This book explores changing gender and religious roles for Catholic men and women in the
British Isles from Henry VIII's break with the Catholic Church in 1534 to full emancipation in
1829. Filled with richly detailed stories such as the suppression of Mary Ward's Institute of
English Ladies it explores how Catholics created and tested new understandings of women's and
men's roles in family life ritual religious leadership and vocation through engaging
personal narratives letters trial records and other rich primary sources. Using an
intersectional approach it crafts a compelling narrative of three centuries of religious and
social experimentation adaptation and change as traditional religious and gender norms became
flexible during a period of crisis. The conclusions shed new light on the Catholic Church's
long-term ongoing process of balancing gendered and religious authority during this period
while offering insights into the debates on those topics taking place worldwide today.
