A book about women who honor organized religion but struggle with their second-class status within it.
This is a book about women who honor organized religion but struggle with their second-class status within it. From the story of two Muslims who organized a woman-led prayer service despite bomb threats, to the tale of a devoted Catholic advocating to be legitimately ordained as a priest, Tanenbaum covers women working both within their faith’s social structure and against it, as well as those who thirst for change but feel powerless to speak up. With attention to Catholic, evangelical Christian, Muslim, and Jewish women—along with chapters on sexuality and language in worship, perspectives from primary texts and contemporary, forays into ancient history, and her interviews and attendance at services and conferences—Tanenbaum is thorough but never patronizing. Warm and informative, her own voice enriches the text as she talks about women rising up against the practice of their preachings.
