Women in Shaker Community and Worship a Feminist Analysis of the Uses of Religious Symbolism

". . . necessary reading for any student of Shakerism . . ." - Theology Today

"Proctor-Smith explores a unique blending of issues related to feminist, liturgical, and Shaker studies. . . . [The book's] contributions are substantial." - Church History

"This is a helpful corrective to a number of oversimplifications concerning women in Shaker society." - Religious Studies Review

". . . should be considered required reading for anyone interested in an introduction to Shaker history, whether it be for classroom or research purposes. . . . important for both the history of Shakerism, and for contemporary efforts toward feminist liturgical and theological change." - Karmen R. Berger, for Religious Studies Review

". . . well worth reading because it leaves us with the central question: if the Shakers, believers in Mother Ann as a second Christ and a sexually dualistic God, were unable to achieve gender equality, when will it be achieved? `If not now, when?'"- Com