Available JUNE, 2021. Order before July 31 and get free shipping anywhere in North America (just enter the coupon code WOMEN).

Still within the popular The Bible for Progressive Christians series, Donald Schmidt has begun a small series of books addressing the powerful and wonder-filled stories of women in the Bible. In this first volume he invites us to explore the stories of several women from the Hebrew Scriptures (formerly referred to as the Old Testament.)

Like most ancient texts, the stories in the Bible are told from a male perspective. Although women often play a crucial role in the most significant events in the Bible, they are usually cast as secondary characters who are less important than the male lead. Or they are cast as mere bit players, as “extras,” not even deemed worthy of being named. Yet these are strong women and we do an injustice to the biblical narrative, and a disservice to ourselves, if we gloss over them, or worse, ignore them. This guide explores the stories of fourteen women from the Hebrew scriptures – including Hagar, Sarah, Shiphrah, Puah, Miriam, Ruth, and Esther – whose faith and actions changed the destiny of all who followed after them, men and women alike.

Review:

“From Eve to Esther, as expected, Tamar to Vashti, as perhaps not expected, these stories resonate in contemporary life. Donald Schmidt strikes a perfect balance between clarity for the newer biblical student and fresh and challenging insights for those who have already travelled these stories. His straightforward format makes it a perfect resource for pastor or lay volunteer leader and his questions for discussion lift the characters off the page and into our daily lives.”    – Maren Tirabassi, author, poet, and pastor

From the Introduction:

Women make up over one-half of the world’s population, yet throughout history women have been kept out of power; they have been oppressed and disregarded and have often had their stories ignored. This is a tragedy not only for women but for all humankind, because we all have much to gain by hearing one another’s stories, and by experiencing one another in all of our rich fullness – not from a preconceived notion that one group or sex is superior to another.

This is important to note at the beginning, because history has largely been told by men. In particular, the stories we have preserved from ancient times tell things from a male perspective, and often ignore women. Thus, we often need to read between the lines and behind the words to really hear the stories of the women who played such a significant role in the events described in the biblical stories, and by extension, in our tradition.

Of course there are real differences between women and men, just as there are real differences between men, and between women. We are not all the same; as individuals, we are all different from each other. Rather than a problem, however, we can see this as one of the greatest gifts God has given us – the wonderful and amazing gift of difference.

The sessions in this study will invite you to explore the stories of some amazing biblical women, to get to know them and to learn from them. How might we live our lives in response to that?

Available JUNE, 2021. Order before July 31 and get free shipping anywhere in North America (just enter the coupon code WOMEN).

Still within the popular The Bible for Progressive Christians series, Donald Schmidt has begun a small series of books addressing the powerful and wonder-filled stories of women in the Bible. In this first volume he invites us to explore the stories of several women from the Hebrew Scriptures (formerly referred to as the Old Testament.)

Like most ancient texts, the stories in the Bible are told from a male perspective. Although women often play a crucial role in the most significant events in the Bible, they are usually cast as secondary characters who are less important than the male lead. Or they are cast as mere bit players, as “extras,” not even deemed worthy of being named. Yet these are strong women and we do an injustice to the biblical narrative, and a disservice to ourselves, if we gloss over them, or worse, ignore them. This guide explores the stories of fourteen women from the Hebrew scriptures – including Hagar, Sarah, Shiphrah, Puah, Miriam, Ruth, and Esther – whose faith and actions changed the destiny of all who followed after them, men and women alike.

Review:

“From Eve to Esther, as expected, Tamar to Vashti, as perhaps not expected, these stories resonate in contemporary life. Donald Schmidt strikes a perfect balance between clarity for the newer biblical student and fresh and challenging insights for those who have already travelled these stories. His straightforward format makes it a perfect resource for pastor or lay volunteer leader and his questions for discussion lift the characters off the page and into our daily lives.”    – Maren Tirabassi, author, poet, and pastor

From the Introduction:

Women make up over one-half of the world’s population, yet throughout history women have been kept out of power; they have been oppressed and disregarded and have often had their stories ignored. This is a tragedy not only for women but for all humankind, because we all have much to gain by hearing one another’s stories, and by experiencing one another in all of our rich fullness – not from a preconceived notion that one group or sex is superior to another.

This is important to note at the beginning, because history has largely been told by men. In particular, the stories we have preserved from ancient times tell things from a male perspective, and often ignore women. Thus, we often need to read between the lines and behind the words to really hear the stories of the women who played such a significant role in the events described in the biblical stories, and by extension, in our tradition.

Of course there are real differences between women and men, just as there are real differences between men, and between women. We are not all the same; as individuals, we are all different from each other. Rather than a problem, however, we can see this as one of the greatest gifts God has given us – the wonderful and amazing gift of difference.

The sessions in this study will invite you to explore the stories of some amazing biblical women, to get to know them and to learn from them. How might we live our lives in response to that?