In this well-documented, beautifully illustrated and readable history of a forgotten group, Brekus examines the lives of more than a hundred female preachers—both white and African American—who crisscrossed the country between 1740 and 1845. Outspoken, visionary, and sometimes contentious, these women stepped into the pulpit long before twentieth-century battles over female ordination began.

They were charismatic, popular preachers, who spoke to hundreds, and even thousands, of people at camp and revival meetings. Yet, with but a few notable exceptions such as Sojourner Truth, these women have essentially vanished from our history. Recovering their stories, Brekus forces us to rethink many of our common assumptions about eighteenth and nineteenth century American culture.

Endorsements

"A masterful overview that highlights recent advances in the study of religious women and indicts both women's historians and religious historians for failing to notice."
— Christianity Today
 

UNIVERSITY OF NORTH CAROLINA PRESS
Including illustrations and photographs and an extensive bibliography
6 x 9 inches, 466 pages

CATHERINE A. BREKUS teaches American religious history at the University of Chicago. She is also an editor of The Journal of Religion.