Engendering Church: Women, Power, and the AME Church

(Paperback)

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Description

This work explores the power , processes, and circumstances that brought about the new gender relations in the African Methodist Church, one of the largest African American Denominations in the USA. Dodson tells the heroic stories of women like Sara Hatcher who rose from behind-the-scenes to confront the hierarchy of male clergy. Her account of the church and its many changes shows that unless women hold church positions, they are overlooked as pro-active agents of organizational power. She also links the church to broader social change. When women began to function in key leadership roles in African American churches, they also contributed to more rapid improvement in the living conditions for blacks in the USA.

Reviews

Provides a solid general introduction to the topic. . . . * Religious Studies Review *
This book is highly recommended for advanced undergraduate courses in religion and women's studies and for graduate students and specialists. * Choice Reviews *

Author Bio

Jualynne E. Dodson is associate professor of African-American studies in the Departments of Ethnic Studies and Religion Studies at the University of Colorado, Boulder.