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16 of 16 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Lost Women of the Bible: Review, September 22, 2005
(by Carolyn Custis James; Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2005; 240 pages)
To what extent are the ideas of women's roles steeped in the humanly conceived traditions of the Christian subculture? This is the essential question being considered in Carolyn Custis James' (CCJ) latest work, Lost Women of the Bible. In ten chapters, CCJ examines the life roles of women in the Bible, beginning with Eve and concluding with the Women of Philippi. CCJ encourages the reader to reflect on how women's roles today may be defined by the traditions of the current Christian subculture and not by scriptural mandate as she shows was often the case for the women of Scripture.
I especially admire CCJ's treatment of the biblical narratives of Sarah and Hagar. This accounting is helpful in establishing that, not only was the culture of that time partly responsible for Sarah's sense of urgency to give Abraham a son, but that succumbing to the pressure to fulfill that role was to the detriment of the human dignity of other persons - namely, Hagar and her son.
Instead of drawing her identity and purpose from God, Sarah fell into the same trap that catches the rest of us. She listened to the voices of her culture, her circumstances, and the people around her who were telling her who she was, what would make her life fulfilling, and how she could contribute (p.80).
The story of Hannah is yet another biblical story that does anything but resonate with contemporary concepts of womanhood. Imagine spending years going through infertility treatment, wanting to desperately to have a child to love and adore, finally conceiving only to give that child to another couple to adopt as a pure act of service. This isn't exactly what happened to Hannah, but its close. CCJ notes that what was on Hannah's heart and mind was not merely the need to fulfill her own desire to be a mother, but rather to serve God by giving back to God what was given to her-her son, Samuel. Of course, it's true that all things belong to God, including our children, and that there is a distinct principle that we can draw from Hannah's life about how what we believe about God correlates directly with how we live our lives. From the time she conceives through the period in which she gives up her son, we see a woman who seeks God and unremittingly worships him.
Lost Women of the Bible clearly articulates the nature of the cultural mandate - that from the beginning both men and women were both created in the image of God to "rule and subdue together" (p. 159). For women who are lost in the Church, perhaps not fulfilling the expected role of wife and mother because they are single and career-oriented or even pursuing education, this is a breath of fresh air. The examples of Tamar and Esther make perfectly clear that the call to action from God is sometimes without a male counterpart taking the lead, but ultimately dependent upon her obedience to step out in faith. This is a must-read for all of us who hear the call, for such a time is this...
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12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
A Thoughtful Look at Many Biblical Women, January 21, 2007
Having been a feminist Evangelical Christian for many years (yes, such creatures do exist!), I've read plenty of books on women and the Bible, women in the Bible, and what the Bible says about women. Having had a long break on this subject, I decided to jump back in with this book.
One of the greatest strengths of this book is the author's look at a variety of women and attempting to flesh out their lives. I appreciate her perspective as someone who truly longed to have her life fit the traditional wife and mother role, yet found herself disappointed and confused when that didn't happen. Although my personal path has been different -- I'm ambivalent on the idea of perhaps someday having a husband and kids (and having worked with kids for a few years I find myself even more convinced that they're great for awhile, but then I'm ready to send them home); this was in fact one of the reasons I became a feminist (I got so frustrated with people telling me that I must LONG to be married and have kids when I did not in fact have this desire, and felt God calling me in other directions, at least for the time being) -- I could appreciate the hard questions she asked herself. Furthermore, I appreciated some of her responses. Throughout history, countless women have ended up living their whole lives without ever becoming a wife or mother. Some longed to but never received that joy; others felt no particular interest or knew they were called in other directions. Many of those women were genuine Christians trying to follow God. Logically, if these two paths were God's only calling for women, why did some never get that chance? And why were many of the women who never did get the chance still considered holy followers of God?
I also enjoyed the women she looked at. Some of the women -- Sarah, Esther, and the two Marys, among others -- are frequently written about or discussed. Others get more scant mention. I think my favorite chapter was about Hagar. I have long loved her, and loved the way that God turned His gaze towards a lowly slave considered just property by her owners. The chapter on Tamar was also good, although a part of me was a bit surprised. I hadn't heard many comments about her, and although at one point in time I had thought she hadn't acted well I eventually came to the conclusion that she was acting in the most righteous way she could see (note that she doesn't pretend to be a prostitute until years of waiting have shown her she has no other option, and she doesn't linger to find a few more customers just in case she didn't get pregnant from Judah; she very deliberately enticed one of two men -- the other being Judah's third son -- that was legally required to provide what she had to get by tricking him). It surprised me to hear that Tamar had such a bad reputation in many Christian circles. Be that as it may, I felt like the author did a good job of drawing out the specific circumstances in her life and pointing out that although her exact methods might no longer be appropriate, her desires and ultimate motives do provide a positive example.
I only had one major criticism of the book (well, two, but the second is merely a matter of personal taste). Much of her fleshing out of the biblical characters came from logical consideration of both the text and of the way that humans usually act. None of her conclusions and guesses were far-fetched. Sometimes, however, she forgot that they were guesses and called them facts. For example, she wrote that "Hannah always felt the enormity of her sacrifice, as any mother would." Or about Mary Magdalene that, "Mary wasn't seeking Jesus.... Mary was a demoniac... [who] wanted Jesus to go away." Or that, "No matter what happened afterward [i.e., after the Crucifixion], Mary never erased those horrifying images from her memory." Now, none of these surmises are false; in fact, I'm guessing they're true. Hannah undoubtedly felt Samuel's loss all her life. As the author points out, demoniacs in the Bible never sought Jesus out, and Mary probably didn't either. And I can't imagine being able to forget seeing one of your dearest friends tortured as Jesus was. None of these are bad assumptions. Assumptions, however, is the correct name for them. Had the author been more careful about this I would have been happier with the book (this is the reason for the 4 stars).
The other detail that I wished were changed was the women she dealt with. I had no problems with the ones she picked; I just wish she would have picked more! (this is probably a good sign about the quality of the book) As I read it, I kept making a list of other women I would like to have her include in "Lost Women of the Bible II". Some of them included: Rebeckah (sp?), Leah, Rachel, Dinah, the two Hebrew midwives, Miriam, Rahab, the murdered concumbine from Judges (along with Lot's daughters, actually; they could have their own chapter), Deborah (how could she have left out DEBORAH???), Abigail, Bathsheba, Priscilla, Tabitha/Dorcas, the woman at the well, and so on. I would even have liked a look at some of the REAL "bad girls" such as Delilah, Jezebel, or Israel's one reigning queen (Athaliah, I think); a look at their lives, their strengths, and how they used those strengths in sinful ways not intended by God (plus a look at the ways they've been used throughout the ages against women, and any positive lessons we can learn from them) would be interesting reading.
In general, I would highly recommend this book (I was spending most of my reading trying to figure out which friend I was going to loan it to first). It gives cause for thoughtful contemplation of women in the Bible, and what it means to be both a woman following her true God-given calling (which may include marriage and children, both good things given as gifts by God, but may not) and a man encouraging and being encouraged by women doing these things.
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11 of 12 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Excellent, May 27, 2006
I already loved Carolyn Custis James's writing after I read, "When Life and Beliefs Collide." (In fact, I require it in a seminary class I teach.) But after reading "Lost Women of the Bible" I'm convinced she is one of the most important voices in Christendom today. Through James's exporation of Esther, whom God used to rescue His people from genocide, we learn that God's design for woman is not to "be rescued by men" (as is often taught), but rather to partner with them. Through Tamar we see that a woman considered one of the bad girls of the Bible is actually a shining example of loyal love. James guides the reader to look afresh at these and other key Bible characters. In the process she helps both women and men see who God made them to be and how they are designed to interact. Hers is an important message for any era.
Sandra Glahn, author, The Coffee Cup Bible Series
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