Recent Reads: Lost Women of the Bible by Carolyn Custis James

What the book's about: As it's name suggests, this is a book about "the women we thought we knew". This book provides thoughtful, well-researched character sketches of 9 women in the Bible, with an additional chapter on Paul and the women of Philippi.

Why I read this book: This spring, I taught on women in Scripture. To prepare for this series, I looked for a commentary or book containing in-depth sketches of several Biblical women. Having read and loved Carolyn's The Gospel of Ruth several years ago in preparation for a retreat I led on the book of Ruth, when I saw she had written such a resource, I grabbed it. It did not disappoint.

My favorite quotes from the book:

- "Sarah's story highlights the threatening issues inherent in the discussion of God's calling for women and gives a woman's life meaning and purpose."

- "Sometimes the honesty of the Bible is terribly disconcerting."

- "If the truth were known, that's where I spend most of my time - stuck somewhere in the middle, longing to see God's hand, trying to find my place in his purposes, struggling to put one foot in front of the other and keep moving."

- "Hagar introduced God's people to the doctrine of God's omniscience - not simply that God knows everything, but that he knows me." 

- "The apostle Paul established one of the leading New Testament churches with a group of women. This groundbreaking development for the gospel was decidedly female. A woman was the first convert to Christianity in Europe and the first church plant in Europe was predominantly female."

Thumbs up or thumbs down? Thumbs up

Who I'd recommend this book for: Anyone who wants to learn more about the women whose stories are found in the pages of Scripture. Such individuals will find Lost Women of the Bible to be an in-depth yet accessible, rich examination of women whose stories deserve to be told.