What Matters Most: Ten Lessons in Living Passionately from the Song of Solomon [Hardcover]

Renita J. Weems (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 12, 2004

Using the work of Scripture as inspiration, Weems offers 10 lessons that teach women how to discover what their passions are, and how to create direction and meaning in their lives. Helps readers to understand that passion is not something awakened by other people, but an inner source of energy that flows out of every aspect of one's being. In doing so, Weems empowers women to fight against stereotypes and ignore the conventional way of doing things in order to find their own happiness and joy.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Dr. Renita J. Weems is a bible scholar and an ordained elder in the African Methodist Church whose scholarly insights into modern faith, biblical texts, and the role of spirituality in everyday lives have made her a much sought after author and speaker. Dr. Weems, formerly a member of the faculty of Vanderbilt Univeristy and former Visiting Professor at Spelman College, has been celebrated by Ebony Magazine as one of America's top 15 preachers. When she is not travelling and speaking, Dr. Weems is at home writing for Beliefnet.com where she contributes a regular column on politics and faith, and keeping up with her readers on her blog Somethingwithin.com. Dr. Renita Weems lives in Nashville, TN with her husband and daughter.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 208 pages
• Publisher: Walk Worthy Press (April 12, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 044653241X
• ISBN-13: 978-0446532419
• Product Dimensions: 5.2 x 0.8 x 7.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 9.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #395,434 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

36 of 36 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Finding What Matters, June 26, 2004

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The RAWSISTAZ Reviewers (RAWSISTAZ.com and BlackBookReviews.net) - See all my reviews

This review is from: What Matters Most: Ten Lessons in Living Passionately from the Song of Solomon (Hardcover)

In WHAT MATTERS MOST, Renita Weems takes an in-depth look at the Song of Solomon from the Old Testament of the Bible. Early on, she notes that this particular book is unique in several ways; it is essentially made up of love poems that might be considered by some to be bordering on erotic and God is never explicitly mentioned. Another important way in which the Song of Solomon is unique is the fact that it is the only book of the Bible that is predominantly told from a woman's point of view. Like many other women in the Bible, we don't learn a lot of biographical information about the Shulammite who narrates most of the Song of Solomon. Weems argues however, that the poetry itself provides us with enough information to know that this unnamed Shulammite woman is one of the earliest examples of a strong, black, Christian woman.

Aside from providing the history, background, and controversy surrounding the various interpretations of the Song of Solomon, the author uses the personality characteristics she derived about the Shulammite woman to create a blue print for women of color. This blueprint will help women learn to love themselves more fully and to truly take to heart the things that should matter most in life. She argues that as women, so often we get so caught up in helping other people and being what they need us to be that we neglect our individual need to grow and thrive. She goes on to note that in order to be open to the love that God has for us we must be willing to break the mold, shatter stereotypes, and embrace all aspects of ourselves. She covers such subjects as identity, balance, sexuality, body image and overcoming adversity, using the Song of Solomon and her own experiences to illustrate her key points. At the end of each chapter she poses questions for self-reflection which she encourages readers to write about on their own.

This is the kind of book that will make you think. I found myself thinking "Wow! I do that all the time!" While I may not agree with all of her reasoning, I enjoyed the fact that it challenged me both mentally and spiritually. This book would be an excellent book to discuss as a group and is sure to incite some heated debates. (...)

6 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Its never too late to improve your quality of life, December 14, 2005

By 

Aleese M. Orbih (Durham, nc) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: What Matters Most: Ten Lessons in Living Passionately from the Song of Solomon (Hardcover)

Renita, pulled together all her wisdom for women and poured into this book. It's her best ever. Its for the teenager coming into her own to the senior woman who still has unanswered questions about her choices in the past and the future. Every woman of color should have this book. It's a right of passage. Its the best gift you can give a sistah friend.

5.0 out of 5 stars women study group, September 8, 2010

By 

A. ANDERSON - See all my reviews
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This review is from: What Matters Most: Ten Lessons in Living Passionately from the Song of Solomon (Hardcover)

I read this book in one of my Women Bible Study Groups and it was an awesome book for the group. I love the author of this book.