This LibGuide is designed to direct you to useful resources regarding the status of women throughout the Church's history.
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From Scripture through today, women have always played a unique and critical role in Church history. In his weekly addresses, Pope Benedict XVI expertly and thoughtfully explores the life stories of seventeen such holy women. From St. Hildegard of Bingen to St. Catherine of Siena to St. Thérèse of Lisieux, and many more in between, each one brings a fresh experience and example of faith that is still relevant today. These models of prayer, faith, and action will help you gain a fuller understanding of Church history as well as personal faith. Bring your faith to life with the spark of history as told by the pope himself. Book jacket.
"Women have played a significant role in shaping the modern Christian church. 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"--Provided by publisher.
This book is an excellent introduction to some of the most fascinating women writers of the high Middle ages.
Four women are formally part of the magisterium - the official teaching body of the Roman Catholic Church. Here, theologian Mary T. Malone adeptly explores the stories of these visionaries. She introduces us to the wisdom of the formidable Hildegard of Bingen; the all-encompassing compassion of Catherine of Siena; the groundbreaking writings of Teresa of Ávila; and finally, the heartfelt 'Little Way' of the much-loved Thérèse of Lisieux. This timely and engrossing work brings to life the trials and triumphs of these inspiring women, whose bravery and intellectual prowess opened the door for new discussions on the role of women in the Church.
Christianity has long been criticized as a patriarchal religion. But during its two-thousand-year history, the faith has been influenced and passed down by faithful women. Martyrs and nuns, mystics and scholars, writers and reformers, preachers and missionaries, abolitionists and evangelists, these women are examples to us of faith, perseverance, forgiveness, and fortitude. With gracious irreverence, Ruth Tucker offers engaging and candid profiles of some of the most fascinating women of Christian history. From the famous to the infamous to the obscure, women like Perpetua, Joan of Arc, Teresa of Avila, Anne Hutchinson, Susanna Wesley, Ann Judson, Harriet Tubman, Fanny Crosby, Hannah Whitehall Smith, Corrie ten Boom, and Mother Teresa, along with dozens of others, come to vivid life. Perfect for small groups, these portraits of women who changed the world in their own significant way will spark lively discussion and inspire today's Christians to lives of faithful witness.