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11 of 12 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Theology As the Framework for Practical Living, September 4, 2008
This review is from: Practical Theology for Women: How Knowing God Makes a Difference in Our Daily Lives (Re: Lit Books) (Paperback)
Wendy Alsup, says the blurb, "enjoys teaching theology to women." That's what she's done at Mars Hill Church in Seattle, and that's what she does in this book.
The title calls this practical theology, but the term is not used in a way that sets practical theology apart as a specific type of theology. The point Wendy Alsup is making by using this term is that the study of theology, defined as "the study of God and deep religious truth," affects our lives in a very practical way. Theology, she says, "is the root, foundation, and framework for practical living...." She is using the term, I think, in order to appeal to those who believe that theology is something for the intellectuals or the super-spirituals in the church, but not something useful for the average Joe or--considering the intended audience for this book--Jane Christian.
But why have a theology book aimed specifically at women? Because most theology books are written by men for readers who are predominately men. By writing a theology book intended for women, Alsup hopes to "fight the unspoken mentality that theology is for men, while parenting, sewing, or dieting classes are for women."
Essentially, this is a very basic, entry level book of doctrine. It is more elementary than any entry level theology book I've seen. It's shorter, too, at 150 pages, and written in a more conversational style. I'd judge it to be geared for the lay person with no previous interest in theology.
There are three main sections in Practical Theology for Women: What Is Theology?, Who Is Our God?, and Communicating with Our God. The first section discusses the meaning of theology and faith and how they are related. The second section, which I think of as the heart of the book, looks at the roles of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit in our lives. God is our Father, the sovereign, compassionate, wise one who disciplines us, the Son is our Saviour, our example, our bridegroom, the one with whom we are intimately united, and the Spirit is our helper and sanctifier. The third section examines communication with God--our communication with him through prayer and his communication with us through his word.
The teaching is straight and true. The choice of content, for a book intended for beginners in theology, is exactly right. Considering the target audience, the conversational tone and organization is best, too.
If you read Charnock or Edwards, like some women I know, you'll probably find this book too basic for you. Likewise, I suppose, if you've had a college level course in systematic theology or doctrine and paid any attention. But for the majority of Christian women I know, this book would be perfect. Wendy Alsup does an excellent job of making the deeper things of God easy to understand for someone who has absolutely no background in theology. The best use for Practical Theology for Women, as I see it, would be in a group study for women, where women can use it to spur each other on in the study of who God is and what he does.
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7 of 8 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
"Strong Enough For a Man, But Made For a Woman", July 27, 2008
This review is from: Practical Theology for Women: How Knowing God Makes a Difference in Our Daily Lives (Re: Lit Books) (Paperback)
If you are wondering whether "Practical Theology for Women," is a euphemism for dumbed-down theology or pop-psychology, let me assure you it is not. To the contrary, the major theme of this book is that seeking to know the "deep things of God" from Scripture empowers Christian women in daily living- from the mundane to the events that shake our world. Throughout the book, Alsup quotes robust sections of Scripture to draw out themes such as God's love for us, the role of trials in giving us greater glimpses into God's glory, and the role of discipline in conforming us to the image of Christ. Laying a sturdy foundation from Scripture, Alsup highlights key truths about who God is: 1) as the Father who lovingly adopted us into His family and who desires for us to come to Him with all our needs; 2) as the Brother who sacrificially gave His life for ours, bought our freedom and access to the Father, and who demonstrates by example how we ought to live; and 3) as the Spirit who is our counselor, comforter, sanctifier, and the guarantee of the redemption that awaits us. Humbly using examples from her own life, Alsup goes on to challenge women to examine whether our responses in daily life reflect what we know to be true of God in Scripture. She asks:
What enables one man to face open-heart surgery with calm assurance, while another man is devastated because his car transmission needs to be overhauled? What force drives one woman to near hysterics as she contemplates flying in a plane, while another woman seeks to encourage her family even as she shares the news that she has breast cancer? p. 30
Her answer to these questions is biblical faith- knowing the God of the Bible, trusting Him, and subsequently living like we do. As Alsup reminds us, our God is sovereign, wise, and compassionate, and believing this by faith impacts our daily lives. Alsup's book exposes how our unbelief is often revealed in our common responses to trials by the way we manipulate our circumstances or sink into despair. Rather than settling for this way of living, Alsup urges women to "stop," "get off of the emotional roller coaster," and take our thoughts captive to make them obedient to Christ. She then takes us by the hand and walks us through the ways we do this by accessing God and the exceedingly great power that is available to us through the Word and through prayer.
The biggest legacy of this small book is its rich reference to Scripture, and the simple, practical, and empowering application of Scripture to the everyday life of women with everyday struggles. It can be read cover to cover in an hour or two, or it can be read chapter by chapter in about 5 to 10 minutes per day. Alsup not only employs helpful illustrations from her own life and the lives of other women, but she offers Biblical and practical tips on how to study the Bible and how to pray.
After reading this book, I am left with this truth that Alsup draws upon throughout the book: God does not leave us as orphans but rather gives us direct access to Him and to the same power that raised Jesus from the grave! As Alsup's book reminds us, this truth means something for us everyday at the breakfast table, in our school, in our workplace, in our cars, at the gym, at the mall, in our churches, and in our neighborhoods. It also means something when we lose our job, when our friends betray us, when we lose a loved one to death, or when we face our own impending death. Alsup's book leaves me convicted, inspired, and empowered as I seek to call on, honor, and image the God of the Bible moment by moment in my life.
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3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Excellent Introduction to Theology, July 27, 2009
This review is from: Practical Theology for Women: How Knowing God Makes a Difference in Our Daily Lives (Re: Lit Books) (Paperback)
When was the last time you heard a question like one of these: Why does God allow suffering? Why do bad things happen to good people? Why do innocent people go hungry? Why do I try to live for God faithfully and feel like my life is still a mess? When people look around today, they see suffering and difficulty. Life is challenging for many people, even good Christian people. Oftentimes when we get saved, we assume that God is going to take care of us and fix our lives. While there are tremendous benefits attached to being a Christian, having a perfect life is not one of them! Christians often find themselves feeling ill-equipped to handle the questions their non-Christian friends pose about the world around them. Even worse, Christians often have many questions themselves about who God is and why He does the things He does. It is easy to become discouraged and to wonder how to live and respond to daily life issues and pressures.
There is a simple explanation for this difficulty found in churches today. Many Christians have very little understanding of basic theology. They may read their Bibles and know many of its stories, but when it comes to explaining God's character or basic ideas surrounding how and why God saves people and works in the ways He does, many Christians come up short. They find they really don't have answers to many of the questions they struggle with, and they feel inadequate as they try to respond to life in general. Unfortunately, many Christians avoid the very study that would help them most, and that is theology.
Many Christians operate under the assumption that theology is for pastors, seminary students and professors. They assume that theology is merely an intellectual pursuit with no practical application in everyday life. This is a tragic mistake and has, in some ways, led to the confusion modern Christians experience as well as some of the struggles people face as they try to live out their faith in practical ways.
"Practical Theology for Women" by Wendy Horger Alsup is a good answer to this problem. This book is written for the layperson, particularly women. While theology is not different for women than it is for men, this book is written by a woman and is addressed specifically to women. It avoids most theological terms and complexities, focuses on helping the reader see how a grasp of basic theology helps make sense of life and leads to more consistent Christian living.
Part one of the book defines theology and explains why all Christians should study it. Alsup explains what faith is and argues that proper faith is practical and affects how we live. Faith without works is dead (James 2:26).
Part two looks at the character of God and highlights a few of His attributes. The author touches on aspects of our Father's discipline and the place of suffering in life. She also addresses salvation and our position in Christ. A particularly helpful part of this section is the chapters on the Holy Spirit--in my experience the most misunderstood Person of the Trinity in evangelical circles.
Part three challenges the reader to know God intimately through the means He has provided. There is a chapter on prayer, and two chapters on understanding how to read different parts of the Bible and how Scripture is unified in one whole book. The author also gives some practical suggestions for daily devotions.
The entire thrust of the book is living out your faith based on what you know to be true of God. To that end, Alsup encourages her readers to make the pursuit of God their life-long passion. No one is ever finished learning about God. She points her readers to Scripture and prayer as the primary means for accomplishing this. She also provides a few resource suggestions at the end of two of the chapters. Because this book is a very basic overview of theology, curious readers will find their appetite whetted and will want to do some further reading. Because of this, it may have been helpful for the author to provide a more extensive list of recommended resources for readers at the end of the book. Many Christians do want to learn more, but have no idea which authors to trust or how to select a sound theology book.
Overall, I think this book provides an excellent, user-friendly introduction to theology. Many Christians could profit very much by reading it. I also think it would serve as a wonderful text for a women's Bible study. I would encourage all women to read it, even those who may have some theological training. You will find yourself encouraged and challenged as we address making faith practical and living it out consistently in our lives.
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