"A significant contribution to the discipline. The author's focus on organizational behavior moves beyond the realm of attitudinal surveys administered at one point in time. Her use of both history and biography is a good illustration of the 'sociological imagination' advocated by the late C. Wright Mills."--Ruth A. Wallace, George Washington University"A significant contribution to the discipline. The author's focus on organizational behavior moves beyond the realm of attitudinal surveys administered at one point in time. Her use of both history and biography is a good illustration of the 'sociological imagination' advocated by the late C.

Wright Mills."--Ruth A. Wallace, George Washington University".advance[s] our understanding of the significance of women's ordination.and thus give[s] a balanced, instructive account of the factors contributing to policy decisions and of what happens after women's ordination is in place."--Christian Century"Historians, sociologists, church leaders, and hopeful clerics alike should benefit from Nesbitt's expert reading of her sources and her sharp eye for spotting the junctures in church politics and in the clerical profession where gender continues to make a profound difference."--Church History".an important addition to a growing literature assessing the experiences of women in ordained ministries.

The author.makes a unique contribution to these studies.this is a book that denominational leaders especially--most of whom are men--need very much to read!"--Theology Today"What impresses me most about Nesbitt's work is her ability to use her research on women's struggle for ordination and professional recognition to exemplify sociological theories on organizational structure and change, career choice, and occupational mobility. The way she uses feminist perspectives and the social constructionist approach allows her to reveal how clergywomen define and transform a profession created and dominated by men. This a very scholarly,in-depth, yet eminently readable book."-- Susan A. Farrell, Kingsborough Community College"An important resource for denominational leaders, educators, clergy, and the press."--Journal of the American Academy of Religion.