`... a book of great complexity and richness, at once both an effective general survey and a brilliant work of original scholarship on women and `radical religion' from 1640 to 1660. ... it is a treasure trove for teachers and scholars, and it deserves to be read widely.' - Eric Josef Carlson EHR`Will certainly generate debate on the condition of women in the early modern period.' - History Today`The implications of the author's argument are considerable.' - THES

• 1. Apprehending the Divine: Gender and the History of Religion Part 1. Religious Changes, 1500-1640 2. The Reformation 3. The Social Teachings of the Protestant Church: Women, Marriage and the Family 4. Anglicans, Puritans, and Catholics, 1558-1640 Part 2. Women's Religious Beliefs and Spirituality, 1500-1720 5. Piety and Spirituality 6. Dangerous Beliefs: Magic, Prophecy and Mysticism Part 3. Women and Radical Religion in the English Revolution, 1640-1660 7. Radical Religion: Separatists and Sectaries, 1558-1660 8. Separatist Churches and Sexual Politics 9. Sex and Power in the Early Quaker Movement: the Case of Martha Simmonds Part 4. Restorarion to Toleration, 1660-1720 10. Anglicans, Catholics and Nonconformists after the Restoration, 1660-1720 11. Conclusion