Seizing Opportunities

""Women were not allowed to become ministers in Australian Baptist churches until the late twentieth century, but they filled a great variety of other roles. They served within congregations, sometimes leading them, in overseas mission, especially in East Bengal, and in state and national organizations, denominational and interdenominational. On the basis of thorough research, Rebecca Hilton has carefully analyzed the ways in which they seized opportunities for expressing their Evangelical Baptist identity."" --David Bebbington, Emeritus Professor of History, University of Stirling ""We cannot understand the past without considering the experiences and activities of women. In this book, Rebecca Hilton masterfully recounts the history of Australian Baptist women, filling an important gap in scholarship. Informed by wide-ranging primary sources, this book is a valuable read for anyone interested in women's history, evangelical history, Australian history, and beyond."" --Melody Maxwell, Professor of Christian History, Acadia Divinity College ""Rebecca Hilton offers a rich, critically informed account of the Australian Baptist women's identities and roles in mission, leadership, evangelism, and social reform, including the ways marriage and singleness shaped their ministries. This book is a treasure trove not only for those interested in Australian Baptist or women's history, but also for anyone exploring Baptist or women's religious history in broader contexts."" --Lina Toth, author of Singleness and Marriage After Christendom ""Rebecca Hilton has lifted the lid on the extraordinary, previously untold story of Australian Baptist women's work in the first half of the twentieth century. Undervalued and under-reported, women were forced to take the 'winding' path to fulfil their divine calling in a patriarchal institution. Their contribution to the growth of the Australian Baptist denomination was second to none. The research that underpins this challenging and elegant book is impressive."" --Marita Munro, Archivist, Baptist Union of Victoria