Religion and Women in Britain, c. 1660–1760 ed. by Sarah Apetrei and Hannah Smith (review)

Abstract

Reviewed by: Religion and Women in Britain, c. 1660–1760 ed. by Sarah Apetrei and Hannah Smith Troy Heffernan Apetrei, Sarah, and Hannah Smith, eds, Religion and Women in Britain, c. 1660–1760, Farnham, Ashgate, 2014; hardback; pp. 228; R.R.P. £70.00; ISBN 9781409429197. This collection explores the experiences of women during a tumultuous time in Britain’s history, when popular beliefs and practices of religion were in upheaval, from a multidisciplinary perspective; it includes essays from the fields of history, literary studies, and theology. It focuses on historical understandings of the contributions made by women to religious reform in the late seventeenth and eighteenth centuries, examining their experiences of negotiating complex terrains and boundaries, while shaping new religious practices and discourses. Women’s participation in, and dedication to, religion were viewed by some as the key to the institution’s survival into future generations, and, as editors Sarah Apetrei and Hannah Smith point out, needed to be patrolled and safeguarded as a result. The editors stress the importance of providing a space in which to explore contributions made by individual women to the construct of religion, as well as surveying the ways in which these changing times affected women, an area they identify as in need of further research. Notions of femininity, virtuousness, and piety, as well as feminism, are explored throughout this collection, specifically in relation to the work undertaken by women of the period to shape religious discourses, along with the ways these dialogues impacted upon women. A particularly significant concept explored within this volume is the artful way in which ‘polite’ conversation was used by women of the time to contribute to this changing landscape. Audiences interested in furthering their understanding of women’s experiences during this time will benefit from the insights provided by scholars within this volume, ably tied together by Apetrei and Smith’s initial commentary. Their overview of the complexities of the changing landscape of religion in Britain during this time provides a solid grounding for the reader and paves the way for the in-depth analyses in the chapters that follow. [End Page 256] These chapters explore the challenges faced by women during this period in relation to changing social and religious expectations and norms from various religions. Alison Searle and Sarah Apetrei examine these issues in relation to marriage, while Alasdair Raffe, focusing on Scottish Presbyterianism, and Claire Walker, focusing on English Catholicism, explore the ways women acted as the keys to a religion’s survival through tumultuous times. These essays are followed by Melinda Zook’s investigation into the extent to which Mary II’s influence during her reign shaped the future of the Church of England. The influence of women on Anglicanism is further explored by Sarah Hutton and William Kolbrener as they focus on individual contributions to the Anglican Republic of Letters by, respectively, Masham and Astell. Hannah Smith’s essay explores ‘Whig feminist’ Susanna Centlivre’s fight to enlighten her contemporaries about the Tory Party’s almost propagandist influence over women’s beliefs at the time. The final chapter in the collection by Emma Major explores the dichotomy of Catherine Talbot’s life. Her ‘life, letters and publications’ were recognised by her peers as ‘exemplifying the teachings of her Church’ and as demonstrations of virtue, and were thus seen as a ‘public concern’, yet at the same time, she challenged gender constructs and roles. Major notes the way Talbot often undertook ecclesiastical duties traditionally restricted to male bishops, as a result of her deeply spiritual friendship with Bishop Thomas Secker. In this way, unintentionally, perhaps, Talbot challenged contemporary gender norms and helped to shape the way women interacted in religious and spiritual spaces. Apetrei’s and Smith’s previous research in the areas of women in religion and politics makes them well-placed to edit this collection, and the chapters they have selected combine well to determine how gender was influential in guiding the religious practices and scope of opportunities that were available. Unfortunately, as the editors note, the available evidence ensures that much of the discussion surrounds figures of status, derived from either socioeconomic standing or notoriety. Despite this, this volume provides an...