Five Women of the English Reformation

Books on the history of the Reformation are filled with the heroic struggles and sacrifices of men. But this compelling volume puts the spotlight on five strong and intellectually gifted women who, because of their absolute and unconditional commitment to the advancement of Protestant Christianity, paid the cost of their reforming convictions with martyrdom, imprisonment, and exile.

Paul Zahl vividly tells the stories of five mothers of the English Reformation -- Anne Boleyn, Katharine Parr, Jane Grey, Anne Askew, and Catherine Willoughby -- underscoring their lives as powerful theologians intensely interested in the religious concerns of their day. He also considers what the stories of these women have to say about the relation of gender to theology, human motivation, and God. An important epilogue by Mary Zahl contributes a contemporary woman's view of these fascinating historical figures.