189:
300:(1964), offered an overtly feminist examination of the Bible and the ways in which it has been interpreted over the centuries. In her reassessment of the Scriptures and the history of women's participation in western religion, she argued that there was a significant theological cost to pursuing a path that kept women at a lower status within the church. Pragmatically, she noted how much damage Samuel Atkins Eliot and his kind had done to the Unitarian ministry in the United States, where women ministers had declined from 29 in 1900 to 2 active ministers in 1948. Crook acknowledged that
436:
322:
Smith
College representative on the Corporation of the American Schools of Oriental Research, was an honorary lecturer at the Jerusalem school of Oriental research during the summer of 1934, served as president and honorary secretary of the Alumni of the American Schools of Oriental Research in 1943, 1942. She also served as president of the Women's Alliance of the Unitarian Church of Northampton and
215:, Oxford for ministerial studies but met with difficulties. College trustees accepted that she was intellectually qualified and showed potential as a minister, but questioned the "normalcy" of a woman attempting to become a Unitarian minister. She was eventually admitted and remained at the college for three years, graduating first in her class and gaining her certificate in 1917.
285:(a scholarly organization) and the National Association of Biblical Instructors. She also served as president (1942) of the Corporation of the American Schools of Oriental Research. She published numerous articles and reviews in her area of research, some devotional poems, and four books. She wrote eight of the 20 essays in the 1937 anthology
321:
In addition to her academic work, Crook was heavily involved in a variety of organizations. She was a member of the St. Anne's
Society, the Society of Biblical Literature and Exegesis, the National Association of Biblical Instructors, the American Association of University Professors, served as the
289:, which she also edited. Crook's contributions emphasize the links between the Bible and the stories of other ancient cultures such as Egypt and Babylon, discuss the range of religious texts that were excluded from the Bible, and examine the difficulties of Biblical translation. Her 1956 book
317:
In 1923–24, Crook went on a speaking tour throughout the eastern United States, lecturing on subjects such as women in the ministry, Christian fundamentalism, and the peace movement. Crook was also supportive of the local
Unitarian Church, where she worked with women and children in various
251:, thereby becoming the first Unitarian woman minister to be given sole authority over a large church. During her tenure there, she reorganized the Sunday school and set up a play center for children. She left in 1920 to join her mother and two brothers, who had moved to America.
147:
and peace activist, and a professor of religious studies in the United States. She was one of the first women ministers to be granted sole authority over a large
English church. She is remembered mainly for the strongly feminist biblical
345:
Crook lived in
Northampton with her brother Waldo, who took care of her for the last few years of her life when her health began to fail. Crook died on 24 May 1972, just after finishing a book (still unpublished) on the
314:. Reviews of the book were mixed, with praise centering on Crook's sophisticated scholarship; it would take another two decades for religious scholars to begin championing the book for its specifically feminist ideas.
318:
capacities. Despite the fact that she was never able to get the
American Unitarian Association to recognize her as a minister, she wrote at one point: "I have always considered my life-work in religion a ministry".
230:
to World War I. During the height of the war, in 1916–17, she went to France to carry out refugee work with the
Friends War Relief Committee, later writing about her experiences in the story collection
281:
Reinventing herself as a professor of religious studies—a position she would hold for 33 years—Crook specialized in biblical scholarship, especially the Hebrew Old
Testament, and joined the
263:
665:
537:
660:
168:, England, the eldest of three children of Ellen Brackenbury Crook and Rev. L. G. Harris Crook, a Unitarian minister. Her great uncle was the Liberal MP for
650:
282:
188:
571:
Crook, Margaret
Brackenbury. “Women Ministers Finally Break Through Prejudice, Says the Rev. Margaret Crook, Who Lectures in Peoria This Evening.”
333:
professor for another eight years under the title of Sophia Smith Fellow. In that same decade, she returned to
Manchester College, her ministerial
219:
564:
Claudia Elferdink “’The Religion in the Last Chapter Will Shock Him!’: An Introduction to The Rev. Margaret Brackenbury Crook (1886–1972).”
620:
635:
615:
266:, which was based in New York. Crook toured women's colleges, speaking to students about the league's objectives. When the president of
169:
670:
655:
113:
640:
589:
630:
625:
274:, heard her speak, he offered her a position in the Department of Religion and Biblical Literature. Her family joined her in
255:
197:
109:
645:
262:, actively excluded women ministers. Crook instead took the post of executive secretary of the American branch of the
218:
While at Manchester College, Crook became a social activist, joining the Young Liberal Women in Wolverhampton and the
200:. At the time, Oxford did not grant degrees to women, so Crook received her B.A. (with first-class honors) from the
275:
259:
212:
177:
180:. Her father died when she was eight years old, an event that spurred in her a desire to carry on his ministry.
323:
244:
227:
492:. Dictionary of Unitarian & Universalist Biography (website), February 14, 2014. Accessed Dec. 3, 2015.
429:
310:
271:
192:
Open Christmas letter from the Suffragettes of Manchester, signed by, among others, Brackenbury Crook.
610:
605:
201:
196:
In 1910, Crook began college studies through the Society of Oxford Home Students, which later became
205:
585:
347:
440:
435:
278:
when she took up her associate professorship in 1921, and she supported them financially.
55:
489:
293:
is a re-examination of the Book of Job in light of contemporary Biblical scholarship.
599:
305:
267:
432:. Five College Archives and Manuscript Collections (website). Accessed Dec. 3, 2015.
329:
Crook retired from Smith College in 1954 but continued her scholarly research as an
173:
140:
79:
254:
In America, Crook had difficulty finding a posting because the president of the
334:
104:
512:
Handbook of Women Biblical Interpreters: A Historical and Biographical Guide
16:
British Unitarian minister, women's suffrage and peace activist (1886–1972)
330:
149:
144:
248:
243:
After the war, Crook took up a posting as minister at the 18th century
223:
165:
51:
389:
The Track of the Storm: Tales of the Marne, the Meuse, and the Aube
187:
538:"Results for 'Margaret Brackenbury Crook' [WorldCat.org]"
176:. Her great-grandfather was another notable Unitarian minister,
439: This article incorporates text available under the
222:, both women's suffrage groups. She also worked with the
377:
The Cruel God: Job’s Search for the Meaning of Suffering
208:
awarded her a diploma in anthropology with distinction.
164:
Margaret Brackenbury Crook was born on 5 May 1886 in
525:
Encyclopedia of Women and Religion in North America
124:
119:
103:
93:
85:
75:
63:
33:
28:
21:
264:Women’s International League for Peace and Freedom
130:Women’s International League for Peace and Freedom
430:"Margaret Brackenbury Crook Papers, 1911-1970"
391:(1917) London: Headley Bros. [story collection
8:
484:
482:
480:
478:
476:
474:
472:
470:
226:on matters to do with court cases involving
666:Alumni of Harris Manchester College, Oxford
468:
466:
464:
462:
460:
458:
456:
454:
452:
450:
283:Society of Biblical Literature and Exegesis
18:
566:Journal of Unitarian Universalist History
139:(5 May 1886 – 24 May 1972) was a British
506:
504:
502:
500:
498:
425:
527:. Indiana University Press, 2006, p.36.
510:Marion Ann Taylor and Agnes Choi, eds.
423:
421:
419:
417:
415:
413:
411:
409:
407:
405:
401:
383:The Bible and Its Literary Associations
304:was inspired in part by her reading of
287:The Bible and Its Literary Associations
7:
661:Christian feminist biblical scholars
592:, Smith College Special Collections
211:In 1914, Crook sought admission to
651:American women non-fiction writers
220:Women’s Social and Political Union
14:
586:Margaret Brackenbury Crook papers
523:Keller, Rosemary Skinner, et al.
434:
385:(1937) New York: Abingdon Press
204:, in 1913. The following year,
256:American Unitarian Association
1:
573:The Peoria (Illinois) Journal
296:Crook's last published book,
490:"Margaret Brackenbury Crook"
239:Ministry and academic career
621:English Unitarian ministers
379:(1959) Boston: Beacon Press
373:(1964) Boston: Beacon Press
687:
636:American religious writers
616:American biblical scholars
337:, as a visiting lecturer.
276:Northampton, Massachusetts
137:Margaret Brackenbury Crook
114:Manchester College, Oxford
38:Margaret Brackenbury Crook
23:Margaret Brackenbury Crook
198:St Anne's College, Oxford
110:St Anne's College, Oxford
671:American women academics
656:Female biblical scholars
128:Octagon Chapel, Norwich,
641:Women religious writers
324:Florence, Massachusetts
228:conscientious objectors
631:Women Christian clergy
590:Smith College Archives
233:The Track of the Storm
193:
626:Smith College faculty
311:The Feminine Mystique
272:William Allan Neilson
191:
488:Elferdink, Claudia.
202:University of London
143:minister, a women’s
260:Samuel Atkins Eliot
646:People from Dymock
371:Women and Religion
302:Women and Religion
298:Women and Religion
213:Manchester College
194:
154:Women and Religion
98:Women and Religion
575:, March 24, 1924.
206:Oxford University
152:in her 1964 book
134:
133:
678:
552:
551:
549:
548:
542:www.worldcat.org
534:
528:
521:
515:
508:
493:
486:
445:
438:
427:
366:
365:
361:
70:
47:
45:
19:
686:
685:
681:
680:
679:
677:
676:
675:
596:
595:
582:
561:
559:Further reading
556:
555:
546:
544:
536:
535:
531:
522:
518:
509:
496:
487:
448:
428:
403:
398:
367:
363:
359:
357:
356:
343:
241:
186:
162:
129:
112:
105:Alma mater
94:Notable work(s)
68:
59:
56:Gloucestershire
49:
43:
41:
40:
39:
24:
17:
12:
11:
5:
684:
682:
674:
673:
668:
663:
658:
653:
648:
643:
638:
633:
628:
623:
618:
613:
608:
598:
597:
594:
593:
581:
580:External links
578:
577:
576:
569:
560:
557:
554:
553:
529:
516:
494:
446:
400:
399:
397:
394:
393:
392:
386:
380:
374:
355:
352:
342:
339:
245:Octagon Chapel
240:
237:
185:
182:
161:
158:
132:
131:
126:
122:
121:
117:
116:
107:
101:
100:
95:
91:
90:
87:
83:
82:
77:
73:
72:
71:(aged 86)
65:
61:
60:
50:
37:
35:
31:
30:
26:
25:
22:
15:
13:
10:
9:
6:
4:
3:
2:
683:
672:
669:
667:
664:
662:
659:
657:
654:
652:
649:
647:
644:
642:
639:
637:
634:
632:
629:
627:
624:
622:
619:
617:
614:
612:
609:
607:
604:
603:
601:
591:
587:
584:
583:
579:
574:
570:
567:
563:
562:
558:
543:
539:
533:
530:
526:
520:
517:
513:
507:
505:
503:
501:
499:
495:
491:
485:
483:
481:
479:
477:
475:
473:
471:
469:
467:
465:
463:
461:
459:
457:
455:
453:
451:
447:
444:
442:
437:
431:
426:
424:
422:
420:
418:
416:
414:
412:
410:
408:
406:
402:
395:
390:
387:
384:
381:
378:
375:
372:
369:
368:
362:
353:
351:
349:
340:
338:
336:
332:
327:
325:
319:
315:
313:
312:
308:’s 1963 book
307:
306:Betty Friedan
303:
299:
294:
292:
291:The Cruel God
288:
284:
279:
277:
273:
269:
268:Smith College
265:
261:
257:
252:
250:
246:
238:
236:
234:
229:
225:
221:
216:
214:
209:
207:
203:
199:
190:
183:
181:
179:
178:George Harris
175:
171:
167:
159:
157:
155:
151:
146:
142:
138:
127:
123:
118:
115:
111:
108:
106:
102:
99:
96:
92:
88:
84:
81:
78:
74:
66:
62:
57:
53:
36:
32:
27:
20:
572:
568:, 2011–2012.
565:
545:. Retrieved
541:
532:
524:
519:
511:
433:
388:
382:
376:
370:
348:Apostle Paul
344:
328:
320:
316:
309:
301:
297:
295:
290:
286:
280:
253:
242:
232:
217:
210:
195:
174:Joseph Crook
163:
153:
136:
135:
120:Organization
97:
89:Unitarianism
86:Denomination
69:(1972-05-24)
611:1972 deaths
606:1886 births
67:24 May 1972
600:Categories
547:2020-08-20
396:References
335:alma mater
160:Early life
48:5 May 1886
44:1886-05-05
441:CC BY 3.0
184:Education
141:Unitarian
80:Christian
443:license.
150:exegesis
145:suffrage
76:Religion
29:Personal
588:at the
514:(2012).
331:emerita
249:Norwich
224:Quakers
358:": -->
170:Bolton
166:Dymock
125:Church
52:Dymock
354:Works
341:Death
360:edit
64:Died
58:, UK
34:Born
247:in
602::
540:.
497:^
449:^
404:^
350:.
326:.
270:,
258:,
235:.
172:,
156:.
54:,
550:.
364:]
46:)
42:(
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.
