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Fearlessly Feminine: Boldly Living God's Plan for Womanhood
Women today seek encouragement and affirmation as they confront their own questions, doubts, and fears about womanhood. In Fearlessly Feminine, author Jani Ortlund supplies much-needed answers, calling Christian women to be joyfully confident in who they are before God, to welcome the privilege of womanhood, and to show the world the beauty of Christian femininity for God's glory. Tackling such sensitive subjects as submission and materialism, feminism and beauty, motherhood and marriage, Ortlund leads women to a deeper understanding of scriptural teaching and helps them fearlessly embrace all that God would have them become.
224 pages, Paperback
First published April 13, 2000
18 people are currently reading
152 people want to read
About the author
Jani Ortlund
17 books12 followersJani Ortlund is a well-known writer and conference speaker who loves spending her energies connecting women and their families with the Word of God. She is the wife of Dr. Raymond Ortlund Jr., pastor, author, and former seminary professor. Jani, a former schoolteacher, holds a master’s degree in education. The Ortlunds have four grown children and two grandchildren.
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Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews
February 26, 2017
Encouraging read for women from all stages of life! Would make a great women's bible study. At the end of each chapter the book has bible study questions. I would love to go through this book with my daughter when she is older.
July 6, 2021
a book to come back to over & over! jani orthuland captures womanhood & what God has for it with such grace! thanks Macala Donnelly for the recc!
July 9, 2016
Really liked this book. Her writing style is very blunt; which I know turns some readers off but I really appreciated the style.
August 23, 2018
A challenging book, and one that is encouraging in many ways. I love how the author focuses on the home and how we should have a heart for serving our families and others (whether we're married or not). The message of the book contradicts the world views, but that's the point...we're supposed to be following God's standards. True femininity is becoming and more foreign in today's world. As Christian women, we should be even more aware of being the women God wants us to be!
I highly recommend this book!
*the author uses NIV, but I had my KJV Bible close by ;)*
I highly recommend this book!
*the author uses NIV, but I had my KJV Bible close by ;)*
September 2, 2024
For being 24 years old, this book speaks to a lot of the influence that is growing from the secular feminist movement. But one of the unique things about this book is her desire not to harp on culture's downfall, but to call Christ-following women to be shaped by a dependence on God rather than pursuing independence and pursuing what we want.
Using 1 Peter 3 as her guide, she helps women see how they can NOT be driven by garden-variety anxiety by putting their full trust in the Lord. The chapters within lay a contrast between culture, God's character, and God's calling on women (on such subjects as materialism, marriage, singleness, motherhood, care of the home, care for people around us, and beauty). The biblical truths shine out in each chapter and her frankness on the subjects may cause women to squirm, but it is worthwhile to place our own lives against the calling of Scripture and see how culture may have influenced us.
One of my only critiques is that those with mental health concerns including severe anxiety and clinical depression or even postpartum depression may feel the weight of not being able to attain a fearless state, but what I do value is Ortlund's call to keep looking to the Lord. The conclusion as she lays out a particularly rough day in her household was refreshing as she reminded herself and us to remember that there is one fear that is praised in Scripture: fearing the Lord.
This book lays out foundational Biblical truths about what a woman who strives to depend on the Lord looks like against the cultural mindset of pursuing independence and self-gratification. And seeing how she and her husband have continued to center themselves on Christ-centered, gospel-based living over these past 2 decades points to the sufficiency and unchangeability of God's Word through changing times.
Using 1 Peter 3 as her guide, she helps women see how they can NOT be driven by garden-variety anxiety by putting their full trust in the Lord. The chapters within lay a contrast between culture, God's character, and God's calling on women (on such subjects as materialism, marriage, singleness, motherhood, care of the home, care for people around us, and beauty). The biblical truths shine out in each chapter and her frankness on the subjects may cause women to squirm, but it is worthwhile to place our own lives against the calling of Scripture and see how culture may have influenced us.
One of my only critiques is that those with mental health concerns including severe anxiety and clinical depression or even postpartum depression may feel the weight of not being able to attain a fearless state, but what I do value is Ortlund's call to keep looking to the Lord. The conclusion as she lays out a particularly rough day in her household was refreshing as she reminded herself and us to remember that there is one fear that is praised in Scripture: fearing the Lord.
This book lays out foundational Biblical truths about what a woman who strives to depend on the Lord looks like against the cultural mindset of pursuing independence and self-gratification. And seeing how she and her husband have continued to center themselves on Christ-centered, gospel-based living over these past 2 decades points to the sufficiency and unchangeability of God's Word through changing times.
April 7, 2021
I love Jani Ortlund, and I read this book in the context of having seen her live in a compelling, beautiful, faith-filled way. I only say that to explain why I give more weight to her words in this book than I would had I not known the author; fair warning, in today's culture, the content will feel bold, blunt and maybe even shocking to most readers. Favorite chapter is the first one. Wow. Is fear the chief enemy of the feminine soul? I am convinced in my own life yes.
November 24, 2020
I really loved this book. It’s not my first book like this, so I’m past being defensive. I want to know God’s design for me as the way I used to handle things didn’t work. It takes a lot of awareness and humility to be able to sacrifice for another and I can only do that through a relationship with God.
January 30, 2021
“What we really need is God.
Real faith, real fear-shrinking faith, comes from a personal, vibrant, satisfying relationship with the God who is more than a match for anything that intimidates us.
If I lose everything, I still have all the riches of Christ.
The Lord is our Inexhaustible Treasure.”
Real faith, real fear-shrinking faith, comes from a personal, vibrant, satisfying relationship with the God who is more than a match for anything that intimidates us.
If I lose everything, I still have all the riches of Christ.
The Lord is our Inexhaustible Treasure.”
August 13, 2016
What do you think about Boldly Living God’s Plan for Womanhood? I think that sounds great! And, that is what Fearlessly Feminine is all about! So, the required reading for my recent SWI class worked out perfect for me, I love learning more about womanhood!
Jani Ortlund is a mother and pastor’s wife. She challenges the readers of this book to embrace their role as a woman. To take it to heart. To live as women for the sake of God’s glory. In her words (pg.9):
“I want to call Christian women to be joyfully confident in who we are before God. I want us to fearlessly embrace the privilege of womanhood and show the world the beauty of Christian femininity for God’s glory.”
I think this is wonderful. Honestly, this is something I am trying to do every day. Trying to live biblically as a woman is completely counter-cultural. Yet, it is good, and it is doable!
Reading this book was very encouraging and got straight to the point…
“God through Christ is able to make us women who do not look for fulfillment in our homes or our careers or our bodies or the achievements of our children or our talents or our brains. He is able to make us women who find ourselves in Him. He wants to replace our fears with faith in Him. His plan for us is good and pleasing and perfect” (pg. 28).
When we find our value in Him and search for His plans for our lives, it is good!
I found this book to be so inspirational, and it really helped me to remember the point. The point of me being a woman and embracing my roles, is to live for God and put Him on display!
Jani Ortlund is a mother and pastor’s wife. She challenges the readers of this book to embrace their role as a woman. To take it to heart. To live as women for the sake of God’s glory. In her words (pg.9):
“I want to call Christian women to be joyfully confident in who we are before God. I want us to fearlessly embrace the privilege of womanhood and show the world the beauty of Christian femininity for God’s glory.”
I think this is wonderful. Honestly, this is something I am trying to do every day. Trying to live biblically as a woman is completely counter-cultural. Yet, it is good, and it is doable!
Reading this book was very encouraging and got straight to the point…
“God through Christ is able to make us women who do not look for fulfillment in our homes or our careers or our bodies or the achievements of our children or our talents or our brains. He is able to make us women who find ourselves in Him. He wants to replace our fears with faith in Him. His plan for us is good and pleasing and perfect” (pg. 28).
When we find our value in Him and search for His plans for our lives, it is good!
I found this book to be so inspirational, and it really helped me to remember the point. The point of me being a woman and embracing my roles, is to live for God and put Him on display!
April 7, 2014
"God made you a woman. He delights in your womanhood. Bask in the certainty that your femininity is beautiful to God. That which makes you different from the men in this world is a God-given gift, precious in His sight. Women have already proven that they can go wherever men go: space, politics, war, the boardroom. Use your femininity to go where men cannot go. Where is it that God is calling you to be fearlessly feminine?" (p.203) This question is one that Jani forces you to answer throughout her book.
She is forthright and the truths she writes are absolutely convicting. She tackles the issues we face in today's society and challenges women to take hold of the gift God has given us as women. Jani argues that femininity is "tested" in our day-to-day living and as a result we must make "a daily choice to trust God completely.
She encourages women to not "let the evil of our popular culture dirty our souls with its filth" or "to fritter our time away on materialistic pursuits and silly entertainments" or "to give our husbands and children and homes a back row seat while we strive to maintain a center stage image" and finally to never, ever forget that "heaven is real and our choices now have eternal consequences." All of those pieces are covered in her book (and more)! I am beyond thankful I read it and truly believe this book played a huge role in my growth as a follower of Christ, a woman, a wife, a mother, and a teacher.
She is forthright and the truths she writes are absolutely convicting. She tackles the issues we face in today's society and challenges women to take hold of the gift God has given us as women. Jani argues that femininity is "tested" in our day-to-day living and as a result we must make "a daily choice to trust God completely.
She encourages women to not "let the evil of our popular culture dirty our souls with its filth" or "to fritter our time away on materialistic pursuits and silly entertainments" or "to give our husbands and children and homes a back row seat while we strive to maintain a center stage image" and finally to never, ever forget that "heaven is real and our choices now have eternal consequences." All of those pieces are covered in her book (and more)! I am beyond thankful I read it and truly believe this book played a huge role in my growth as a follower of Christ, a woman, a wife, a mother, and a teacher.
July 28, 2014
It is a mistake to think that your chief duty in training your children is to love them and simply show them what they ought to do. Your chief duty is to love them and make them do what they ought to do.
Our children are influenced to minimize pain by pursuing pleasure. Earthly pleasure has become their ideal. "If it feels good, do it."
No wonder our children are using drugs and sex to escape from their pain--we have trained them for it. We are becoming more self-indulgent and hungry for immediate gratification.
Without a clear sense of right and wrong enforced in the home, a child becomes easily upset and falls victim to his own errant emotions. If a child never learns to submit to a firm No! in his early years, he won't cope well with disappointments later on. Without good discipline your child will become a moral cripple, impeded and disadvantaged in how to embrace all of life. Don't be afraid to discipline your child. God isn't. Love and discipline are the two most important things you can give your child. Proverbs 13:24 says, "He who spares the rod hates his son, but he who loves him is careful to discipline him."
Someone is going to be influencing your child during those formative preschool years. Someone is going to be inculcating values and imprinting standards on the impressionable young soul. Let it be you!
This book is full of gems like these.
Our children are influenced to minimize pain by pursuing pleasure. Earthly pleasure has become their ideal. "If it feels good, do it."
No wonder our children are using drugs and sex to escape from their pain--we have trained them for it. We are becoming more self-indulgent and hungry for immediate gratification.
Without a clear sense of right and wrong enforced in the home, a child becomes easily upset and falls victim to his own errant emotions. If a child never learns to submit to a firm No! in his early years, he won't cope well with disappointments later on. Without good discipline your child will become a moral cripple, impeded and disadvantaged in how to embrace all of life. Don't be afraid to discipline your child. God isn't. Love and discipline are the two most important things you can give your child. Proverbs 13:24 says, "He who spares the rod hates his son, but he who loves him is careful to discipline him."
Someone is going to be influencing your child during those formative preschool years. Someone is going to be inculcating values and imprinting standards on the impressionable young soul. Let it be you!
This book is full of gems like these.
January 8, 2009
This book was okay. Some of it was really useful, about facing my own fears and using God to do it. A lot of it came from a perspective that is tough to swallow for me. I found it to be a challenge. I AM a stay-at-home mom and wife who loves to serve my family, but I felt challenged by her writing and conservative views. It's not that my life differs from what she supports, or that I view God differently than she, but it challenged my feminist tendencies. I did like the study questions at the end of each chapter. It would make for a very interesting, and possibly heated, discussion among women.
December 28, 2007
I really enjoyed this book. It made sense during a time I was deciding which way I wanted to view womanhood and its implications. It was peaceful, practical, and encouraging as a young woman seeking to follow the Lord. I read this when I was single, so there were a few chapters geared toward married women with children that I skimmed through.
March 9, 2015
Really good book about being a godly woman nowadays from all perspectives.
October 18, 2015
A beautifully and inspiring look into biblical womanhood that just renewed my heart for this life.
Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews