The subtitle of Elizabeth Gillan Muir's comprehensive study of women in Christianity summarizes the focus of the book—namely, female leadership of the church from its beginnings. The book covers an extensive, even staggering, number of women who clearly were church leaders in every sense of the word. This exhaustiveness is both a strength and a weakness. On the one hand, we learn about a range of figures throughout Christian history, both the little-known and the overdetermined. On the other hand, so many women are presented that it is difficult at times to know who, or what, is worth remembering.

Several elements stand out in this notable book: the inclusion of Canada and Canadian women as objects of study; the coverage of non-mainstream branches of Christianity, such as Christian Science, Spiritualism, and folk religions that incorporate Christian theology; and discussions of Methodism and women's ordination, which both get their own chapters.

Clearly designed as a textbook—with pedagogical apparatuses, such as a timeline, a glossary, illustrations, and suggested readings—the volume also presupposes an academic knowledge of Christianity. For this reason, it would probably work best in advanced undergraduate or graduate courses, where students have a strong foundation in the basics of Christian history.

The author acknowledges in the preface some of the limitations of the work. A few of my quibbles would be: is that all there is on women leaders in Orthodox Christianity? Does not Dorothy Day deserve more than two paragraphs? Where is Pandita Ramabai? Other readers will surely bring their own questions to a volume of this scope. Regardless of these cavils, this is a fine book and, used in the appropriate setting, it will be a valuable resource.