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Profiles of Anabaptist Women--Sixteenth-Century Reforming Pioneers. C. Arnold Snyder and Linda A. Huebert Hecht, editors. Waterloo, Ont.: The Canadian Corporation for Studies in Religion, Wilfrid Laurier University Press, 1996. $28.95
Profiles of Anabaptist Women is a collection of short essays about women of early Anabaptism, set in their historical context. While other writers on this subject often have chosen to focus primarily on either storytelling or analysis, this book combines both effectively. It provides a good critical analysis of women's roles in Anabaptism, showing where women took on leadership roles previously unknown and where their lives were circumscribed by their gender.
The editors seem to accept all women's experiences as valid and valuable, taking into account several divergent streams within Anabaptism. The book is not simply a collection of inspirational heroine stories. Women who recanted or were part of unpopular movements such as the Munsterite Kingdom are included with women from the "mainstream" movement. Often these women were tortured and killed for their faith. Their stories work together to provide a fresh and exciting perspective on early Anabaptism.
A diversity of authors from various countries have skillfully worked on this book, and while concrete information about the lives of these women is lacking, the writers ask why this is the case and ask critical questions of their subjects' experiences. I was surprised at the large quantity of historical source material available.
For those interested in further research, a comprehensive review of existing literature on women in Anabaptism is included as an appendix. This book is well compiled and written. It is a major contribution to the study of women in the Radical Reformation. It gives voice to Anabaptist women who previously were considered a silenced group.
Tammy Sutherland is a member of River East MB Church in Winnipeg and is currently living in Harrisonburg, Va.
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