Mary Sibley: Female Activism and Self-Worth in an Evangelical Protestant Context
Start Date
9-4-2024 12:00 AM
Description
Scholars have examined the attraction of middle and upper-class women to the evangelical protestant movement in the second quarter of the nineteenth century, arguing that it seemed to offer women the worth, significance, self-expression and autonomy denied to them by mainstream culture but ultimately failed to deliver on this promise. However, the life of Mary Sibley as seen through her diary paints a different picture. This research paper demonstrates that Mary Sibley, through her leadership of prayer groups and meetings, her correspondence with pastors, and the founding of Lindenwood College, exercised a complex role in the evangelical protestant movement that she found fulfilling in a variety of ways.
Recommended Citation
Bravo-Ayala, Yamilet, "Mary Sibley: Female Activism and Self-Worth in an Evangelical Protestant Context" (2024). 2024 Student Academic Showcase. 2.
https://digitalcommons.lindenwood.edu/src_2024/Oral_Presentations/Session2/2
Mary Sibley: Female Activism and Self-Worth in an Evangelical Protestant Context
Scholars have examined the attraction of middle and upper-class women to the evangelical protestant movement in the second quarter of the nineteenth century, arguing that it seemed to offer women the worth, significance, self-expression and autonomy denied to them by mainstream culture but ultimately failed to deliver on this promise. However, the life of Mary Sibley as seen through her diary paints a different picture. This research paper demonstrates that Mary Sibley, through her leadership of prayer groups and meetings, her correspondence with pastors, and the founding of Lindenwood College, exercised a complex role in the evangelical protestant movement that she found fulfilling in a variety of ways.