She: Five Keys to Unlock the Power of Women in Ministry

by Karoline Lewis

We are not all the same. The time has come for us to honestly name the ways we are different and similar so that we can serve together in unity, grace and trust.

Women in ministry experience unique challenges in their church settings which continue to hinder their vocational, professional, and personal success. Women in ministry need a trusted and comprehensive resource not only to be able to survive but to thrive in their places of call. She provides theoretical, theological, and practical frameworks and strategies for flourishing as a woman in ministry and engages critical reflection on the practice of ministry in light of current feminist theory, biblical interpretation, and experience.

Covering everything from biblical arguments for and against women in the church to what not to wear, this book offers background information and tools for negotiating the many and varied issues that woman in ministry face, including leadership, the authority and office of the clergy, and structures and power in the church. A trusted and comprehensive resource for women in ministry, equipping them to thrive in their places of call, and for the men who serve alongside them.

"For women in ministry, one 'a-ha' moment after another spills from the pages of this book. Decades after ordination opened for women in mainline churches, the struggle for acceptance and equality goes on. This is an important book which narrates the deep costs of sexism and imagines a new form of women's leadership rooted and grounded in authentic love and genuine hospitality. In telling the truth about persistent sexism in the church, Karoline Lewis, paradoxically, blesses her readers with hope. This hope emerges in naming the challenges for women leaders and then pointing the way forward." - Leanne Van Dyk, President and Professor of Theology, Columbia Theological Seminary, Decatur, GA

Genres: Nonfiction, Theology, Religion, Christianity, Church, Spirituality, Womens

224 pages, Paperback

First published March 1, 2016

Reviews

[Lisa Lewton · Rating 5 out of 5]

Required reading for all women in leadership roles today, particularly but not exclusively in the church. Addressing challenges that are obvious for women and some that are more subtle. We may want to assume these challenges have disappeared in the 21st century, but we have to be honest that women who are leaders are perceived by some even in the church as a second choice. This book helped me realize this perception is often perpetuated by me and my way of living into and not living into my call as leader.

[Becca · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a tremendous book about the challenges women face in ministry, offering wisdom on how we can break through the patriarchal system we find ourselves in.

Who should read this book?

Women in ministry
Men in ministry
Church leaders
Church attenders
Church nerds
Church haters
Feminists
People who wince at the word "feminist"
Seminary professors
Seminary students
...basically everyone who has any connection to the church.

[Alyssa Foll]

This is the best book on women-in-ministry that I've discovered in 12 years of my ministry. Lewis tackles topics such as identity, embodiment, boundaries, leadership, and institutional sexism with aplomb. This book is an exercise in truth-telling. I wish I could get this into the hands of every female minister and seminary student.

[Kerri · Rating 5 out of 5]

I wore out a highlighter on this book. There were many gifts within its pages. Not only a quick read, but one to return to, and one of the most helpful books I worked through in the last portion of my sabbatical.

[Michelle · Rating 5 out of 5]

A critical read for women in ministry discussing systemic issues around gender and ministry.

[Marie]

I wanted to like this book. I think the timing just wasn't right when I read it. I love Karoline Lewis and will probably try it again in a year.

[Aubrey · Rating 2 out of 5]

I read this for my Advanced Workshop for Nonprofits class for a book about leadership.

A little background info on this book: it's *supposed to be* about being a woman in ministry and how you can harness your femininity to be a helpful light in a church setting.

The beginning of this book was VERY problematic for me. There were SO MANY THINGS that seemed very 'un-Christian' to me about how the work was presented. There was talk about how sometimes the best thing to do is disregard the Bible... um. Large disagree to that one.

The stances on feminism didn't make sense to me. I would consider myself a feminist; I think everyone deserves equal rights. I disagree with how feminism was presented in this book because there was a section that pretty much stated that women need to 'make up for lost time' by putting themselves above men in a way. THAT IS NOT FEMINISM. That is toxic femininity. The same way ther there is toxic masculinity, you guys! It worries me that this is what's being taught to young women!

The chapters on sexism and leadership were actually quite good, though, so that's why this is a 2 star read and not a 1 star.

Sexism is still definitely a thing. Just yesterday I was catcalled while outside fishing. I was fishing with my boyfriend along a gravel road wearing a sports bra and shorts because I wanted to get some sun on my skin, and two guys drove by and yelled out the window at me. Should that happen? Of course not. Should that be the norm? Heck no. Does it still happen? Yes.

Everyone has experienced sexism. Every single female-identifying person has probably felt unequal to a male-identifying person at some point. It sucks and it should be changed. But the only way to change it is to stop letting it happen.

Even if you're a female and you don't see many women in the Bible, you should still be taking the lessons from reading about the strong male leaders! To me that's what being a feminist is! Just because there isn't a 'classic model' fitting your exact description, doesn't mean you can't learn from it. If you identify as a feminist, you should still be able to look up to men.

The leadership points were good, but also very generic. I struggle with leadership books as a whole because I do believe you can learn to be a leader, but good leaders are ones who have natural leadership tendencies.

Overall, I don't really recommend this book, but if you do read it, take it with a grain of salt. If you're Christian you should be reading your Bible and believing the words in it are spoken from God.

[Frank · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am grateful to discover Karoline Lewis' painfully necessary book that tells the truth of women in ministry in order to empower women who are clergy and lay leaders to bring their whole, authentic selves to leading others in following Jesus. Grounded in scripture and based not just on her experiences in the church, but in a broad understanding of what women have and continue to face in leading, Lewis offers five keys:

1) The truth about women, the Bible, feminism, and theology;
2) The truth about vulnerability, bodies, and sexuality;
3) The truth about gender, identity, and authenticity;
4) The truth about sexism;
5) The truth about leadership.

While I imagine this book would be helpful to women embarking on an ordained or lay ministry which puts them in a new leadership role, I know the book was helpful to me. So I trust women in ministry will find the book a helpful companion, but I especially recommend my fellow men in the church read She for our silence on the sexism deeply embedded in the church equals consent to leaving the institution that is to be the Body of Christ enmeshed in sin that is no better than what the rest of the world has to offer. I find myself challenged and look forward to reading and discussing this important book with others.

[Carmen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very good book - I would highly recommend to anyone who is a pastor or priest, including men. And people in church leadership, lay or ordained. Talking from a place of claiming personal power rather than getting stuck in the hurt of mistreatment is no small feat, and Lewis does that. Practical and helpful, like tackling the Bible passages wielded against women. Straightforward about sexism. She does put out there that she is speaking as a white woman, and that is appropriate, though in a section on interactions between sexism and other -isms, she only includes age-ism, which seems like an editorial oversight (just call the section sexism & ageism, not other -isms). But all in all, very good, and I'd recommend to pastors and congregations who are preparing communities for the next generation of pastors, which, in many denominations, is increasingly female.

[Rev. Val Ohle · Rating 5 out of 5]

Recognizing a Hidden Me in She

Midway through this book, I was ready to give it a much lower rating. It was a harder read than I expected, I had to reread some sections to make sure I didn't miss their point, and I got frustrated at what seems to be an assumption that most women in ministry start out as associate pastors vs lone/senior pastors - an assumption that doesn't match my knowledge of my own denomination at least in my area. It was in Key 5 that my attitude about the book changed and I recognized a me I didn't consciously know exists. Worthwhile read. I'll undoubtedly read it again and often.

[Anne Marie · Rating 2 out of 5]

Read for school. There were some good nuggets here & there but for the most point I was annoyed. There is nothing “inaccessible” about the power of the Holy Spirit. If you’re feeling like something is “locked up,” perhaps you’re giving too much ownership to people and not enough to God. The points I did think were well spoken are applicable to pastors, male & female alike. If we’re arguing that The Call knows no gender, then we cannot claim there to be different walls or barriers for men & women. Our power cannot be “unlocked” because it is freely given, regardless of our gender.

[Emily Holladay · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was a slow read for me. I think I really needed to chew on the information in the book. Karoline Lewis teaches a class on women in ministry, so this did read more like a textbook than I thought. It was a difficult read, because it addressed some real challenges for women in ministry, and she did not hold back.

[Meredith · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've been reading and discussion this book over the course of the year with a group of other pastors. Each chapter is worth savoring on its own, grounded in theology while speaking to the reality of women's experience in ministry.

[Haley · Rating 3 out of 5]

I wanted to like this so much more than I did. Karoline Lewis is brilliant and pulls no punches in naming the sexism women face in ministry. It is an important book for those sheroes who lead in sacred spaces. It was possibly a little too accurate for me.

[Emily · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a book targeted towards women in ministry. I found the book’s organization confusing. She outlines five keys, but she does not give them concise names, and it was hard to remember each key as the book progressed.

[Jasmine · Rating 5 out of 5]

I gift this to as many young women clergy as I can!!

[Haley · Rating 5 out of 5]

Read some, skimmed some. Loved how practical the book was, appreciated the pastoral tone, expect I will return to it again for reference in the future.

[Martha · Rating 5 out of 5]

In SHE, Karoline Lewis offers the keys not to the kingdom but to the car, a driver’s manual for clergywomen that encourages looking under the hood first to examine our biblical understandings, theological conclusions, and essential selves. With a thorough knowledge of our inner workings, we will be better prepared to face the driving hazards of church tradition and cultural sexism and to own the validity of our license to drive, affirmed by our call to ministry on behalf of Jesus Christ.