The Discovery of the Six Women Preachers is an account of the activities of women in the ancient times. In the reading, they provide various perceptions on how they view the society, majorly concentrating on the position of the women. From the analysis of the text, it is evident that the women were discontented with the existing societal set up and thus they aspired to come up with mechanisms which could aid in increasing the equality level between men and women. Notably, all the women had some foundation or background from which they came up with the various issues which affected the entire societal setting. The Six Women Preachers can be observed as an awakening aimed at informing women of their ability to take up the mantle in the religious field. In addition, the pamphlet shares the daily account of the different women and how their activities can be considered ironical as perceived in the historical context during which the text was written. Considering the secrecy enshrined in the civil war era, the writer of the text is anonymous and thus this makes the entire aspect more mysterious. In this case, the paper will work to establish the identity of the author of the text. Moreover, the reason behind publishing the text will also be explored in detail.
The Six Women Preachers is a text which was written by a woman. The statement can be evidence by the fact that it highlights different prospects which could be perceived as null in the ancient generation. According to Mack, during the civil war periods, women were considered as the property of men and thus they had no voice in the society (Mack, 1982). Based on this understanding the women in the society were fed up of the dominance and the hypocrisy of their male counterparts and thus the text was written with the primary reason of airing the suffering caused on the women in the society. Moreover, it is prudent to note that when faced with a problem, the victim is in a much better position to address the issue than the oppressor. The victim adequately understands the specific areas which have been affected and thus this can be used as a reason that can credit the persona to be a woman. In essence, the critical analysis of the specific aspects showcased in the text, it is clear that the author of the excerpt was a woman.
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Mack (1982) affirms during the sixteen forties, the era of women writers began unfolding in various parts of the globe. The civil war was a critical turning point in various societies and the knowledge can be applied in this scenario. Elizabeth Warren is an example of a writer who existed in the sixteen-forties and wrote a lot of texts on the topics around marriage and divorce. Historically, she is branded as a visionary woman who understood the doctrines of the society and obliged the rest of the women to abide by the confines of the society. For instance, she advises women to follow the institutional set up and allow the spirit of God to control their reasoning and understanding. In this case, one can conclude there was a wave of reasoning which was awakening among the women and due to this the Six Women Preachers can be linked to a woman author.
Another reason which justifies the assertions is the fact that the excerpt starts by pointing out that there is a deficiency in number of good men in the society. Mack notes that during those periods, a lady by the name of Anne Askew had suffered martyrdom because she refused to be forced into a loveless marriage (Mack, 1982). Such events outwardly showcase that women were not allowed o make their personal decisions but instead they were flagged around as property. Fundamentally, the inability to make their decision can be the cause of writing such a text appraising women and their efforts towards sanctifying the religious faith. Similarly, the period was filed with ardent feminists who were ready to defend their position in the society. This is consistent with the assertions outlined in the text about men failing to be loving towards women. Therefore, it is true the text was timely and adequately outlines the plight of women and this provides evidence that the text was written by a woman.
Maintaining anonymity was a plot or strategy used by the author. Braude (2001) shares instigative notions of the plight of women by comparing the spirituality concepts in the nineteenth century and the 17 th century. In the 19 th century women were provided high position in religious bodies and institutions whereas in the 17th century, women were only considered as maidens and were not allowed to speak or provide their view on religious issues as well as the political issues affecting the society. While considering all these factors, the author of the text wanted to shift the understanding of the pubic on issues affecting women and reducing the public scrutiny on the individual who wrote the text.
The excerpt adequately captures some of the main issues which affected the society during the period and the main theme is marriage and divorce. The text begins by the author pointing out that there was a sharp reduction in the in the number of good men in the society. The statement implies that there was a sharp disconnect between the men and the women in the society and the women were considered as the inferior gender. The statement can be evidenced by the fact that they were not in position to make their personal decision. Instead, men were provided the responsibility of ensuring they decide what is best for the women. Thomas (1958) claim that the sectarian women had developed interesting ideologies of what marriage should be portrayed in the society. One of the major phrases they made use of is that they were not willing to be wives, and then end up tying their lives to the villainous slavery (Thomas, 1958). A critical assessment of the statement implies that the women felt that the men who married them did not care about their well being and also did not share their feelings. In addition, their feelings were not considered in any way and this evidently left them frustrated. Thus, the excerpt explores the religious domain of marriage and the author of the excerpts asserts that if the good men do not exist then it is prudent to occupy their positions and bringing sanity and balance in marriages. On the other hand, marriage is not something which is encouraged by any means. Therefore, the excerpt was fundamental in communicating the issues and the plight of women in marriages.
From the examination of the text another key aspect which is being reinforced is the inclusion of women in religious activities. The setting of the texts is in the 17 th century where the input of women in issues relating to religion was something which was not provided any reasonable consideration. Women were considered as property and their opinions did not matter either on political or the social issues. Similarly, there were no religious positions which were no positions which were accorded to women because they were not considered viable to hold such positions. Thomas claims that women were sidelined and, in most cases, they were considered impure to hold religious offices (Thomas, 1958). In addition, the society was made to believe that women cannot be in a position to communicate with the spirits and this sentiment was echoed by Elizabeth Warren. The contrary can be A Discovery of six Women Preachers, where one of the ladies, Anna Hempstall, has a vision. She was able to share her vision with other sisters. The writing is significant because it goes against all the doctrines enshrined in the community over the years and provides a new understanding pertaining to the involvement of women in religious activities. In addition, the text goes ahead to showcase how women can be competent when holding various religious posts. Thus, the pamphlet can be seen as a historical asset which aimed to air the voice of women in the public domain.
In conclusion, the Discovery of the Six Women Preachers serves as a concrete step in the historical empowerment of women. The ideas and the chronological flow of events showcase that it is a woman who wrote the pamphlet. In addition, the plight of women has been elaborated precisely by noting down how the men discriminate them and how they are willing to stand up against all the atrocities. Similarly, there are various crucial topics which have been explored in the text incusing marriage and acknowledging women in religious positions. The setting of the text is in the 17 th century but it shares progressive thoughts on how equality is a fundamental thing to include in the society. Overall, maintaining anonymity of the author was vital because it ensured that the masses concentrated on the issues addressed in the text rather than concentrating on the individual involved in scripting of the excerpt. The excerpt was enlightening and religiously educative.
References
Braude, A. (2001). Radical spirits: Spiritualism and women's rights in nineteenth-century America . Indiana University Press.
Mack, P. (1982). Women as prophets during the English Civil War. Feminist Studies , 8 (1), 19-45.
Thomas, K. V. (1958). Women and the Civil War sects. Past & Present , (13), 42-62.
