Women's Religions in the Greco-Roman World: A Sourcebook

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Summary: The Spirit and Reality of the Women in the Greco-Roman World
Review: WOMEN'S RELIGIONS IN THE GRECO-ROMAN WORLD: A SOURCEBOOK by Ross Shepard Kraemer is a revision of her 1988 work MAENADS, MARTYRS, MATRONS, MONASTICS but it could not have come at a better time. The interest in women's spirituality of all sorts has blossomed since the inception of the first version.
This book is divided up into six section dealing with different aspects of women's religion in the Greco-Roman World: Observances, Rituals, and Festivals; Researching Real Women: Documents to, from, and by Women; Religious Office; New Religious Affiliation and Conversion; Holy, Pious and Exemplary Women; and The Feminine Divine. Each section has an introduction and Kraemer is not hesitant in explaining the current thoughts and controversies in the scholarly world. She is also very forthcoming about her own changes in opinion since 1988. I really enjoyed her honesty. Each text also contained a bibliography of its own so if one is interested in a particular text or subject matter more information will be easy to find. I was more interested in the Pagan subject matter, but the material on women in Judaism and Christianity (including Gnostic) is just as fascinating. The last section was by far my favorite for what it said about the ideas of the feminine divine in all the religious spheres.
This book will be of significant interest to those involved in women's studies, women's spirituality, the ancient world of the Greco-Romans, as well as those interested in the cultural change and exchange between the world of the Pagan, the Jews and the Christians.