Women's leadership in marginal religions : explorations outside the mainstream / edited by Catherine Wessinger.

"An Illini book from the University of Illinois Press"--P. 4 of cover.

Includes bibliographical references and index.

Introduction: Going beyond and retaining charisma, women's leadership in marginal religions / Catherine Wessinger. Part 1. Women in the spirit: "In the line of the female," Shakerism and Feminism / Marjorie Procter-Smith -- Not so different a story after all, Pentecostal women in the pulpit / Elaine J. Lawless. Part 2. Women in the metaphysical movement: The perils of passivity, women's leadership in Spiritualism and Christian Science / Ann Braude -- The feminism of "Universal Brotherhood," women in the Theosophical Movement / Robert Ellwood and Catherine Wessinger -- Emma Curtis Hopkins, a feminist of the 1880's and mother of new thought / J. Gordon Melton -- Myrtle Fillmore and her daughters, an observation and analysis of the role of women in unity / Dell deChant -- Woman guru, woman roshi, the legitimation of female religious leadership in Hindu and Buddhist groups in America / Catherine Wessinger. -- Part 3. Contemporary women as creators of religion: Ritual validations of clergywomen's authority in the African American Spiritual churches of New Orleans / David C. Estes --

Twentieth-century women's religion as seen in the feminist spirituality movement / Cynthia Eller -- The Women-Church movement in contemporary Christianity / Rosemary Radford Ruether -- Widening the banks of the mainstream, women constructing theologies / Mary Farrell Bednarowski.