Margaret Fell's "Women's Speaking Justified" in Modern English

Written in the prison of Lancaster Castle in 1666 (appended in 1667), Margaret Fell's Women's Speaking Justified by Scripture stands out in world history as the first sustained exegetical defense of women in public ministry. Noting the facts that the God of Israel used women time and time again to challenge kings and other societal leaders in Hebrew Scripture and that the Apostle Paul ministered alongside women in his mission, Fell applies a compelling approach to understanding what the Bible is really saying, what it is not, and within its historical contexts, why. Introduced, annotated, and translated into modern English, Paul N. Anderson has rendered this classic and historic texts in a readable form, highlighting the biblical passages referenced and also expanding upon how the universal ministry of all believers can be understood more fully and meaningfully, as followers of Jesus seek to live into their spiritual callings with personal clarity and corporate support.

Author: Margaret Fell, translated and annotated by Paul N. Anderson

Publisher: Barclay Press, 2026

ISBN: 9781594982118

Paperback, 76 pages