Bad Girls of the Bible: Exploring Women of Questionable Virtue [Paperback]

Barbara J. Essex (Author)

Product Details

• Paperback: 144 pages
• Publisher: United Church Press (August 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 082981339X
• ISBN-13: 978-0829813395
• Product Dimensions: 8.8 x 5.9 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 2.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #240,457 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

19 of 20 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Please note two different books..., January 11, 2004

By 

Keisha Simmons (Chicago, IL USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Bad Girls of the Bible: Exploring Women of Questionable Virtue (Paperback)

There is some confusion because there are two books with the same title. Bad Girls of the Bible by Barbara Essex is terrific! She uses sound biblical interpretation to help us uncover the "real" story of infamous biblical women. She goes beneath the surface and uses history, archeology and other tools to get at the heart of the women's stories. She doesn't berate them, but helps us see their more positive qualities even though they are being used to move the biblical story forward. This book is fabulous!

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars GREAT BOOK, January 20, 2012

By 

Gloria - See all my reviews

This review is from: Bad Girls of the Bible: Exploring Women of Questionable Virtue (Paperback)

I, along with the women from my church, thoroughly enjoyed this book! We learned about women from the Old Testament and gained new insights on familiar ones. We especially appreciated Ms. Essex's "Biblical Interpretative Tools." It was like having a mini seminary class. All of my life I thought that Jezebel was a prostitute or a slut. The term, "You old Jezebel" was the worst term that one could say about a woman. Even though Jezebel was a terribly devious person, Ms. Essex taught us about Jezebel's background and put her story into perspective. We were able to see Jezebel through another lens and discuss how God used her in God's divine plan. The questions in each chapter are also very engaging. I highly recommend this book.

4 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Don't Bash, April 18, 2009

By 

JessicaK - See all my reviews

This review is from: Bad Girls of the Bible: Exploring Women of Questionable Virtue (Paperback)

Spiritually misguided- in your point of view, maybe. Jezebel was very religiously committed- just not to your religion. In defense of Jezebel, how many people of different faith did your God command the Israelites to kill? Please tell me, why is Jezebel any worse for defending her religion?

This book is good for an audience that wants an enlighted, factual understanding of the historically "bad" women of the Bible.