Fundamentalism and Gender, 1875 to the Present

This fascinating book depicts the long running battle within the fundamentalist movement over the roles of men and women both within the church and outside it. Drawing on interviews as well as on written sources, Margaret Lamberts Bendroth surveys the complicated interplay between fundamentalist theology, which is dominated by the search for order and hierarchical gender roles that have women subservient to men, and fundamentalist practice, which often depends on women in important ways to further the movement's institutional growth. "A major contribution to our understanding of Protestant fundamentalism in North America." -David Harrington Watt, Journal of Ecumenical Studies "Bendroth open s] a fruitful, fascinating field of inquiry. . . . She has] given us historical insight into some of the religious reasons that conservatives, often aggressively involved in our social debate over gender issues, think and act the way they do." -James H. Smylie, Interpretation, A Journal of Bible and Theology "Bendroth's important and nuanced study shows that fundamentalist views on gender have been much more complex than has been recognized previously." -George M. Marsden "A provocative and lucid argument about a timely topic." -Nancy Ammerman "Bendroth's sensitivity to the religious integrity of fundamentalism is matched by her awareness of its ambiguities about women. The book as a whole breaks new ground in both research and analysis. It is a fine piece of work."-Mark A. Noll "An important, thoughtful, and timely book." -Nathan O. Hatch