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“Gender Gaps in World Christianity: Membership, Participation, and Leadership”

Gina Zurlo-Harvard University

The central role of women in Christian communities worldwide is undeniable. Scholars have stated for decades that women are “more religious” than men, with Christian women reporting higher rates of church attendance, prayer, and religious self-identification. As it pertains to African Christianity, for example, Kenyan theologian Philomena Mwaura stated that “the Church in Africa has a feminine face and owes much of its tremendous growth to the agency of women.” The point of departure is that women have been the most active participants in Christianity across time and place. And yet, women’s contributions to church and society are often elided from history and sidelined today. This lecture will discuss quantitative trends in World Christianity from 1900 to today as a framework for understanding challenges and obstacles related to studying women in World Christianity. It details several gender gaps in World Christianity in church membership, congregational participation, and pastoral leadership.