Women as theological figures have played a significant role in the development of various religions and religious

hierarchies A hierarchy (from Greek: , from , 'president of sacred rites') is an arrangement of items (objects, names, values, categories, etc.) that are represented as being "above", "below", or "at the same level as" one another. Hierarchy is an important ...

. Throughout most of history women were unofficial theologians. They would write and teach, but did not hold official positions in Universities and Seminaries. Beginning in the second half of the twentieth century, women theological scholars began to be appointed to formal faculty positions at theological schools. Women are slowly being recognized as theological scholars. George Gallup Jr. wrote in 2002 that studies show women have more religiosity than men. Gallup goes on to say that women hold on to their faith more heartily, work harder for the church, and in general practice with more consistency than men.

Women theological scholars

* Catherine L. Albanese, American religious studies scholar, professor, lecturer, and author *

Karen Armstrong Karen Armstrong (born 14 November 1944) is a British author and commentator of Irish Catholic descent known for her books on comparative religion. A former Roman Catholic religious sister, she went from a conservative to a more liberal and ...

, British author known for her books on comparative religion * Marta Benavides, El Salvadorian feminist religious leader * Katie Cannon, American Christian theologian and ethicist associated with womanist theology and black theology * Monica Coleman, theologian associated with process theology and womanist theology * M. Shawn Copeland, American womanist and Black Catholic theologian *

Kelly Brown Douglas Kelly Delaine Brown Douglas is an African-American Episcopal priest, womanist theologian, and the inaugural Dean of the Episcopal Divinity School at Union Theological Seminary. She is also the Canon Theologian at the Washington National Cathedr ...

, African-American Episcopal priest, womanist theologian, and academic *

Elisabeth Schüssler Fiorenza Elisabeth Schüssler Fiorenza (born 1938) is a Romanian-born German, Roman Catholic feminist theologian, who is currently the Krister Stendahl Professor of Divinity at Harvard Divinity School. Life She was born Elisabeth Schüssler on 17 April ...

, Romanian-born German Roman Catholic feminist theologian * Wilda C. Gafney, American biblical scholar and Episcopal priest * Jacquelyn Grant, American theologian and Methodist minister who is one of the founding developers of womanist theology * Nyasha Junior, American biblical scholar focusing on the connections between religion, race, and gender within the Hebrew Bible *

Joanna Macy Joanna Rogers Macy (born May 2, 1929) is an environmental activist, author, and scholar of Buddhism, general systems theory, and deep ecology. She is the author of twelve books. She was married to the late Francis Underhill Macy, the activist ...

, environmental activist, author, and scholar of Buddhism *

Sallie McFague Sallie McFague (May 25, 1933 – November 15, 2019) was an American feminist Christian theologian, best known for her analysis of how metaphor lies at the heart of how Christians may speak about God. She applied this approach, in particular, to ...

, American feminist theologian, who emphasized God as mother in her theology * Mercy Amba Oduyoye, Ghanaian theologian and founder of the Circle of Concerned African Women Theologians * Muriel Orevillo-Montenegro, Filipina theologian known for her writings in Asian feminist theology * Jamie T. Phelps, American Catholic theologian known for her contributions to womanist theology * Elizabeth Schrader Polczer, American biblical scholar who concentrates on textual studies concerning Mary Magdalene, the Gospel of John, and the Nag Hammadi corpus * Rosemary Radford Reuther, American feminist theologian who helped define fields of Christian feminist and eco-feminist theology * Letty M. Russell, American Christian feminist theologian who pioneered feminist ecclesiology *

Joan E. Taylor Joan E. Taylor is a New Zealand writer and historian of Jesus, the Bible, early Christianity, the Dead Sea Scrolls, and Second Temple Judaism, with special expertise in archaeology, and women's and gender studies. Taylor is the Professor of Chr ...

, English historian of the Bible and early Christianity with special expertise in archaeology, and women's and gender studies. *

Emilie Townes Emilie Maureen Townes (born August 1, 1955, Durham, North Carolina) is an American Christian social ethicist and theologian, currently Dean and E. Rhodes and Leona B. Carpenter Professor of Womanist Ethics and Society at the Vanderbilt Universit ...

, American Christian social ethicist and theologian * Renita J. Weems, ordained minister, a Hebrew Bible scholar, and an author * Delores S. Williams, American Presbyterian theologian notable for her formative role in the development of womanist theology * Traci D. Blackmon, minister and spiritual leader involved in peaceful protests during unrest in Ferguson, Missouri in 2014

Baháʼí Faith

In writings of the

Baháʼí Faith The Baháʼí Faith is a religion founded in the 19th century that teaches the essential worth of all religions and the unity of all people. Established by Baháʼu'lláh in the 19th century, it initially developed in Iran and parts of the ...

, the Holy Spirit is often described as the "

Maid of Heaven A maid, or housemaid or maidservant, is a female domestic worker. In the Victorian era domestic service was the second largest category of employment in England and Wales, after agricultural work. In developed Western nations, full-time maids ...

". Three women figure prominently in the history of the Baháʼí Faith:

Táhirih Táhirih (Ṭāhira) ( fa, طاهره, "The Pure One," also called Qurrat al-ʿAyn ( "Solace/Consolation of the Eyes") are both titles of Fatimah Baraghani/Umm-i Salmih (1814 or 1817 – August 16–27, 1852), an influential poet, women's rights ...

, a disciple of the

Báb The Báb (b. ʿAlí Muḥammad; 20 October 1819 – 9 July 1850), was the messianic founder of Bábism, and one of the central figures of the Baháʼí Faith. He was a merchant from Shiraz in Qajar Iran who, in 1844 at the age of 25, claimed ...

; Ásíyih Khánum, the wife of Baháʼu'lláh; and

Bahíyyih Khánum Bahíyyih Khánum (1846 – July 15, 1932) was the only daughter of Baháʼu'lláh, the founder of the Baháʼí Faith, and Ásíyih Khánum. She was born in 1846 with the given name Fatimih Sultan, and was entitled "Varaqiy-i-'Ulyá" or "Greate ...

the daughter of Baháʼu'lláh. Táhirih and Bahíyyih, in particular, held strong leadership positions and are seen vital to the development of the religion. Several women played leading roles in the early days of the Baháʼí Faith in America. Among them are: May Maxwell
Corinne True
and

Martha Root Martha Louise Root (August 10, 1872 – September 28, 1939) was an American traveling teacher of the Baháʼí Faith in the early 20th century. From the declaration of her belief in 1909 until her death thirty years later, she went around the ...

. Rúhíyyih Khanum and a mix of male and female

Hands of the Cause Hand of the Cause was a title given to prominent early members of the Baháʼí Faith, appointed for life by the religion's founders. Of the fifty individuals given the title, the last living was ʻAlí-Muhammad Varqá who died in 2007. Hands of ...

formed an interim leadership of the religion for six years prior to the formation of the

Universal House of Justice The Universal House of Justice ( fa, بیت‌العدل اعظم) is the nine-member supreme ruling body of the Baháʼí Faith. It was envisioned by Baháʼu'lláh, the founder of the Baháʼí Faith, as an institution that could legislate o ...

. Later prominent women includ
Patricia Locke
Layli Miller-Muro, an
Dr. Susan Maneck
who herself wrote books documenting the role of women in the Baháʼí Faith.

Buddhism

Khema Khema (Pali: Khemā; Sanskrit: Kṣemā) was a Buddhist ''bhikkhuni'', or nun, who was one of the top female disciples of the Buddha. She is considered the first of the Buddha's two chief female disciples, along with Uppalavanna. Khema was b ...

and

Uppalavanna Uppalavanna (Pali: Uppalavaṇṇā; Sanskrit: Utpalavarṇā) was a Buddhist ''bhikkhuni'' (Pali; Sanskrit: Bhikshuni), or nun, who was considered one of the top female disciples of the Buddha. She is considered the second of the Buddha's two ...

, the two chief female disciples of the

Buddha Siddhartha Gautama, most commonly referred to as the Buddha, was a wandering ascetic and religious teacher who lived in South Asia during the 6th or 5th century BCE and founded Buddhism. According to Buddhist tradition, he was born in L ...

Kisa Gotami Kisa Gotami was the wife of a wealthy man of Savatthi. Her story is one of the most famous ones in Buddhism. After losing her only child, Kisa Gotami became desperate and asked if anyone could help her. Her sorrow was so great that many thought ...

Machig Labdrön Machig Labdrön (, sometimes referred to as Ahdrön Chödron, ), or "Singular Mother Torch from Lab", 1055-1149) was a female Tibetan Buddhist monk believed to be a reincarnation of Yeshe Tsogyal, and the renowned 11th-century Tibetan tantric ...

, founder of the Tibetan practice of

Chöd Chöd ( lit. 'to sever') is a spiritual practice found primarily in the Yundrung Bön tradition as well as in the Nyingma and Kagyu schools of Tibetan Buddhism (where it is classed as Anuttarayoga Tantra). Also known as "cutting through the ego, ...

* Maha Pajapati Gotami *

Pema Chodron Pema ( or ) is a Tibetan name meaning " lotus", which originated as a loanword from Sanskrit ''padma''. People who have this name as one of their given namesNote that Tibetan names generally do not have surnames. See e.g. include: Buddhist teacher ...

, fully ordained Buddhist nun in the Tibetan

Shambhala In Tibetan Buddhist tradition, Shambhala ( sa, शम्भल ',''Śambhala'', also ''Sambhala'', is the name of a town between the Rathaprā and Ganges rivers, identified by some with Sambhal in Uttar Pradesh. In the Puranas, it is named as ...

lineage. * Ani Tenzin Palmo, nun in the

Drukpa Kagyu The Drukpa Kagyu (), or simply Drukpa, sometimes called either Dugpa or "Red Hat sect" in older sources,

lineage and founder of Dongyu Gatsal Ling Nunnery in

Himachal Pradesh Himachal Pradesh (; ; "Snow-laden Mountain Province") is a state in the northern part of India. Situated in the Western Himalayas, it is one of the thirteen mountain states and is characterized by an extreme landscape featuring several peaks ...

India India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the so ...

Yeshe Tsogyal Yeshe Tsogyal (c. 757 or 777 – 817 CE) , also known as "Victorious Ocean of Knowledge", " Knowledge Lake Empress" (, ཡེ་ཤེས་མཚོ་རྒྱལ), or by her Sanskrit name ''Jñānasāgara'' "Knowledge Ocean", or by her clan n ...

, Tibetan consort and disciple of the

Padmasambhava Padmasambhava ("Born from a Lotus"), also known as Guru Rinpoche (Precious Guru) and the Lotus from Oḍḍiyāna, was a tantric Buddhist Vajra master from India who may have taught Vajrayana in Tibet (circa 8th – 9th centuries)... According ...

Chandra Khonnokyoong Chandra Khonnokyoong ( th, จันทร์ ขนนกยูง; ), 19 January 1909 – 10 September 2000) was a Thai ''Maechi'' (nun) who founded Wat Phra Dhammakaya. Religious studies scholar Rachelle Scott has described her as "the ...

, a Thai ''

mae chi Maechi or Mae chee ( th, แม่ชี; ) are Upāsaka and Upāsikā, Buddhist laywomen in Thailand who have dedicated their life to religion, vowing celibacy, living an asceticism, ascetic life and taking the eight precepts, Eight or Ten Prec ...

'' (nun) and meditation teacher

Christianity

Women prominent in the New Testament

Mary, mother of Jesus Mary; arc, ܡܪܝܡ, translit=Mariam; ar, مريم, translit=Maryam; grc, Μαρία, translit=María; la, Maria; cop, Ⲙⲁⲣⲓⲁ, translit=Maria was a first-century Jewish woman of Nazareth, the wife of Joseph and the mother of ...

* Mary Magdalene, one of

Jesus Jesus, likely from he, יֵשׁוּעַ, translit=Yēšūaʿ, label= Hebrew/ Aramaic ( AD 30 or 33), also referred to as Jesus Christ or Jesus of Nazareth (among other names and titles), was a first-century Jewish preacher and religiou ...

' closest followers * Lydia and Phoebe *

Mary of Bethany Mary of Bethany is a biblical figure mentioned only by name in the Gospel of John in the Christian New Testament. Together with her siblings Lazarus and Martha, she is described by John as living in the village of Bethany, a small village in Jud ...

, sister of Lazarus and disciple of Jesus (sometimes misidentified with Mary Magdalene) *

Priscilla Priscilla is an English female given name adopted from Latin ''Prisca'', derived from ''priscus''. One suggestion is that it is intended to bestow long life on the bearer. The name first appears in the New Testament of Christianity variously as ...

, teacher with her husband Aquila, partner with Apostle Paul * Junia, female apostle of New Testament

Women prominent in the Early Christian Church

*Saints

Perpetua and Felicity Perpetua and Felicity ( la, Perpetua et Felicitas) were Christian martyrs of the 3rd century. Vibia Perpetua was a recently married, well-educated noblewoman, said to have been 22 years old at the time of her death, and mother of an infant son s ...

, martyrs *Saint

Monica of Hippo Monica ( – 387) was an early North African Christian saint and the mother of Augustine of Hippo. She is remembered and honored in the Catholic and Orthodox Churches, albeit on different feast days, for her outstanding Christian virtues, par ...

*Saint

Macrina the Younger Macrina the Younger (c. 327 – 19 July 379) was an early Christian consecrated virgin. She is regarded as a saint in the Roman Catholic, Eastern Orthodox, and Anglican churches. Macrina was elder sister of Basil the Great, Gregory of Nyssa and ...

*Saint

Radegund Radegund ( la, Radegundis; also spelled ''Rhadegund, Radegonde, or Radigund''; 520 – 13 August 587) was a Thuringian princess and Frankish queen, who founded the Abbey of the Holy Cross at Poitiers. She is the patron saint of several churche ...

(520–587), Frankish queen, ordained as a deaconess, established a convent *

Clotilde Clotilde ( 474–545), also known as Clothilde, Clotilda, Clotild, Rotilde etc. (Latin: Chrodechildis, Chlodechildis from Frankish ''*Hrōþihildi'' or perhaps ''*Hlōdihildi'', both "famous in battle"), was a Queen of All the Franks. She was s ...

Hilda of Whitby Hilda (or Hild) of Whitby (c. 614 – 680) was a Christian saint and the founding abbess of the monastery at Whitby, which was chosen as the venue for the Synod of Whitby in 664. An important figure in the Christianisation of Anglo-Saxon Engla ...

, royal abbess in the 7th century *

Irene of Athens Irene of Athens ( el, Εἰρήνη, ; 750/756 – 9 August 803), surname Sarantapechaina (), was Byzantine empress consort to Emperor Leo IV from 775 to 780, regent during the childhood of their son Constantine VI from 780 until 790, co-ruler ...

(c. 752–803), Empress who convened the 7th ecumenical council *

Kassia Kassia, Cassia or Kassiani ( gr, Κασσιανή, Kassianí, ; – before 865) was a Byzantine-Greek composer, hymnographer and poet. She holds a unique place in Byzantine music as the only known woman whose music appears in the Byzantine lit ...

, 9th-century Eastern Orthodox nun, poet and hymnographer; sometimes referred to as St. Kassiani

Women prominent in the Medieval church

* Antoinette Bourignon, a mystic * St. Bridget of Sweden (1302–1373) * Heloise (student of Abelard) *

Hildegard of Bingen Hildegard of Bingen (german: Hildegard von Bingen; la, Hildegardis Bingensis; 17 September 1179), also known as Saint Hildegard and the Sibyl of the Rhine, was a German Benedictine abbess and polymath active as a writer, composer, philosopher ...

, theologian, mystic, wrote much music, some which has survived *

Pope Joan Pope Joan (''Ioannes Anglicus'', 855–857) was, according to legend, a woman who reigned as pope for two years during the Middle Ages. Her story first appeared in chronicles in the 13th century and subsequently spread throughout Europe. The s ...

, although existence has been questioned * St. Margery Kempe (c.1373–1438) *

Saint Macrina the Younger Macrina the Younger (c. 327 – 19 July 379) was an History of Christianity#Early Christianity, early Christian consecrated virgin. She is regarded as a saint in the Roman Catholic, Eastern Orthodox, and Anglican churches. Macrina was elder siste ...

, sister and influence upon Saint

Basil the Great Basil of Caesarea, also called Saint Basil the Great ( grc, Ἅγιος Βασίλειος ὁ Μέγας, ''Hágios Basíleios ho Mégas''; cop, Ⲡⲓⲁⲅⲓⲟⲥ Ⲃⲁⲥⲓⲗⲓⲟⲥ; 330 – January 1 or 2, 379), was a bishop of Cae ...

and

Saint Gregory of Nyssa Gregory of Nyssa, also known as Gregory Nyssen ( grc-gre, Γρηγόριος Νύσσης; c. 335 – c. 395), was Bishop of Nyssa in Cappadocia from 372 to 376 and from 378 until his death in 395. He is venerated as a saint in Catholicis ...

*St. Clare of Assisi, founded the

Poor Clares The Poor Clares, officially the Order of Saint Clare ( la, Ordo sanctae Clarae) – originally referred to as the Order of Poor Ladies, and later the Clarisses, the Minoresses, the Franciscan Clarist Order, and the Second Order of Saint Francis ...

*St. Julian of Norwich (1342–c.1416), a mystic *St.

Scholastica Scholastica (c. 480 – 10 February 543) is a saint of the Catholic Church, the Eastern Orthodox Churches and the Anglican Communion. She was born in Italy. According to a ninth century tradition, she was the twin sister of Benedict of Nursia. ...

, twin sister of Benedict of Nursia

Women prominent in the Catholic Church (Post-Reformation)

* Mme Guyon, influential in Quietism * Mother Cabrini, missionary to New York and first canonized US citizen *

Mother Teresa Mary Teresa Bojaxhiu, MC (; 26 August 1910 – 5 September 1997), better known as Mother Teresa ( sq, Nënë Tereza), was an Indian-Albanian Catholic nun who, in 1950, founded the Missionaries of Charity. Anjezë Gonxhe Bojaxhiu () was ...

, founder of the

Missionaries of Charity The Missionaries of Charity ( la, Congregatio Missionariarum a Caritate) is a Catholic centralized religious institute of consecrated life of Pontifical Right for women established in 1950 by Mother Teresa, now known in the Catholic Church as ...

*St.

Elizabeth Ann Seton Elizabeth Ann Bayley Seton (August 28, 1774 – January 4, 1821) was a Catholic religious sister in the United States and an educator, known as a founder of the country's parochial school system. After her death, she became the first person bo ...

, founded the

Sisters of Charity Many religious communities have the term Sisters of Charity in their name. Some ''Sisters of Charity'' communities refer to the Vincentian tradition, or in America to the tradition of Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton, but others are unrelated. The ...

*St.

Faustina Kowalska Maria Faustyna Kowalska, OLM (born Helena Kowalska; 25 August 1905 – 5 October 1938), also known as ''Maria Faustyna Kowalska of the Blessed Sacrament'', Faustyna popularly spelled "Faustina", was a Polish Catholic religious sister ...

, promoted devotion to

Divine Mercy The Divine Mercy is a form of God's compassion, an act of grace based on trust or forgiveness. In Catholicism, it refers specifically to a devotion which had its origin in the apparitions of Jesus Christ reported by Faustina Kowalska. Etymol ...

*St.

Katharine Drexel Katharine Drexel, SBS (born Catherine Mary Drexel; November 26, 1858 – March 3, 1955) was an American heiress, philanthropist, religious sister, educator, and foundress of the Sisters of the Blessed Sacrament. She was the second person born ...

, founded the

Sisters of the Blessed Sacrament The Sisters of the Blessed Sacrament (SBS) are a Catholic order of religious sisters in the United States. They were founded in 1891 by Katharine Drexel as the Sisters of the Blessed Sacrament for Indians and Colored People. During her life, Saint ...

, which performed charitable works for Native Americans and

African American African Americans (also referred to as Black Americans and Afro-Americans) are an ethnic group consisting of Americans with partial or total ancestry from sub-Saharan Africa. The term "African American" generally denotes descendants of ens ...

s *St. Rose Philippine Duchesne, co-founder of the

Society of the Sacred Heart , image = RSCJnuevo.jpg, , image_size = 150px , caption = , abbreviation = Post-nominal letters: RSCJ , formation = , founder = Saint Sr. Madeleine Sophie Barat, R.S.C.J. ...

*St.

Teresa of Avila Teresa (also Theresa, Therese; french: Thérèse) is a feminine given name. It originates in the Iberian Peninsula in late antiquity. Its derivation is uncertain, it may be derived from Greek θερίζω (''therízō'') "to harvest or rea ...

, a mystic In 1970 three women were declared Doctor of the Church *St.

Catherine of Siena Catherine of Siena (Italian: ''Caterina da Siena''; 25 March 1347 – 29 April 1380), a member of the Third Order of Saint Dominic, was a mystic, activist, and author who had a great influence on Italian literature and on the Catholic Church ...

*St.

Thérèse of Lisieux Thérèse of Lisieux (french: Thérèse de Lisieux ), born Marie Françoise-Thérèse Martin (2 January 1873 – 30 September 1897), also known as Saint Therese of the Child Jesus and the Holy Face (), was a French Catholic Discalced Carmelit ...

Women prominent in Protestant Churches

* Ursula Cotta (article in German) (c. 1450–1511), influenced Luther's attitude toward women * Inger Ottesdotter Rømer (c. 1475–1555), wealthiest landowner in Norway, promoted the Reformation extensively *

Argula von Grumbach Argula von Grumbach (; 1492 – c. 1554) was a Bavarian writer and noblewoman who, starting in the early 1520s, became involved in the Protestant Reformation debates going on in Germany. She became the first Protestant woman writer, publishing l ...

(1492-1554), writer who defended Martin Luther * Christina Gyllenstierna (1494-1559), commanded the city of Stockholm, unsuccessful in preventing the execution of over 100 people for heresy (

Stockholm Bloodbath The Stockholm Bloodbath ( sv, Stockholms blodbad; da, Det Stockholmske Blodbad) was a trial that led to a series of executions in Stockholm between 7 and 9 November 1520. The event is also known as the Stockholm massacre. The events occurred af ...

) * Katharina Zell (1497 or 1498–1562), proponent of clerical marriage *

Katharina von Bora Katharina von Bora (; 29 January 1499 – 20 December 1552), after her wedding Katharina Luther, also referred to as "die Lutherin" ("the Lutheress"), was the wife of Martin Luther, German reformer and a seminal figure of the Protestant Reform ...

, (1499–1552) Roman Catholic nun who became Lutheran, proponent of clerical marriage *

Ursula of Munsterberg Ursula of Munsterberg (german: Ursula von Münsterberg; cs, Uršula z Minstrberka, Voršila Minstrberská, kněžna a Kladská hraběnka; c. 1491/95 or 1499,Cf. Siegismund Justus Ehrhardt: ''Abhandlung vom verderbten Religions-Zustand in Schlesien ...

in 1528 published 69 articles about why she and other nuns were going to leave their convent. *

Anne Boleyn Anne Boleyn (; 1501 or 1507 – 19 May 1536) was Queen of England from 1533 to 1536, as the second wife of King Henry VIII. The circumstances of her marriage and of her execution by beheading for treason and other charges made her a key ...

, influenced religious development in

England England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Wales to its west and Scotland to its north. The Irish Sea lies northwest and the Celtic Sea to the southwest. It is separated from continental Europe b ...

indirectly by leading Henry VIII to divorce Catherine of Aragon and break from the

Catholic Church The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.3 billion baptized Catholics worldwide . It is among the world's oldest and largest international institutions, and has played a ...

Elisabeth of Hesse Elisabeth of Hesse (13 February 1539 – 14 March 1582) was a German noblewoman. She was a daughter of Philip I, Landgrave of Hesse and Christine of Saxony, daughter of George, Duke of Saxony. On 8 July 1560 she married Louis VI, Elector Pal ...

(1502–1557), exposed secret bigamy of her brother Philip * Elisabeth of Brandenburg (1510-1558), secretly took communion in both kinds against the wishes of her Catholic father. She implemented the Reformation when governing in place of her underage son * Amalia of Cleves (1517-1586), authored a songbook, rejected as possible wife by Henry VIII *

Anne Askew Anne Askew (sometimes spelled Ayscough or Ascue) married name Anne Kyme, (152116 July 1546) was an English writer, poet, and Anabaptist preacher who was condemned as a heretic during the reign of Henry VIII of England. She and Margaret Cheyne ...

(1521–1546), tortured in the Tower of London and martyred in Smithfield for Protestantism *

Joan Bocher Joan Bocher (died 2 May 1550 in Smithfield, London) was an English Anabaptist burned at the stake for heresy during the English Reformation in the reign of Edward VI. She has also been known as Joan Boucher or Butcher, or as Joan Knell or Jo ...

(?–1550), English Anabaptist martyr in Smithfield * Elizabeth Pepper (?–1556), martyred while pregnant for Protestantism, together with Agnes George * Guernsey Martyrs, three women martyred for Protestantism in 1556, one woman was pregnant and gave birth while being burned, the child was rescued but then ordered to be burned too *

Anne Locke Anne Locke (Lock, Lok) (c.1533 – after 1590) was an English poet, translator and Calvinist religious figure. She has been called the first English author to publish a sonnet sequence, ''A Meditation of a Penitent Sinner'' (1560), although auth ...

(1530 – ?), Calvinist poet *

Anna Leuhusen Anna Rheinholdsdotter Leuhusen (died c. 1554), was the Abbess of St. Clare's Priory in Stockholm. She became known for her involvement in the Swedish War of Liberation between Sweden and Denmark in the 1520s. Background Anna Leuhusen was born ...

(died c. 1554), abbess who along with her nuns, became nurses * Joan Waste (1534–1556), blind woman martyred for Protestantism * Alice Benden (?–1557), martyred for Protestantism *

Alice Driver Alice may refer to: * Alice (name), most often a feminine given name, but also used as a surname Literature * Alice (''Alice's Adventures in Wonderland''), a character in books by Lewis Carroll * ''Alice'' series, children's and teen books by ...

(?–1558), testified for and martyred for Protestantism * Anna Maria of the Palatinate (1561 – 1589), a Lutheran who was concerned about the spread of Calvinism and described by Charles IX of Sweden as "more educated in religion than anyone to be found." *

Magdalena Heymair Magdalena Heymair (variously Heymairin, Haymerin, Haymairus; c. 1535 – after 1586) was a teacher and Lutheran evangelical poet who wrote in the Middle Bavarian dialect. Born a Roman Catholic, she converted to evangelical Lutheranism. In her ed ...

, in 1569 became the first woman to have her writings listed on the Index Librorum Prohibitorum *

Elizabeth Melville Elizabeth Melville, Lady Culross (c.1578–c.1640) was a Scottish poet. In 1603 she became the earliest known Scottish woman writer to see her work in print, when the Edinburgh publisher Robert Charteris issued the first edition of ''Ane Godlie ...

(c.1578–c.1640), Scottish Calvinist poet, first known woman to print a book in Scotland. *

Augusta of Denmark Princess Augusta of Denmark (8 April 1580 – 5 February 1639) was the Duchess of Holstein-Gottorp as the wife of Duke John Adolf. She was the third daughter of King Frederick II of Denmark and Sophia of Mecklenburg-Güstrow. She was politi ...

(1580 – 1639), walked to Lutheran church and refused to attend Calvinist services. Later fired a Calvinist minister and restored the previous Lutheran minister to his position. * Anna Maria von Eggenberg (1609-1680), moved court to a city in Hungary where she would be able sponsor Protestant church services. *

Catherine Vasa of Sweden , birth_date = 6 June 1539 , death_date = , father = Gustav I of Sweden , mother = Margaret Leijonhufvud , spouse = Edzard II, Count of East Frisia , issue = Countess Margareta Anne, Electress PalatineEnno III, Count of Ostfriesland John II ...

(1539-1610) actively supported Lutheranism above Calvinism, visited Wittenberg to study theology, wrote interpretations of the bible * Johanna Eleonora Petersen (1644-1724), Pietist writer, wikilink in German *

Anne Hutchinson Anne Hutchinson (née Marbury; July 1591 – August 1643) was a Puritan spiritual advisor, religious reformer, and an important participant in the Antinomian Controversy which shook the infant Massachusetts Bay Colony from 1636 to 1638. Her ...

, charismatic and outspoken

Puritan The Puritans were English Protestants in the 16th and 17th centuries who sought to purify the Church of England of Roman Catholic practices, maintaining that the Church of England had not been fully reformed and should become more Protestant. ...

in early colonial New England whose unorthodox religious views helped spark the

Antinomian Controversy The Antinomian Controversy, also known as the Free Grace Controversy, was a religious and political conflict in the Massachusetts Bay Colony from 1636 to 1638. It pitted most of the colony's ministers and magistrates against some adherents of ...

from 1636 to 1638 * Johanna Sibylla Küsel (1650 – 1717), Lutheran printmaker who illustrated religious and scientific books. *

Mary Dyer Mary Dyer (born Marie Barrett; c. 1611 – 1 June 1660) was an English and colonial American Puritan turned Quaker who was hanged in Boston, Massachusetts Bay Colony, for repeatedly defying a Puritan law banning Quakers from the colony. ...

, avid follower of the Quaker religion who became a martyr when she was hanged in Boston in 1660 for her religious activism * Katharina Elizabeth – in 1698, Catholic village leaders of

Radibor Radibor (German) or Radwor (Upper Sorbian) is a municipality in Saxony in Germany. It is situated in Upper Lusatia about 10 km north of Bautzen, which is also the main city of the District of Bautzen to which Radibor belongs. Radibor was fir ...

attempted to have her disciplined for attempted Lutheranization of the population. * Marie Durand (1711–1776), imprisoned 38 years in the Tower of Constance for Protestantism with 24 other women *

Barbara von Krüdener Beate Barbara Juliane Freifrau von Krüdener (née Freiin von Vietinghoff genannt Scheel; ), often called by her formal French name, Madame de Krüdener, was a Baltic German religious mystic, author, and Pietist Lutheran theologian who exerted i ...

(1764–1824), her spiritual relationship with Tsar Alexander influenced the religious character of the Holy Alliance, for a time she gave up her noble lifestyle and wandered, supporting crowds who wandered with her. * Amalie Sieveking (1794 –1859), founded society which trained women to help for poor and invalids, wrote tracts *

Clara Maass Clara Louise Maass (June 28, 1876 – August 24, 1901) was an American nurse who died as a result of volunteering for medical experiments to study yellow fever. Early life Clara Maass was born in East Orange, New Jersey, to German immigrant ...

(1876–1901), devout nurse who died after volunteering in an immunization experiment, listed on the Lutheran Calendar of Saints *

Ellen G. White Ellen Gould White (née Harmon; November 26, 1827 – July 16, 1915) was an American woman author and co-founder of the Seventh-day Adventist Church. Along with other Adventist leaders such as Joseph Bates and her husband James White, she wa ...

(1827-1915), co-founder and prophetess of the Seventh-day Adventist Church, a large Protestant movement present in over 200 countries and territories. *

Lottie Moon Charlotte Digges "Lottie" Moon (December 12, 1840 – December 24, 1912) was a Southern Baptist missionary to China with the Foreign Mission Board who spent nearly 40 years (1873–1912) living and working in China. As a teacher and evangelist ...

(1840–1912), Baptist missionary to China * Mary Hannah Fulton (1854–1927), Presbyterian missionary to China * Eva von Tiele-Winckler (1866-1930), (article in German), deaconess *

Elisabeth Schmitz Elisabeth Schmitz (23 August 1893 – 10 September 1977) was a German Lutheran theologian, teacher, and author of "On the Situation of German Non-Aryans", a memorandum that attempted to persuade those in the Confessing Church to stand against ...

(1893-1977), unsuccessfully attempted to prod the Confessing Church to take a stance in favor of Jews during the Nazi era. * Gertrud Staewen (1894-1987), supported the cause of Jews in the Confessing Church during the Nazi era. Wikilink in German. * Betty Stam (1906–1934), missionary to China, martyr * Rachel Saint (1914–1994), missionary to the

Huaorani The Huaorani, Waorani, or Waodani, also known as the Waos, are an Indigenous people from the Amazonian Region of Ecuador ( Napo, Orellana, and Pastaza Provinces) who have marked differences from other ethnic groups from Ecuador. The alternate ...

in Operation Auca after the martyrdom of her brother

Women prominent in Eastern Orthodoxy

* Catherine the Great, Russian Orthodox from 1744 to 1796, had been Lutheran from 1729 to 1744, nationalised all church lands, issued 1773 "Toleration of All Faiths" edict * Matrona Nikonova Matrona Nikonova * Euphrosyne of Polotsk Euphrosyne of Polotsk * Olga of Kiev

Olga of Kiev Olga ( orv, Вольга, Volĭga; (); russian: Ольга (); uk, Ольга (). Old Norse: '; Lith: ''Alge''; Christian name: ''Elena''; c. 890–925 – 969) was a regent of Kievan Rus' for her son Sviatoslav from 945 until 960. Following ...

* Xenia of Saint Petersburg Xenia of Saint Petersburg * Fevronia, described in The Tale of Peter and Fevronia * Anna of Kashin

Anna of Kashin Saint Anna of Kashin (russian: Святая �лаговерная великая княгиня - инокиняАнна Кашинская) (1280 – 2 October 1368) was a Russian princess from the Rurik Dynasty, who was canonized in 1650. Life ...

* Juliana of Lazarevo

Juliana of Lazarevo Juliana of Lazarevo (or Juliana of Murom) (1530 – 10 January 1604) is a saint of the Eastern Orthodox Church. She was born in Moscow, to Justin and Stefanida Nedyurev, and married Giorgi Osorgin, owner of the village of Lazarevo, near Murom. Sh ...

* Princess Elisabeth of Hesse and by Rhine Princess Elisabeth of Hesse and by Rhine * Barbara Skvorchikhinskaya (article in Russian) * Eudoxia of Moscow

Eudoxia of Moscow Eudoxia of Moscow (russian: Евдокия Дмитриевна, ''Yevdokia Dmitriyevna''), with monastic name Euphrosyne (1353 – 1407), was a Grand princess of Moscow and wife of Dmitry Donskoy. Biography Eudoxia was a daughter of Dmitry Kons ...

* Saint Juliana, Princess of Vyazma (article in Russian) *

Frederica Mathewes-Green Frederica Mathewes-Green (born ) is an American author and speaker, chiefly on topics related to Eastern Orthodox belief and practice. Mathewes-Green earned a MTS degree from Virginia Theological Seminary in 1977 and received an honorary Docto ...

, (b. 1952) wife of priest and theological speaker

Women prominent in Mormonism

Emma Smith Emma Hale Smith Bidamon (July 10, 1804 – April 30, 1879) was an American homesteader, the official wife of Joseph Smith, and a prominent leader in the early days of the Latter Day Saint movement, both during Smith's lifetime and afterward as ...

first wife of

Joseph Smith Joseph Smith Jr. (December 23, 1805June 27, 1844) was an American religious leader and founder of Mormonism and the Latter Day Saint movement. When he was 24, Smith published the Book of Mormon. By the time of his death, 14 years later, ...

and first General President of the

Relief Society The Relief Society is a philanthropic and educational women's organization of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church). It was founded in 1842 in Nauvoo, Illinois, United States, and has more than 7 million members in over 18 ...

* Inez Knight Allen one of the first single women to be a missionary in the

LDS church The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, informally known as the LDS Church or Mormon Church, is a nontrinitarian Christian church that considers itself to be the restoration of the original church founded by Jesus Christ. The c ...

* Eliza R. Snow second president of the Relief Society and renowned poet *

Amanda Barnes Smith Amanda Barnes Smith (February 22, 1809 — June 30, 1886) was an American Mormon pioneer. She survived the Haun's Mill massacre of 1838 in Missouri. She also helped organize the first Relief Society in Salt Lake City. Early life Amanda Barnes ...

helped organize the Relief Society and Sunday School in

Salt Lake City Salt Lake City (often shortened to Salt Lake and abbreviated as SLC) is the capital and most populous city of Utah, United States. It is the seat of Salt Lake County, the most populous county in Utah. With a population of 200,133 in 2020, th ...

* Mary Elizabeth Rollins Lightner saved papers of the

Book of Commandments The Book of Commandments is the earliest published book to contain the revelations of Joseph Smith Jr. Text published in the Book of Commandments is now considered scripture by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church) as part o ...

from a mob, later published as the Doctrine & Covenants *

Sariah According to the Book of Mormon, Sariah () was the wife of Lehi, and the mother of Laman, Lemuel, Sam, and Nephi. The Book of Mormon also mentions Jacob, and Joseph, two additional sons born to Lehi after his departure from Jerusalem, but does ...

wife of Lehi and mother of Nephi in

The Book of Mormon The Book of Mormon is a religious text of the Latter Day Saint movement, which, according to Latter Day Saint theology, contains writings of ancient prophets who lived on the American continent from 600 BC to AD 421 and during an interlude dat ...

Hymnodists

A number of

hymn A hymn is a type of song, and partially synonymous with devotional song, specifically written for the purpose of adoration or prayer, and typically addressed to a deity or deities, or to a prominent figure or personification. The word ''hy ...

s and psalms have been written by women, from the pen of

Fanny Crosby Frances Jane van Alstyne (née Crosby; March 24, 1820 – February 12, 1915), more commonly known as Fanny J. Crosby, was an American mission worker, poet, lyricist, and composer. She was a prolific hymnist, writing more than 8,000 hymns ...

and Emily Gosse, for example. * Elisabeth Cruciger (1500-1535), the first female Protestant hymn writer *

Louise Henriette of Nassau Louise Henrietta of Nassau ( nl, Louise Henriëtte van Nassau, german: Luise Henriette von Nassau; 7 December 1627 – 18 June 1667) was a Countess of Nassau, granddaughter of William I, Prince of Orange, "William the Silent", and an El ...

(1627–1667), Calvinist hymnwriter, wrote "". * Emilie Juliane of Barby-Mühlingen (1637–1706), Lutheran hymnwriter, wrote nearly 600 hymns, including "

Wer weiß, wie nahe mir mein Ende "" ("Who knows how near to me is my end?") is a Lutheran hymn in German with lyrics by Ämilie Juliane von Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt, written in 1686. The hymn reflects the preparation for a good death. It is sung to the melody of " Wer nur den lieb ...

," which has been translated into English as "Who Knows When Death May Overtake Me." * Anna Sophia II (1638–1683), wrote "Rede, liebster Jesu, rede," which was translated as "Speak, O Lord, Thy Servant Heareth." * Ludmilla Elisabeth (1640–1672), her hymn "Jesus, Jesus, nichts als Jesu" was translated as "Jesus, Jesus, Only Jesus". *

Anna Laetitia Barbauld Anna Laetitia Barbauld (, by herself possibly , as in French, Aikin; 20 June 1743 – 9 March 1825) was a prominent English poet, essayist, literary critic, editor, and author of children's literature. A " woman of letters" who published in mu ...

(1743–1825), authored ''

Hymns in Prose for Children ''Hymns in Prose for Children'' (1781) is a children's book by Anna Laetitia Barbauld. Biographical background Barbauld and her husband were concerned that they would never have a child of their own and in 1775, after only a year of marriage, Ba ...

'' * Aimee Semple McPherson ("Sister Aimee"), early 20th-century evangelist and founder of the

Foursquare Church The Foursquare Church is an Evangelical Pentecostal Christian denomination founded in 1923 by preacher Aimee Semple McPherson. The headquarters are in Los Angeles, California, United States. History The church has its origins in a vision of ...

Jane Wardley Jane Wardley, also known as Mother Jane Wardley, was a founding leader of what became the United Society of Believers in Christ's Second Appearing, more commonly known as Shakers. Personal life Little is known about Wardley's personal life. S ...

, contributed to the development of the Shakers *

Catherine Booth Catherine Booth (''née'' Mumford, 17 January 1829 – 4 October 1890) was co-founder of The Salvation Army, along with her husband William Booth. Because of her influence in the formation of The Salvation Army she was known as the 'Mothe ...

, co-founder of the Salvation Army *

Elizabeth Fry Elizabeth Fry (née Gurney; 21 May 1780 – 12 October 1845), sometimes referred to as Betsy Fry, was an English prison reformer, social reformer, philanthropist and Quaker. Fry was a major driving force behind new legislation to improve the tr ...

, Quaker and prison reformer * Princess Eugénie (1830–1889), her hymn "O, at jeg kunde min Jesus prise" is set to a Norwegian folk tune and was translated as "My heart is longing."translated by Peter Andrew Sveeggen, it is #198 in Ambassador Hymnal: for Lutheran Worship, #61 in

Evangelical Lutheran Hymnary The ''Evangelical Lutheran Hymnary'' (''ELH'') is a hymnal created by the Evangelical Lutheran Synod in 1996. The Norwegian heritage of the ELS is evident in this hymnal, although a broader ethnicity is clearly represented. From the indexes l ...

, #326 in

Lutheran Book of Worship The ''Lutheran Book of Worship'' (''LBW'') is a worship book and hymnal used by several Lutheran denominations in North America. Additional hymns and service music are contained in the companions, ''Hymnal Supplement 1991'' and ''With One Vo ...

, and #364 in Christian Worship: A Lutheran Hymnal, see also th
entry for the hymn on hymnary.org
/ref> *

Lina Sandell Lina Sandell (full name: Karolina Wilhelmina Sandell-Berg) (3 October 1832 – 27 July 1903) was a Swedish poet and author of gospel hymns. Background The daughter of a Lutheran minister, Sandell grew up in the rectory at Fröderyd parish in t ...

(1832–1903), Swedish hymn writer, wrote '' Tryggare kan ingen vara'' *

, co-founder and prophetess of the Seventh-day Adventist Church *

Evangeline Booth Evangeline Cory Booth, OF (December 25, 1865July 17, 1950) was a British evangelist and the 4th General of The Salvation Army from 1934 to 1939. She was the first woman to hold the post. Early life She was born in South Hackney, London, Engl ...

, fourth General of the Salvation Army * Elizabeth Barrett Browning (1806–1861), English hymn writer and literary figure * Hannah Whitall Smith, prominent leader in the Holiness movement *

Joanna Southcott Joanna Southcott (or Southcote; April 1750 – 26 December 1814) was a self-described religious prophetess from Devon, England. A "Southcottian" movement continued in various forms after her death; its eighth prophet, Mabel Barltrop, died i ...

, 18th-century self-described religious prophetess and founder of Southcottians * Li Tim-Oi, first female priest to be

ordained Ordination is the process by which individuals are consecrated, that is, set apart and elevated from the laity class to the clergy, who are thus then authorized (usually by the denominational hierarchy composed of other clergy) to perform ...

in the

Anglican Communion The Anglican Communion is the third largest Christian communion after the Roman Catholic and Eastern Orthodox churches. Founded in 1867 in London, the communion has more than 85 million members within the Church of England and other ...

* Louisa Maria Hubbard (1836–1906), involved in the

deaconess The ministry of a deaconess is, in modern times, a usually non-ordained ministry for women in some Protestant, Oriental Orthodox, and Eastern Orthodox churches to provide pastoral care, especially for other women, and which may carry a limited l ...

movement; published in 1871 the pamphlet "Anglican Deaconesses: is there No Place for Women in the System?" *Mother

Ann Lee Ann Lee (29 February 1736 – 8 September 1784), commonly known as Mother Ann Lee, was the founding leader of the United Society of Believers in Christ's Second Appearing, or the Shakers. After nearly two decades of participation in a r ...

, leader of the Shakers in America *

Phoebe Palmer Phoebe Palmer (December 18, 1807 – November 2, 1874) was a Methodist evangelist and writer who promoted the doctrine of Christian perfection. She is considered one of the founders of the Holiness movement within Methodist Christianity. Ea ...

, prominent leader in the Holiness movement *

Selina, Countess of Huntingdon Selina Hastings, Countess of Huntingdon (24 August 1707 – 17 June 1791) was an English religious leader who played a prominent part in the religious revival of the 18th century and the Methodist movement in England and Wales. She founded an ...

, involved with

Methodism Methodism, also called the Methodist movement, is a group of historically related denominations of Protestant Christianity whose origins, doctrine and practice derive from the life and teachings of John Wesley. George Whitefield and John's br ...

; there was a group called the Countess of Huntingdon's Connection *

Mary Baker Eddy Mary Baker Eddy (July 16, 1821 – December 3, 1910) was an American religious leader and author who founded The Church of Christ, Scientist, in New England in 1879. She also founded ''The Christian Science Monitor'', a Pulitzer Prize-winning se ...

, founded Christian Science *

Jackie Pullinger Jacqueline Bryony Lucy ‘Jackie’ Pullinger, MBE (born 1944) is a British Protestant Christian charismatic missionary to Hong Kong and founder of the St Stephen's Society. She has been ministering in Hong Kong since 1966. The early years of ...

MBE, contemporary missionary working with inner city gangs, and founder of St Stephen's Society in Hong Kong *

Florence Crawford Florence Crawford (April 7, 1880, Pittsburgh Pittsburgh ( ) is a city in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, United States, and the county seat of Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, Allegheny County. It is the mo ...

("Mother Crawford"), founder of the Apostolic Faith Mission of Portland, Oregon *

Catherine Winkworth Catherine Winkworth (13 September 1827 – 1 July 1878) was an English hymnwriter and educator. She translated the German chorale tradition of church hymns for English speakers, for which she is recognized in the calendar of the Evangelical Luth ...

(1827–1878), Translator of German chorales * Eliza Sibbald Alderson, English poet and hymn writer * Augusta Amherst Austen, British organist and composer * Sarah Bache, English hymn writer * Charlotte Alington Barnard, English poet and composer * Sarah Doudney, English fiction writer and poet *

Charlotte Elliott Charlotte Elliott (18 March 1789 – 22 September 1871) was an English poet, hymn writer, and editor. She is best known by two hymns, "Just As I Am" and "Thy will be done". Elliott edited ''Christian Remembrancer Pocket Book'' (1834–59) and ...

, English poet, hymn writer, and editor *

Ada R. Habershon Ada Ruth Habershon (8 January 1861-1918) was an English Christian hymnist, best known for her 1907 gospel song "Will the Circle Be Unbroken?" for which the tune was composed by Charles H. Gabriel. Biography Ada R. Habershon was born in Maryle ...

, English Christian hymnist * Katherine Hankey, English missionary and nurse who is best known for being the author of the poem ''The Old, Old Story'' * Frances Ridley Havergal, English religious poet and hymnwriter * Maria Grace Saffery, English Baptist poet and hymn-writer *

Anne Steele Anne Steele (pen name, Theodosia; 171711 November 1778) was an English Baptist hymn writer and essayist. For a full century after her death, she filled a larger place in United States and British hymnals than any other woman. At an early age, Ste ...

, English Baptist hymn writer and essayist * Emily Taylor, English schoolmistress, poet, children's writer, and hymnist * Emily H. Woodmansee, English-born American Mormon poet and hymnwriter *

Anna White Anna White (21 Jan. 1831 – 16 Dec. 1910) was a Shaker Eldress, social reformer, author, and hymn writer. Biography Anna White born in Brooklyn, New York, the third daughter of five children of Robert White and Hannah (Gibbs) White. Her paren ...

, Shaker Eldress, social reformer, author, and hymn writer

Hinduism

Recognition of the feminine aspect of

God In monotheistic thought, God is usually viewed as the supreme being, creator, and principal object of faith. Swinburne, R.G. "God" in Honderich, Ted. (ed)''The Oxford Companion to Philosophy'', Oxford University Press, 1995. God is typically ...

during the last century by Tantric and

Shakti In Hinduism, especially Shaktism (a theological tradition of Hinduism), Shakti (Devanagari: शक्ति, IAST: Śakti; lit. "Energy, ability, strength, effort, power, capability") is the primordial cosmic energy, female in aspect, and r ...

religious leaders, has led to the legitimization of the female teachers and female

guru Guru ( sa, गुरु, IAST: ''guru;'' Pali'': garu'') is a Sanskrit term for a "mentor, guide, expert, or master" of certain knowledge or field. In pan-Indian traditions, a guru is more than a teacher: traditionally, the guru is a reverential ...

s in Hinduism. A notable example was Ramakrishna, who worshiped his wife as the embodiment of the divine feminine. * Andal *

Meerabai Meera, better known as Mirabai and venerated as Sant Meerabai, was a 16th-century Hindu mystic poet and devotee of Krishna. She is a celebrated Bhakti saint, particularly in the North Indian Hindu tradition. Mirabai was born into a Rathore ...

Akka Mahadevi Akka Mahadevi ಅಕ್ಕ ಮಹಾದೇವಿ (c.1130–1160) was one of the early female poets of the Kannada literature and a prominent person in the Lingayat Shaiva sect in the 12th century. Her 430 extant Vachana poems (a form of spont ...

* Lal Ded * Avvaiyar *

Karaikkal Ammaiyar Karaikal Ammaiyar (born Punītavatī), meaning ''"The Revered Mother of Karaikal"'', is one of the three women amongst the 63 Nayanmars and one of the greatest figures of early Tamil literature. She was born in Karaikal, South India, and proba ...

Kanhopatra Kanhopatra (or Kanhupatra) was a 15th-century Marathi saint-poet, venerated by the Varkari sect of Hinduism. Little is known about Kanhopatra. According to most traditional accounts, Kanhopatra was a courtesan and dancing-girl. These account ...

* Sakhubai *

Janabai Sant Janābāi was a Marāthi religious poet in the Hindu tradition in India, who was born likely in the seventh or the eighth decade of the 13th century. She died in 1350. Janabai was born in Gangākhed 1258-1350, Mahārāshtra to a couple wit ...

* Gangasati *

Mata Amritanandamayi Mātā Amritānandamayī Devī (born Sudhamani Idamannel; 27 September 1953), often known as Amma ("Mother"), is an Indian Hindu spiritual leader, guru and humanitarian, who is revered as 'the hugging saint' by her followers. In 2018, she w ...

Gurumayi Chidvilasananda Gurumayi Chidvilasananda (or Gurumayi or Swami Chidvilasananda), born Malti Shetty on 24 June 1955, is the guru or spiritual head of the Siddha Yoga path, with ashrams in India at Ganeshpuri and the Western world, with the headquarters of the ...

, teacher in the lineage of teachers of

Siddha Yoga Siddha Yoga is a spiritual path founded by Swami Muktananda (1908–1982). The organization states in its literature that the Siddha Yoga tradition is "based mainly on eastern philosophies". It also states that it "draws many of its teachings f ...

* Mother Meera, referred to as a "female guru" by author Karen Pechilis

Islam

* Aisha bint Talha, scholar *

A'isha Aisha ( ar, , translit=ʿĀʾisha bint Abī Bakr; , also , ; ) was Muhammad's third and youngest wife. In Islamic writings, her name is thus often prefixed by the title "Mother of the Believers" ( ar, links=no, , ʾumm al- muʾminīn), referr ...

, wife of

Muhammad Muhammad ( ar, مُحَمَّد; 570 – 8 June 632 CE) was an Arab religious, social, and political leader and the founder of Islam. According to Islamic doctrine, he was a prophet divinely inspired to preach and confirm the mo ...

and the narrator of the largest number of hadith * Maryam, mother of Isa (

) * Amara bin Al-Rahman, exemplary woman juris * Amina bint Wahb, mother of

* Asma bint Abu Bakr, narrator of Hadith *

Asiya Asiya bint Muzahim ( ar, آسِيَة بِنْت مُزَاحِم, Āsiya bint Muzāḥim) was, according to the Qur'an and Islamic tradition, the wife of the Pharaoh of the Exodus and adoptive mother of Moses, identified as Bithiah in the Je ...

, wife of the Pharaoh, Foster mother of Mosa ( Moses) *

Sara Sara may refer to: Arts, media and entertainment Film and television * ''Sara'' (1992 film), 1992 Iranian film by Dariush Merhjui * ''Sara'' (1997 film), 1997 Polish film starring Bogusław Linda * ''Sara'' (2010 film), 2010 Sri Lankan Sinhal ...

, wife of Prophet Ibrahim (

Abraham Abraham, ; ar, , , name=, group= (originally Abram) is the common Hebrew patriarch of the Abrahamic religions, including Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. In Judaism, he is the founding father of the special relationship between the Je ...

) *

Bilqis The Queen of Sheba ( he, מַלְכַּת שְׁבָא‎, Malkaṯ Šəḇāʾ; ar, ملكة سبأ, Malikat Sabaʾ; gez, ንግሥተ ሳባ, Nəgśətä Saba) is a figure first mentioned in the Hebrew Bible. In the original story, she bring ...

, Queen of Sheba *

Fatima Zahra Fāṭima bint Muḥammad ( ar, فَاطِمَة ٱبْنَت مُحَمَّد}, 605/15–632 CE), commonly known as Fāṭima al-Zahrāʾ (), was the daughter of the Islamic prophet Muhammad and his wife Khadija. Fatima's husband was Ali, t ...

, youngest daughter of

and

Khadijah Khadija, Khadeeja or Khadijah ( ar, خديجة, Khadīja) is an Arabic feminine given name, the name of Khadija bint Khuwaylid, first wife of the Islamic prophet Muhammad. In 1995, it was one of the three most popular Arabic feminine names in th ...

* Fatimah bint Qays, scholar *

, first convert to Islam, first wife of

* Nusaibah bint Ka'b al-Ansariyah, warrior *

Rabi'a al-'Adawiyya Rābiʿa al-ʿAdawiyya al-Qaysiyya ( ar, رابعة العدوية القيسية) (714/717/718 — 801 CE) was an Arab Muslim saint and Sufi mystic and carried her life out as an influential religious figure. She is known in some parts of th ...

, important figure in the development of Sufism *

Sayyida Nafisa Sayyida Nafisa (d. 208 Hijri year, AH / 830 Common Era, CE), the full name ''As-Sayyidah Nafīsah Patronymic#Arabic, bint Amīr al-Muʾminīn Al-Ḥasan al-Anwar ibn Zayd al-Ablaj ibn Hasan ibn Ali, Al-Hasan ibn Ali, ʿAlī ibn Abu Talib ibn Ab ...

, scholar *

Sumayyah bint Khabbab Sumayyah bint Khabbāṭ ( ar, سُمَيَّة ٱبْنَت خَبَّاط) or Sumayyah bint Khayyāṭ (; c. 550 – 615 CE / 72 BH – 7 BH), was the mother of Ammar ibn Yasir and first member of the ''Ummah'' (Community) of the Islamic pro ...

, first martyr of Islam, seventh convert to it * Ukhtul Mazni, highly placed scholar of Islamic jurisprudence * Umm Ad Darda, theologian * Umm 'Atiyyah, scholar of Islamic jurisprudence * Umm Salamah, narrator of Hadith *

Umm Salim Umm Sulaim () is a subject of Baladiyah al-Shumaisi and a historical neighborhood within the erstwhile old city walls in southern Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Spread across 90 hectares, it shares borders with al-Wisham neighborhood to the north, ash-Shu ...

, scholar * Umrah Bint Abdu Rahman, theologian and scholar * Yochebed, mother of Musa ( Moses) * Tynnetta Muhammad, theologian of the Nation of Islam

Jainism

The status of women in Jainism differs between the two main sects,

Digambar ''Digambara'' (; "sky-clad") is one of the two major schools of Jainism, the other being '' Śvētāmbara'' (white-clad). The Sanskrit word ''Digambara'' means "sky-clad", referring to their traditional monastic practice of neither possessing ...

a and Svetambara. Jainism prohibits women from appearing naked; because of this, Digambaras, who consider renunciation of clothes essential to

moksha ''Moksha'' (; sa, मोक्ष, '), also called ''vimoksha'', ''vimukti'' and ''mukti'', is a term in Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism and Sikhism for various forms of emancipation, enlightenment, liberation, and release. In its soteriologic ...

, say that they cannot attain enlightenment in the same life. Svetambaras, who allow sadhus to wear clothes, believe that women can attain moksha. There are more Svetambara sadhvis than sadhus and women have always been influential in the Jain religion. *Mallinath, the 19th Tirthankara; she was female according to Svetambaras (but male according to Digambaras) *Marudevi, mother of Rishabha (Jain tirthankar), Rishabha *Trishala, mother of Mahavira

Judaism

There are several prominent women in the Tanakh. *Eve, the first woman, mother of all life *Sarah, biblical matriarch, prophetess, and miracle worker *Rebecca, biblical matriarch and miracle worker *Rachel, matriarch of some of the twelve tribes *Leah, beloved of God, matriarch of some of the twelve tribes *Dinah, daughter of Jacob and Leah, who when violated by Shechem, her brothers slayed the people of Shechem in an act of revenge *Miriam, prophetess who the Tanakh describes as having delivered the Israelites from exile in Egypt, alongside Moses and Aaron *Jochebed, mother of Moses and woman of faith *Deborah, Hebrew prophetess, fourth judge of the Israelites *Ruth (biblical figure), Ruth, proselyte par excellence; better than seven sons *Bathsheba, queen and later queen mother of the Kingdom of Israel (united monarchy), United Monarchy of Israel and Judea *Hannah (biblical figure), Hannah, prophetess *Abigail, prophetess and queen of the Kingdom of Israel (united monarchy), United Monarchy of Israel and Judea *Esther, Jewish heroine queen associated with the festival of Purim; she is also listed as one of the Prophets in Judaism *Huldah, the prophetess who validated the scroll found in the Temple (thought by many to be the book of Deuteronomy) *Yael, the heroine who killed Sisera, the Canaanite army commander, in order to deliver the Israelites from the troops of King Jabin *Judith, a Jewish widow who killed an Assyrian general and saved her people from oppression *Salome Alexandra, the last regnant queen of Judea, and the final ruler of Judea to die as the sovereign ruler of an independent kingdom *Athaliah, queen regnant of Judah *Michal, princess of the United Kingdom of Israel and Judah *Rahab, who assisted the Israelites in capturing Ancient Jericho by hiding two men who had been sent to scout the city prior to their attack

Sikhism

*Mata Bhani, Bibi Bhani *Bibi Nanaki *Mai Bhago *Mata Gujri *Mata Jitoji *Mata Khivi *Mata Sahib Kaur *Mata Sundri

Daoism

One of the Taoism, Daoist Eight Immortals, Immortal Woman He, is a woman. Additionally, Sun Bu'er was a famous female Taoist master in the 12th century. Her work "Secret Book on the Inner Elixir (as Transmitted by the Immortal Sun Bu'er)" discussed some of the particularities of female "Inner Elixir" (Neidan) cultivation. Daoist nuns usually have equal status with monks. *Wei Huacun, a founder of the Shangqing School

Other religions

, Shakers, Shaker, founder of Shaker movement in America *Annie Besant, Theosophy (Blavatskian), Theosophist influential in the Indian Independence Movement *Madame Blavatsky, contributed to the development and promotion of Theosophy (Blavatskian), theosophy *Mary Ann MacLean, co-founder and leader of The Process Church of the Final Judgment *Nakayama Miki, founder of Tenrikyo *Nirmala Srivastava, founder and self-proclaimed goddess of Sahaja Yoga

Spiritual mediums

*Helen Schucman, claimed to have scribed ''A Course in Miracles'' *Jane Roberts, claimed to have channeled Seth Jane Roberts, Seth *J. Z. Knight, Judy Z. Knight (born Judith Darlene Hampton), claims to have channeling (mediumistic), channeled Ramtha *Alice Auma, of the Holy Spirit Movement

References

Bibliography

*Joan Breton Connelly ''Portrait of a Priestess: Women and Ritual in Ancient Greece'' Princeton University Press March 2007 * Silvia Evangelisti Nuns: A History of Convent Life, OUP 2007 * Pechilis, Karen. ''The Graceful Guru: Hindu Female Gurus in India and the United States'' * Shattuck, Cybelle and Lewis, Nancy D. ''The Pocket Idiot's Guide to Hinduism'' (2002). *http://www.rhul.ac.uk/bedford-centre/history-women-religious/ being the webpage of the History of Women Religious of Britain and Ireland, which has a number of entries on the links page.

External links

Spots of Light: Women in the Holocaust , Faith
from an exhibition by Yad Vashem
Women in Religion section of American Academy of Religion
{{Religion topics, state=expanded Religious studies Women and religion Religion-related lists

Women theological scholars

Baháʼí Faith

Buddhism

Christianity

Women prominent in the New Testament

Women prominent in the Early Christian Church

Women prominent in the Medieval church

Women prominent in the Catholic Church (Post-Reformation)

Women prominent in Protestant Churches

Women prominent in Eastern Orthodoxy

Women prominent in Mormonism

Hymnodists

Hinduism

Islam

Jainism

Judaism

Sikhism

Daoism

Other religions

Spiritual mediums

See also

References

Bibliography

External links