Women in the Church of God in Christ: Making a Sanctified World
Jan 2012 · Univ of North Carolina Press
5.0star
1 review
Ebook
224
Pages
About this ebook
The Church of God in Christ (COGIC), an African American Pentecostal denomination founded in 1896, has become the largest Pentecostal denomination in the United States today. In this first major study of the church, Anthea Butler examines the religious and social lives of the women in the COGIC Women's Department from its founding in 1911 through the mid-1960s. She finds that the sanctification, or spiritual purity, that these women sought earned them social power both in the church and in the black community.
Offering rich, lively accounts of the activities of the Women's Department founders and other members, Butler shows that the COGIC women of the early decades were able to challenge gender roles and to transcend the limited responsibilities that otherwise would have been assigned to them both by churchmen and by white-dominated society. The Great Depression, World War II, and the civil rights movement brought increased social and political involvement, and the Women's Department worked to make the "sanctified world" of the church interact with the broader American society. More than just a community of church mothers, says Butler, COGIC women utilized their spiritual authority, power, and agency to further their contestation and negotiation of gender roles in the church and beyond.
Offering rich, lively accounts of the activities of the Women's Department founders and other members, Butler shows that the COGIC women of the early decades were able to challenge gender roles and to transcend the limited responsibilities that otherwise would have been assigned to them both by churchmen and by white-dominated society. The Great Depression, World War II, and the civil rights movement brought increased social and political involvement, and the Women's Department worked to make the "sanctified world" of the church interact with the broader American society. More than just a community of church mothers, says Butler, COGIC women utilized their spiritual authority, power, and agency to further their contestation and negotiation of gender roles in the church and beyond.
Ratings and reviews
5.0
1 review
A Google user
- Flag inappropriate
September 6, 2010
My mother was an evangelist and after reading this book, it gave me a deeper sense of understanding and respect for my mother. Growing up in COGIC and not knowing any other reformation, I found this book interesting, intriguing and inspiring. It is good reading, and it is a reminder for some of us of how far we have come, and informative to all of us, who can receive. If you are a woman and want to be in ministry, this book is a must read.
A Google user
- Flag inappropriate
I love this story but Theres other side to the women in the Church of God In Christ.i can write more to it. YES MUST GO BACK TO THE OLD WAY SOMETIMES.
About the author
Anthea Butler is professor of religious studies at the University of Pennsylvania.
Rate this ebook
Tell us what you think.
Reading information
Smartphones and tablets
Install the Google Play Books app for Android and iPad/iPhone. It syncs automatically with your account and allows you to read online or offline wherever you are.
Laptops and computers
You can listen to audiobooks purchased on Google Play using your computer's web browser.
eReaders and other devices
To read on e-ink devices like Kobo eReaders, you'll need to download a file and transfer it to your device. Follow the detailed Help Center instructions to transfer the files to supported eReaders.
