1st Edition

Women in Christianity in the Age of Empire (1800–1920)

Edited By Janet Wootton Copyright 2022
    296 Pages 4 B/W Illustrations
    by Routledge

    296 Pages 4 B/W Illustrations
    by Routledge

    Women in Christianity in the Age of Empire (1800–1920) offers a broad view of the nineteenth century as a time of dramatic change, particularly for women, critiqued in the light of postcolonial theory. This edited volume includes important contributions from academics in the field.

    Overarching themes include the cult of domesticity, the changing impact of Christianity on views of women’s nature in an age of scientific thinking, conflation of ‘gospel’ and ‘civilization’ in global mission, and the exclusion of women from public spheres of life. We meet powerful saints, campaigners, and thinkers, who bring about genuine transformation in the lives of women, and in society. But we also recognize the long shadow of Empire in the world of the twenty-first century, critiquing Colonialism and Empire, and views that restricted women’s lives.

    This engaging volume will be of key interest to students and scholars in Religion and Cultural Studies. Exploring the complexities of the nineteenth centur,y it draws on a range of scholarship, including TV documentaries, film, online, and more traditional academic resources.

    Introduction: Women and Christianity in the Age of Empire (1800–1920)

    Janet Wootton

    1. Theological Approaches to Women in the Age of Empire

    Julie Melnyk

    2. The Virgin Mary

    Carol Engelhardt Herringer

    3. Female Saints: Industry, Image, Inspiration

    Cynthia Aalders

    4. Women, Religion, Science and Technology in the Age of Empire, ca. 1780–1920

    Jacqueline R. deVries

    5. Education

    Angharad Eyre

    6. Philosophical Beliefs: Global Voices

    Christianisation of Female Initiation Rites by the London Missionary Society: The Case of Northern Rhodesia, 1883–1920

    Jonathan Kangwa

    ‘Female Fathers’ and ‘Male Mothers’: Overlooked Non-binary Gender References in Southern Africa

    Kuzipa Nalwamba

    Korean Women under the Impact of Imperialism

    Seon Yi Lee

    Korean American Women and the Church: Identity, Spirituality, and Gender Roles

    Grace Ji-Sun Kim

    7. Popular Beliefs: Global Voices

    Missionary Women and Chinese Marriage

    Tamara Cooper

    Revisionist Footbinding in China: Cultural Encounters between Women Missionaries and Chinese Women

    Wong Wai-Yin Christina

    A Brief Her-story of Women in Christianity in Modern Taiwan (Nineteenth–Early Twentieth Century)

    Chiu Kai-Li

    Minnie Mackay: Taiwan’s Hidden Treasure

    Louise Gamble

    The Developing Role of Women Missionaries: A Case Study on Eleanor Pegg (née Sell; 1871–1954)

    Peggy Jackson and Janet Wootton, Based on Research by Eleanor’s Granddaughter, Peggy Jackson

    8. Popular Images: Representations of Christian Women: Designs on Domesticity and Constructions amid Conflict

    Jill Peterfeso

    Biography

    Janet Wootton is a retired Congregational Minister and former Director of Studies for the Congregational Federation.