Publisher's Synopsis
What does it mean to be a gendered person within a specific cultural context? This book analyzes global Baptists' responses to this question in historical perspective. In some twentieth-century contexts, for example, Baptist women were expected to cover their heads during worship services led by men; in others, Baptist women led worship with heads uncovered while men listened. The chapters in this book explore the fascinating ways global Baptists have constructed gender roles over the past four centuries. They fill a gap in scholarship, as few resources have examined Baptists' views of femininity and masculinity (and beyond) in historical and global perspectives. As a compilation of twenty-three papers prepared for the Ninth International Conference on Baptist Studies, this volume is broad in scope. Although the conference was not held due to COVID-19, this book presents the findings prepared for it, with chapters from Baptists in Africa, Asia, Europe, North America, and Oceania. It thus augments scholarly perspectives on Christianity and gender, including insights on exemplary Baptist women leaders, the diversity of global Baptist gender roles, and Baptist constructions of masculinity. This book provides a more comprehensive study of Baptists and gender than any other work to date.
