Profiles of Anabaptist Women Sixteenth-Century Reforming Pioneers

During the upheavals of Reformation, one of the most significant of the radical Protestant movements emerged - that of the Anabaptist movement. Profiles of Anabaptist Women provides lively, well-researched portraits of the courageous women who chose to risk persecution and martyrdom to pursue this unsanctioned religion - a religion that, unlike the established religions of the day, initially offered them opportunity and encouragement to proselytize and take on leadership roles. From commoners to nobility, from ordinary rebaptized members to martyrs and leaders, these profiles focus on the turning point in women's lives. Derived from sixteenth-century government records and court testimonies, hymns, songs, and poems, they provide a panorama of life and faith experiences of women from Switzerland, Germany, Holland, and Austria.