In 1895 Sakineh, a young peasant woman from a village near Isfahan converted to Christianity. After her husband had abandoned and left her destitute, Sakineh took refuge with the missionaries of the Anglican CMS in Isfahan. Receiving work, food and clothing from the CMS she was soon willing to profess Christianity and receive Baptism. Her conversion roused a great deal of anger, suspicion and religious resentment among relatives, village neighbors, and the `ulama as well as the European business establishment in Julfa. She was beaten unconscious by her uncle. […] Sakineh's case escalated into a political fracas, embroiling Isfahan's clerical establishment as well as the political administration in Tehran and London. Professing Christianity or attending the missionaries' church service was generally a pragmatic way to receive medical services, education or sometimes simply food and shelter, which had little bearing upon people's real religious convictions. This was generally understood by all involved. Yet, a closer examination shows that it was frequently women who came to the missionaries for medical treatment and help. Like Sakineh, many found a nominal conversion the last possibility to escape a situation of abuse or total destitution. Her case caused a major fracas in the politics of Isfahan and was utilized for their own agenda by the missionaries, the local ‘ulama and the political establishment. Because of the ensuing diplomatic tension, the details of Sakineh’s case are well documented. At the same time there were frequent similar cases between the 1880’s and 1920’s, which tie together the mire of religious propaganda, women’s lives and gender politics. Analyzing the details of Sakineh’s case, this paper aims to explore conditions and context of ordinary women’s lives in late 19th and early 20th century Iran. It will also discuss the interaction of gender, religion and the politics of honor, which reverberated through 19th and 20th century Iranian politics. It will further address questions the complex function of women and missionary politics. Besides published materials such as Persian and European memoirs, newspapers and historical writings the research of this paper draws from British Foreign Office documents, missionary repositories, papers of Iranian, Austrian, and German archives.