The Preacher's Wife: The Precarious Power of Evangelical Women Celebrities

Description

From the New York Times bestselling author of Everything Happens for a Reason: And Other Lies I've Loved, a fascinating look at the world of Christian women celebrities Since the 1970s, an important new figure has appeared on the center stage of American evangelicalism-the celebrity preacher's wife. Although most evangelical traditions bar women

Kate Bowler is the author of Blessed: A History of the American Prosperity Gospel and the New York Times bestselling memoir Everything Happens for a Reason: And Other Lies I've Loved (Random House), which she wrote after being diagnosed with Stage IV cancer at age 35. She is associate professor at Duke Divinity School and lives in Durham, North Carolina. Twitter @KatecBowler

"Bowler (Everything Happens for a Reason), professor at the Duke Divinity School, explains in this excellent analysis how some evangelical women have managed to become mega-ministry celebrities by transforming the limited roles allotted to women in evangelical culture into positions of power. Framing these women's work as that of wives, mothers, homemakers, and teachers-rather than pastors or business leaders-Bowler reveals how figures including Joyce Meyer, Beth Moore, and Victoria Osteen wield enormous power in their husbands' ministries, both on stage and behind the scenes. . . . [This] wonderful work provocatively considers what women gain and lose in becoming 'market-ready' for evangelical communities." * Publishers Weekly, starred review * "A fascinating examination of the way conservative Christian women wield power in an ultimately patriarchal faith." * Library Journal * "Bowler, the author of the wildly popular Every thing Happens for a Reason: And Other Lies I've Loved, is a thorough researcher and witty writer."---LaVonne Neff, Christian Century "[Bowler writes] with empathy and also humour. . . . This book opens up for many of us a new world. It shows the pressures faced by talented evangelical women and raises by implication questions about how women in general, religious or not, are treated today."---Paul Richardson, Church of England Newspaper "Bowler brings forward fresh evidence and significant insights. . . . An interesting read and an important contribution to its subject area. "---G. M. Ditchfield, Politics, Religion & Ideology "Written with wit and empathy . . . Bowler brilliantly unveils the complex negotiation of power by preachers' wives in the spotlight."---Lieke L. Schrijvers, PentecoStudies "This is a book well-worth reading if one wants a broader understanding of the many evangelical movements as a whole and the rise of the religious celebrity"---Andrea Johnson, Pneuma