Overview

Ever since Godwin announced to the world in Memoirs that Wollstonecraft had had little use for religion, most biographers, scholars, historians and readers have regarded her as an apostate. Further, the existing scholarly texts fail to demonstrate the pervasiveness of biblical references in A Vindication of the Rights of Woman. The true tally of scriptural references approaches over 1,100 as identified in this study. Wollstonecraft's biblical allusions, besides sheer volume, are noteworthy because they gave women a biblical basis upon which to contend for better education and occupational opportunities as well as for legal and political independence. That the arguments were couched in biblical rhetoric most likely contributed to their initial reception and tolerance of what were incendiary ideas and searing social criticism. The recognition and analysis of biblical underpinnings in Wollstonecraft and Religion not only of Rights of Woman but also of her other publications and letters propose new consideration regarding the Mother of Feminism and her work. The chapters that accompany the annotated text of Rights of Woman furnish biographical and historical context that offer fresh perspectives about Wollstonecraft's religious convictions and faith, many of which have not been published elsewhere.

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9781839990182

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Reviews

“It would be difficult to introduce Wollstonecraft without resurrecting old arguments, but because Ayres uses a precision discussion, Mary Wollstonecraft’s faith is well opened for readers with a fresh perspective on how so much of what is relied upon as ‘knowing’ her is, in many cases, supposition or misrepresentation begun by Godwin. Ayres provides an amazing discussion of the breadth of influences that worked upon the young author then builds a remarkable argument steadily to the point, via scripture and academic scholarship, to prove that the ‘Mother of Feminism’ grounded her arguments for the equality of women in Scripture.” — Sarah E. Maier, PhD, University of New Brunswic. “As a reader of Wollstonecraft, I find myself at a loss to understand her biblical references. The notes provided by Ayres make it easy to see where they come from, offer some context for them, and when needed explanation. The index of biblical references at the end will also enable further research into Wollstonecraft’s use of the Bible. This is invaluable.” — Dr. Sandrine Berges, Bilkent University, Turkey

Author Information

Dr. Brenda Ayres has been teaching at Liberty University since 2003. To date, she has published 72 books mostly in Victorian and neo-Victorian literature.

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