Silenced

In Silenced, Christy Mesaros-Winckles has recovered the stories of pathmaking women preachers while also shedding light on the shifting gender politics of their day and the obstacles they encountered in their own denomination. Silenced gives us a richer understanding of women's religious history alongside a sense of possibility for how committed and visionary activists can inspire social change.--Kristy Maddux, University of Maryland Silenced effectively utilizes narrative history and rhetorical analysis to uncover and evaluate the pioneering ministries of remarkable Free Methodist women preachers who remained steadfast even in the midst of denominational restrictions on them.--Geordan Hammond, Nazarene Theological College and Manchester Wesley Research Centre Silenced reincorporates the neglected lives of Free Methodist women into the church's history and identity. Dr. Mesaros-Winckles inspires lament, hope, repentance, and courage as she helps today's disciples imagine faithful ministry in this next chapter of the Free Methodist story.--Benjamin D. Wayman, Greenville University The stunning, terrible, powerful narrative of Mesaros-Winckles traces the struggles of women to participate equally in the Free Methodist Church, arguing convincingly that the result for women has always been and is far less than equality. The multidisciplinary pioneering work should provoke a lot of discussion, and hopefully more research on other small American churches.--David Bundy, Associate Director, Manchester Wesley Research Centre This ground-breaking, painstakingly-researched book on the lives, ministries, and significant contributions of Free Methodist women has been long awaited! Christy Mesaros-Winckles not only fills in massive gaps of long-forgotten women, but also she sets the standard for future scholarship on the historical and contemporary narrative of women's roles in the Free Methodist Church.--Priscilla Pope-Levison, Southern Methodist University