Ann Hutchinson and Jarena Lee :: essays research papers

Men are not the alone battalion who played an instrumental role in religion. It is align that for near of western history, religious leadership and power have been restricted to men. It is also true that women were excluded from theological education and even from lay leadership in most Christian denominations until quite recently. Until women like Ann Hutchinson and Jarena Lee decided not to further on the back burner any more. They decided to stand up for what they believed in and defended womens rights.           Ann Hutchinson stood trial alone, with no lawyers to defend her. She was charged with heresy and banished from mum Bay in 1636. Hutchinson believed that raft could communicate directly with God without the support of ministers or the Bible. This was in direct contradiction with the established religion. Local ministers taught that people could only find God by following the teachings of the Bible and that only they could in terpret the Bible correctly. During this time all ministers were men, they believed that women should obey man at all times and that women should not teach religion because they were not thinking(a) enough.      One of Ann Hutchinson "crimes" was expressing religious beliefs that were different from the colonys rulers, during that time it was against the law especially for a woman. Making matters worse, she held meetings in her home to discuss religion that was a unwashed for Puritan in England. She believed that God had spoken to her directly, and that only God could be her judge. Anne was drawn by the excitement of this religious struggle and based her opinions on the study of the Bible. Although in some areas, she did disagree with Puritan doctrine, she was still a devoted member of the church and agreed with the majority of the Puritan principles. Her take aim in expressing her opinions was not to break down the church but instead to make positive change in those areas where the church was in wrongful conduct in her opinion.      In 19 century, women were still prohibited by well-disposed and religious custom for preaching. Jarena Lee experienced a dramatic renewing when she was 21 after hearing a sermon by Richard Allen, break-dance of the African Methodist Episcopal Church. Lee said, "As if lightening had darted by means of me, I sprang to my feet, and cried, The Lord has sanctified my soul" (132-133). Her religious awakening in 1804 stopped her from committing suicide and years later, she felt Gods recollect to preach.