenth century to the present, Braude's thorough study chronicles how women's changing roles in religious institutions have paralleled their advances in American society. Black-and-white captioned photos and primary source documents extend the scholarly text. This will be most appreciated by serious students of women's and religious history. A chronology is appended. Bib., ind.

Kirkus Reviews

A brisk, informative history of the myriad roles women have played in America's religious history. Braude (Harvard Divinity School) has difficult tasks in this slim, generously illustrated volume: to survey hundreds of years of religious history; to maintain a disinterested tone—even when describing the fringes of organized religion—to employ language and explore ideas that will not exclude the lower strata of her target audience (12 and up). She begins by disputing the notion that "women have had little importance in US religious history," and proceeds to establish her counterclaim with five brief chapters, each of which features a two-page insert focusing on an important woman or religion. Although her text revisits the familiar (e.g., New England witchcraft, the Shaker movement, Mormon polygamy, the Women's Christian Temperance Union), it also spotlights numerous figures who have disappeared into the gloom of history, most notably Jarena Lee, an African-American woman who "heard the call from God" in the early 19th century and traveled throughout the South- and Northeast "giving hundreds of sermons each year.— In a volume of this sort, objectivity is a virtue, and Braude achieves it, although one wonders if younger readers, charmed by the impartial prose, will believe that Shaker founder Ann Lee did in fact experience a visit from Jesus, who "revealed [to her] that celibacy was the path to salvation.— In similar passages throughout her volume, Braude declines to add any salt of skepticism or pepper of irony. Her survey is inclusive—the popular religions appear alongside the unpopular (though there is no discussion of cults), religious beliefs of Native Americans and African-American slaves receive brief treatment—and her analysis of the long struggle of women to achieve official sanction and ordination is particularly effective. (She reveals the alarming news that only half of "American religious groups currently ordain women.—) Clear, fundamental, and comprehensive within its limited format. (Photos)

School Library Journal

Gr 8 Up-Braude looks at women's influence on religious activity from Puritanism to Christian and Muslim feminism and Reformed Judaism. Chapters describing the activities of individual women such as 19th-century African-American preacher Jarena Lee and Christian Science founder Mary Baker Eddy highlight the unique position a few women have been afforded by their rise to prominence under the mantle of religion. Societal changes brought about by the Woman's Christian Temperance Union, Hadassah, Roman Catholic nuns, and various missionary societies are also described. Broader participation in work outside the home, in government, and in some established religions in the second half of the 20th century is shown to be a direct result of earlier religious activities. The book also mentions that some women are choosing to return to traditional subservient roles within their religions and cultures. Black-and-white photos and reproductions are scattered throughout. This is a good starting point for examining this topic. Greater depth of information about individuals and groups of women as well as broader perspectives on religion in American life can be gained through the well-chosen works listed in the further reading list.-Ann G. Brouse, Big Flats Branch Library, NY Copyright 2000 Cahners Business Information.