Promise of the Father; or, A Neglected Speciality of the Last Days

As a female evangelist in the 1800s, Phoebe Palmer encountered resistance from many quarters for having a public ministry and speaking career. In this volume, Palmer defends herself and other women who had been discouraged or forbidden to speak. Arguing that the Spirit was given to both men and women at Pentecost, she looks to Scripture to defend women being able to pray and testify in the church, as well as preach the gospel for the conversion of sinners. She does not argue for the ordination of women, but rather presses that women should not be prevented from preaching and testifying, as she believed this public response to God’s call was a necessity of “entire sanctification.” Phoebe Palmer’s work influenced other female leaders and evangelists, including Frances Willard, Catherine Booth, and Amanda Berry Smith.