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Prophetesses & she-preachers of the 17th century

Prophetesses & she-preachers of the 17th century

Naomi Baker reveals how religious conviction drove women to take on influential public roles in the 17th century

Ellie Cawthorne

Published: January 22, 2026 at 8:00 AM

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A prophetess who warned Oliver Cromwell against killing the king. A Yorkshire maidservant who gained an audience with the Ottoman Sultan. The religious tumult of the 17th century gave ordinary women opportunities to have their voices heard more than ever before. Speaking to Ellie Cawthorne, Dr Naomi Baker looks at several of these radical religious women, who she profiles in her book Voices of Thunder.

Naomi Baker is the author of Voices of Thunder: Radical Religious Women of the Seventeenth Century (Reaktion, 2025).

Buy it now from Waterstones

Authors

Ellie CawthorneHead of content (audio)

Ellie Cawthorne is head of content (audio) at HistoryExtra