ABSTRACT
Janet Finch’s arguments are based on data collected from a sample of English Methodist and Anglican wives in the 1980s. A majority of the 30 Australian ministers’ wives in the study the author reporting on displayed a similar level of commitment to their husbands’ work. All 30 ministers’ wives supported their husbands in their work to some degree and at least two-thirds of them to a very great degree. In an attempt to fill the void Finch herself offers a synthesis of the relevant research in which she demonstrates that all wives are caught up in their husbands’ work to at least some degree. In fairly specific terms is an account of the part that Barool and Smalltown ministers’ wives played in their husbands’ work. There were social and economic gains from marrying a minister and helping him making the job as successful as possible.
