About the Book:
What does the Bible say about the value of women? Does the Bible teach that women are as valuable as men or does it portray them as somehow more flawed, more suspect, or weak and easily deceived?
Beginning from Genesis and working all the way through the storyline of the Bible, Worthy demonstrates the significant and yes, even surprising, ways that God has used women to accomplish His kingdom goals. Because, like men, they are created in His image, their lives reflect and declare His worth. Worthy will enable and encourage both men and women to embrace this true and lofty vision of God's creation, plan, and their value in His eyes.
Bestselling author Elyse Fitzpatrick and pastor Eric Schumacher together invite women to embrace a transformative and empowering view of their Maker, themselves, and the church. But this isn't only a book for women. It is also a book for men, especially leaders, who want to grow in their understanding of God's perspective on women, people who normally make up the majority of their congregations; men who might be wondering if they've missed something amid the abuse scandals that are rocking the church. Might the headlines they're reading today about abuse have their roots in a denigration of the value and worth of women? Worthy: Celebrating the Value of Women will help every reader see the value, place, and calling of women through study questions and a "Digging Deeper" section that will help men and women discover how to cherish, value, and honor one another for God's glory.
My Thoughts:
In Worthy: Celebrating the Value of Women authors
Elyse Fitzpatrick and Eric Schumacher step boldly into the fray to defend women
against stereotypes, assumptions, misogyny, and abuses in today’s Christian
culture. I did not agree with everything in this book, but I thoroughly appreciate
their work.
As someone who has been deeply wounded by some of the evangelical
church’s teachings to and about women, I’m questioning many beliefs I once held
tightly. Worthy gave me hope as it breathed a new, healthier perspective
into the old, damaging teachings I’ve been taught since childhood. It clearly
demonstrates that Biblical interpretation can easily be skewed by one’s
worldview, social environment, or church culture. Worthy frequently
demonstrated that simply shifting how a passage is perceived can completely
change its effect and message. I do think at times they presented ideal
situations and skipped over challenging passages. Still, the bottom-line
message of the book is that God values women as much as He values men. No more,
no less. And I can definitely get on board with that message.
I think Worthy: Celebrating the Value of Women by
Elyse Fitzpatrick and Eric Schumacher is a step in the right direction and I
wish all pastors, especially those on the more conservative side would read it.
Given all the SBC endorsements, I wasn’t terribly surprised to read that they
consider themselves complementarians and deny that women can hold the office of
pastor. However, I appreciated their call for respectful interaction with
others of different opinions. They acknowledge that Christians can love God
deeply, serve him with devotion, yet still hold different convictions.
Disclosure of Material Connection: I was provided a
copy of this book by the publisher. All opinions in this review are my own.
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