Female Piety in Eighteenth-Century Scotland

Evidence from intimate accounts of the spiritual pilgrimage of ordinary women in the early eighteenth century indicates a vital piety, marked by a deep devotion to Christ. They fully shared in the experiences of the revival movement, although their numbers indicate that the revival affected females more than males. However, because of the patriarchal society in which they lived, their contribution to the overall spirituality of the Christian Church in Scotland was not often appreciated at the time and has not always been recognised in Christian history. Their chief responsibility was expected to be within the home and family, although the evidence suggests that several women were breaking out of this mould and discovering a role within the wider community of church and society.