No Little Women: Equipping All Women in the Household of God

by Aimee Byrd

Why are so many well-intentioned women falling for poor or even false theology? The Devil has been effectively targeting women from the beginning, so why are they often left to fend for themselves in so-called women's ministries?

Strengthening women in the church strengthens the whole church. Cultivating resolved, competent women equips them to fulfill their calling as Christ's disciples and men's essential allies. Writing to concerned women and church officers, Aimee Byrd pinpoints the problem, especially the commodification of women's ministry. Aimee answers the hot-button issues: How can women grow in discernment? How should pastors preach to women? What are our roles within the church?and points us in the direction of a multifaceted solution.

Genres: Theology, Nonfiction, Christian, Christian Living, Womens, Christianity, Spirituality

278 pages, Paperback

First published November 1, 2016

About the author

Aimee Byrd is just an ordinary mom of three who has also been a martial arts student, coffee shop owner, and Bible study teacher. Author of Housewife Theologian, she now blogs about theology and the Christian life and cohosts The Mortification of Spin podcast.

Reviews

[Amanda Geaney · Rating 5 out of 5]

Originally posted on https://christianshelfesteem.wordpres...

This book will be a tough pill to swallow for some, yet what Aimee Bryd has to say in No Little Women needs to be addressed. To summarize, women should aspire to be good theologians with the aid of the church. By addressing women and church leadership individually and as a whole, she opens the door for much needed dialogue and reform. Indeed without change I fear women will become more and more disillusioned with the church and continue, perhaps in greater numbers, to fall victim to false teachers and weak theology.

Byrd covers a multitude of topics in 278 pages, yet I found her arguments to be thoroughly fleshed out and followed through to their end. Her “Questions for Reflection and Discussion” at the end of each chapter are some I’ve pondered myself, while others I’d like to see addressed by my own church. Of the many topics she broaches the following resonated the strongest with me:

• Women should be recognized as competent allies (cobelligerents; important to the spiritual health of the church and home)
• It’s up to church officers to “equip competent, theologically minded, thinking women”
• “If there is a clear mission for the women’s initiatives in your church, then the officers of the church should have a plan for equipping qualified women’s leaders”
• Bible study curriculum needs pastoral oversight
• Poor doctrine that has seeped into the church needs to be addressed by leadership
• Discipling is the role of the church
• A distinction needs to be made between the ministry of the Word and other “ministries” within the church
• Women need to be taught to discern truth in what they read and hear

I felt a commonality with the author despite our differences in theological training and denominational backgrounds. When I mentioned how this book may be a tough pill for some to swallow, I had a few reasons in mind. First, Byrd has doctrinal differences with churches who ordaining female ministers and those who claim to receive direct revelations from God. Additionally, you may not agree with how she defines the role of parachurch ministries. I cringed at the mention of an international Bible Study ministry which has helped me grow immensely in my faith, bible literacy, and prayer life. The point she is trying to drive home is that “the primary place where discipleship should be taking place is in the local church.” Finally, in chapter 9, an eye-opening chapter titled “Honing and Testing our Discernment Skills,” the author challenges readers to (re)examine the writings of several prominent Christian authors, including Beth Moore, Pricilla Shirer, Lysa TerKeurst, Rachel Held Evans, Ann Voskamp, and Jen Hatmaker among others. I refuse to take offense on behalf of these authors, some of whom I’ve read and enjoyed, but those who have deep loyalties to Christian celebrities may. For me, Byrd’s exercise prompts me to be more vigilant in the future.

No Little Women is a call to action! For women, it’s to request theological training equal to (as deep as) our male cobelligerents, and not settle for teachings that appeal to our emotions and sentimentality while subverting Scripture. As for the church, Byrd asks church officers to remain involved and in-tune with the women of their congregation—shepherding, training competent leaders, and dispelling false ideas as they arise. I recommend this book to members of church staff, Women’s Ministry leaders, and laywomen alike.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from P&R Publishing for this review. All opinions are my own.

[Tori Samar · Rating 4 out of 5]

Overall, this is a great book with a much-needed message for the women of the church (as well as their church leaders). It is a sad wonder that so many women in the church have a deep desire to grow in their faith and yet often choose some absolutely rubbish books to read, books either leaking or overflowing with bad theology. It's no surprise, unfortunately, that Paul took time in 2 Timothy 3 to mention weak women (i.e., the little women whom Aimee Byrd is focusing on in this book) who are always learning yet never arriving at knowledge of the truth.

On the whole, I agree with the main points of No Little Women. Without question, women need to be good theologians, good readers, and good spiritual allies to men in the church. I also appreciate Byrd's willingness to call out women for the poor theology and discernment they display when they wholeheartedly embrace the message of the popular yet harmful books being marketed to Christian women today. Byrd also does well to remind pastors and other church leaders that they need to be aware of and take very seriously the women's ministries, Bible studies, book studies, etc., that go on in their churches, as well as consider how best to foster the spiritual growth of the women under their care. Indeed, considering that women make up such a large, active part of church congregations, church leaders would be foolish not to think through how they will equip women to be wise, effective members of the household of God.

Probably my biggest quibble with No Little Women relates to the book's fourth and final section, which delves into practical ideas for helping women become better theologians, readers, and allies. As an avid reader and lover of theology myself, I was quite happy Byrd took the time to offer so much advice on how to read books well and how to engage discerningly with Christian books that may or may not have dangerous theology. However, I was surprised that Byrd did not devote nearly as much space to advising women on how to be good students of God's Word (after all, I would assume that a woman who doesn't read Christian books well probably does not read God's Word as well as she ought to either). The best way to learn theology and spot false teaching is to know God's Word inside and out; therefore, it is of primary importance that women be good students of the Word. While Byrd does place heavy emphasis on women's sitting under good expositional preaching and learning from wise spiritual teachers, she somewhat neglects the necessity of women's learning to study and interpret God's Word on their own. At one point, she did say that space in the book did not allow her to delve deeply into good hermeneutics. But since that was the case, I wish she had at least pointed the reader to some additional books or resources about effective Bible study and interpretation.

May we have no little women in our churches!

(Read for the Tim Challies 2017 Christian Reading Challenge. Category: A book targeted at your gender)

[Karen (Living Unabridged) · Rating 3 out of 5]

I do wonder if Byrd would write this book exactly the same way today, after all the controversy from "Recovering from Biblical Manhood and Womanhood," the loss of her podcast (Mortification of Spin), and the abandonment of her elders to endure abuse, nasty comments, and so on online and in "real life". (Genevan Commons, I think was the group?)

Overall, the message is a good one: everyone is a theologian. So what does it take to be a good theologian?

However, some aspects of this particular title come off as mean spirited or simply not worth the time to complain about. (Like calling out Bible Journaling. I tend to lean more toward logic and reason and WORDS, as Byrd seems to, so I think I get where she's coming from. But for those of a more artistic, creative bent what is the harm in applying those gifts to hiding the word in their hearts?)

And I know enough about my own faith journey at this point in my life to hold two competing truths in balance: One, scripture is complete and there is no new revelation from God. (So, no "God told me" nonsense where you are just having God cover for your own feelings. This means books like "Jesus Calling" are right out for me) AND Two, there is more mystical about faith, Creation, redemption, etc. than can be easily explained by logic. (And again, if some people are trying to return to ancient practices - for example, lectio divina - how is that any different than continuing to hold ancient creeds?)

The sections on how to read well are the best, I think. (And they are largely adapted from Adler's How to Read a Book). But because I don't believe in sacraments the way Byrd does, I am wondering where that leaves me on the "what is different about Sunday mornings and the pastoral role" in particular in the entire "what are women allowed to do / supposed to be doing" conversation about Christianity. But Byrd didn't set out to write that book in this particular title. And it's not her job to answer all the questions for me. Which is another strong point she makes in the book: ASK QUESTIONS. Keep searching the scripture! Keep looking!

But again, I suspect she comes down slightly differently now in some particulars, than even when this was first published. (One example: she calls out women's' conferences for being held over Sundays, when women ought to be attending their own churches. And yet I know that Byrd speaks in congregations on Sundays now. So...what changed? A lot, probably.)

Overall, "Women of the Word" by Wilkin may be a stronger title in this genre, simply for its practicality in equipping women to truly study the Bible and not just bring their own feelings and emotions to one cherry-picked verse of the week from Hobby Lobby. But these books are not in competition, and anything that inspires women to be Strong Theologians is helpful. No more "little women," is still a good goal.

[Kristen Yoder · Rating 5 out of 5]

Five stars for her questions and boldness, not because I agreed with everything. Her Baptist theology comes through at various times, but her goal of repeatedly coming back to Scripture is excellent. This is definitely worth taking the time to read.

[Becky · Rating 5 out of 5]

No Little Women is an engaging read for men and women. In the book, Byrd argues that men in the church (pastors, elders, etc.) need to be more aware of books being marketed to the women in their congregations, more discerning of what books are being read by women in their study groups or book clubs. Byrd also argues that women--whether in position of leadership or not--need to be more discerning of what they read. All books are not of equal quality. Bad theology, she warns, is entering our homes, our churches, our very minds because we lack discernment.

This book isn't just about bad books, however. It's about men and women doing church together, learning or not learning from one another. The segregation that exists--for better or worse--when churches insist on having separate "women's ministries."

This book addresses women's roles a good bit. Byrd argues that women are necessary allies for men.

Byrd is very honest and straightforward. She calls us to stop being nice, to stop being tolerant, and to take a stand for the truth. We are to be men and women of the Word. And we are to know the Word. We are to judge by the Word. What we read--outside the Bible--should be informed by the Bible. We should insist that truths line up. That the "Christian" books we read--whether self-help, christian living, theology, or devotional--be biblical.

Byrd assumes that her readers attend churches where only men are pastors and hold leadership positions, and that there are no women pastors. For better or worse, she makes this assumption.

[Loraena · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is needed. Initially, I was a bit turned off by the title - it seemed a bit...cutesy or something, implying that women are...something less. Then my husband ordered three copies of it - unbeknownst to me - and I was touched that he is invested in the topic and intrigued to read it. It turns out my assumptions were wrong. Would I have chosen a different title? Perhaps. But the phrase "no little women" turns out to be a translation from 2 Timothy 3:6-7 (often translated weak) not a reference to Meg & Jo.

This book is a game changer. A must-read for Christian women everywhere, especially thinkers and leaders AND it's also a book for men. She writes directly to women desiring to be competent with the Word and to male officers of the church. The sections on male/female friendship and mutual sharpening were powerful and her critique of the Christian publishing industry and its unscriptural compartmentalizations of male & female thought/theology/bible study is superb, but her tone throughout is respectful and reasoned.

She also follows all the thought-threads (it's a pet peeve of mine when authors don't do this) and the clarity she brings to this conversation is such a breath of fresh air. I had no idea how well this book would address questions I've been wrestling with for a decade and I know I'll be mulling and processing for a while.

My one complaint is that she comes across as uncharitable towards many other female writers. For all her advocacy for women to be taken seriously, she seems a bit harsh. It is important to read with discernment and to have skills to study and engage scripture with competence, yet it appears almost as if she's dismissive of some writers simply because they are bestselling and some of her critiques come across as a bit petty.

In the second to last chapter, she gives concrete examples from current best-selling books as illustration of the need for more clarity in writing. I understand what she was trying to do, but her example doesn't hold up with all those excerpts taken out of context. For example, she includes something from Ann Voskamp back-to-back with something from Rachel Held Evans. A reader who has not read the books in question might come away thinking they are both questionable authors. But I have read both books, and Aimee's approach here is problematic, though I appreciate her efforts to be practical. Ann Voskamp may have an unorthodox style that some struggle to understand, but her theology is deeply Christ-centered and thoroughly orthodox. She has a gift for taking deep truths about God and connecting them with life. She is skilled at showing how theology is functional and personal, in an artful, poetic way (this is where she loses some of her more linear-thinking readers). Women should not have to write in a more masculine style to be taken seriously. It's true that some people struggle to understand her writing, but that is because she artistically connects her theology to her personal life in a way we, quite frankly, are often unskilled at doing and unfamiliar seeing done. Rachel Held Evans, on the other hand, takes issue with inerrancy, perspicuity, and the cohesiveness of scripture - her books are theologically problematic far beyond a lack of clarity.

Overall, the helpfulness of this book far outweighs my concerns. This book provides valuable insights and will hopefully be a great tool for conversation. I want to read it again, this time with friends, and hopefully not just women.

[Jeanie · Rating 5 out of 5]

For among them are those who creep into households and capture weak women, burned with sins and lead astray by various passions. 2 Timothy 3:6 As women with influence with our families, church, and community, are we coming to the knowledge of the truth.

Sobering words and they should be for each woman whom calls themselves a Christian. A solid book that will challenge you (and we need to be challenged) and also encourage you (we need hope to carry on) to not grow weary in doing good. Each chapter challenges women and pastors to the importance of theology and how it produces good and true works. It takes the sacred cow of Women's ministry (I love women's ministry by the way) and helps look deeper in our purpose. This is so important because if it does not align with the general purpose of the church, than its another club where false teaching can creep in. The general purpose and the general purpose of this text is how live in the presence of God. The pastors are challenged as well in caring for the women of the church and validating their important role in families and the body. How well does your pastor know what is being taught and how it is being received.

One of the key points is how we recruit women leaders. Do we serve them first or do we call them to serve first? This is key because we can only serve if we have been served. Jesus was an example of this important point.

As with all ministries, do we make Jesus about who He is. Our ministries cannot be just about self-help but they must point to who Jesus is. Our need for salvation and they way and work of Christ.

Do we operate as women as men's opponent or men's ally? Do we compete or compliment? Not only does this apply to our households but also in the household of God.

The text also encourages discernment among teachers and well-known authors. Here are a few quotes. See if this rings true or not and why.

I don't punish people for sin. Sin is its own punishment, devouring you from the inside. It's not my purpose to punish it. It's my joy to cure it.

She takes well known excerpts and shows you exactly what is lacking in theology which is truth. You may have a favorite author or book that sheds some light to the damage it does. What is that damage? We can forget the gospel and make it about something else. When we make it about something else, it becomes an idol. I am always wary of the woman author who has a large following. Why? Because many times it becomes about the woman or the cause. Byrd challenges you to think critically about the implications of false teaching. Do not be offended if it is your favorite author but ask is truth important? With a resounding Yes it is and we must always pursue it. We must repent when we take lies as truth and rejoice in the truth. This is something we all will do. It is there. The truth always leads to Christ and his work. It is not a popularity contest on the way it sounds poetic or how funny, or witty someone is. Or even all the good works they do. Because to be honest, many who do not follow Christ do good works. It does not lead to our self-improvement or comfort. If anything, truth can be the most uncomfortable of all.

I appreciate the journey that Aimee gives her readers for the truth and the joy that is found.

A Special Thank you to P & R and Netgalley for the ARC and the opportunity to post an honest review.

[Jan]

? stars
VT 2017 Reading Challenge - a book targeted at your gender
Good book with lots to ponder. I had typed up a review but apparently forgot to save it because when I came back to finish it it was gone. :-( Not sure when I'll have time to retype it.
It definitely makes me want to finish reading Mortimer Adler's "How to Read a Book" and (re)read several books by James Sire, Leland Ryken, C.S. Lewis, etc. to be a better reader. (Obviously, chapter 8 was one of my favorites!)

[Laura · Rating 2 out of 5]

So... I wanted to like this book. It raised a lot of the right questions, but I didn't feel like it provided many answers. Just when I would get excited about the questions she was asking, the chapter would end or the subject would change. I feel like Aimee played it pretty safe. I will give her credit for calling out some specific passages from female authors that exhibit troublesome theology or at least a lack of concern for good theology.

My other concern is that critiquing what's wrong with certain authors is going to make people who love those authors defensive, if they even bother to read Byrd's book at all. I think if we want women to love theology, we keep fighting bad with good. Write good theology, make it compelling and honest, and invest your energy in your local church as a teacher and learner. I know Aimee Byrd does those things well, too, and I expected this to be more of a manifesto for those who want to join her, but I didn't see this book that way.

[Dana · Rating 5 out of 5]

Aimee offers us a straight up shot without a sugar coated rim. This practical book is the heart of Aimee's passion. Equipping women to be good theologians through discernment in reading and listening. She gives wonderful examples of women right from scripture and the history of the church. She even gives practical advice for pastors on preaching to women, as well. Honoring and challenging us to be Necessary Allies not only to our husbands but to the church as a whole. Please read this, and pass it on to your pastors!

[Laurie Reyes · Rating 3 out of 5]

I strongly agree with her premise - that women need to be serious about theology, doctrine, etc. I did not like that she referred to certain Christian women as “false teachers” leading women astray. Even though I probably wouldn’t invest time in reading many of the authors she refers to, I still respect their love for Jesus and their fidelity to the gospel. It felt unnecessarily critical and arrogant.

[Amanda · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book is subtitled "Equipping All Women" but should be subtitled "Equipping Complementarian Women". If you read this book from an egalitarian perspective, you will not get much new stuff out of it. Women had serious roles in the Bible? Women were made for more than quick, light devos over tea? Yeah, we already knew that. I just expected more from a book that is so highly reviewed.

[Danielle · Rating 4 out of 5]

My pastor interviewed Aimee Byrd on his podcast and that was where I was introduced to her writing.

I go back between giving this book a 3 star to 4 star rating but landed on a 4 star because it was SO thought-provoking. This book had a lot of great points and there was MUCH I agreed with. There were some large portions I disagreed with too. I'm not going into much detail here because honestly, I'm still processing it and am planning on processing/discussing it with my pastor.

I will say, I appreciated her call for women to be serious theologians, her treatment of the Hebrew word ezer, her dealing with ontological Trinity and critique of "biblical womanhood" and the dangers that are within that circle, as well as the importance of women teaching (yes, teaching men), especially in parachurch settings.

My biggest issues was that I feel like at times her critique of books at the end were leading and the excerpts taken out of context. She acknowledges a book is far better to be sized up in its entirety but goes on to do an exercise of "triage" which at times was simply not helpful, I think. I realize she was trying to do an exercise of discernment, but I have some mixed feelings/thoughts about that. Also, I would have loved to see some women's theological writing praised, instead of just critiqued. Although she mentions there are many wonderful female writers out there, she doesn't point the reader to hardly any.

Also, I don't think I always agreed with her definition of bad theology. I acknowledge that there are legitimate different theologies than mine that may not qualify as "bad." I'm not being subjective here, but in terms of different views of gifts of the spirit, for example, I can acknowledge that there can be differences without calling someone with that belief a heretic, for example.

So all in all, this is a very thought-provoking, thoughtful book that deserves a reading for those who are interested in women teaching, growing in theology, and taken seriously in serving the church.

[Caitie · Rating 2 out of 5]

Ultimately this book fell short for me. I appreciate the direction I *think* the author was trying to travel in - to argue for the theological equipping of the church as a whole, not just leadership, and making sure to include women in that because we have been neglected in this regard, especially in certain circles and denominations - this is a wonderful and important subject. But the method did not quite line up with the premise here. A really strange thing that kept appearing and jarring me as a reader was Byrd’s condescending tone and attitude toward women. This was just plain odd considering the subject matter of her book...and the fact that she is a woman herself. There was an air of superiority throughout the text, as if she were implying that women as a category are gullible and extra prone to swallowing bad theology without discernment (with the rare exception of herself). There is even a section where she teaches the reader how to read a book, which seems odd and out of place in a book where the previous chapters have all been aimed at educated pastors and church leadership. Don’t get me wrong, I think the effort to help others read critically is important, but that section seemed like it would have been more at home in a middle school or high school classroom. In that context I would cheer for it! In this context, it was a little insulting. Does anyone who picked up THIS book really need reading lessons?

There are some gems in this book as well, and I don’t want to neglect those. Byrd does argue for the capability of women in many sections (albeit a little confusingly, given her tone and perceived attitude about women in other chapters). She advocates for women being able and allowed to pursue and use their giftings in the context of the church, as well as parachurch organizations and in other contexts, even acknowledging that women can teach men in some contexts. She holds to the usual reformed interpretation that women can’t be pastors, but she does acknowledge that women, like men, can also be gifted Bible teachers and should be encouraged to pursue and develop these gifts and skills for the edification of the body in other contexts besides the Sunday pulpit. I also thought her treatment of feminism was mostly fair, which I’m sure was a tricky road to walk in her position. There were hints in her writing that pointed at a pretty extreme conservative background, so I think the fact that she wrote this book at all is brave. I also appreciated the section on “theological triage” - though this concept is not original to her, I like that she mentions keeping the main thing the main thing and not getting overly hung up on the details to the point where we alienate our brothers and sisters in Christ. Except...again, she seems to say one thing and do another. I’ll explain.

I think the main two things I kept running into that made me unable to give this book more stars were the condescending tone and the nitpicky legalism. Though she says much about ordering doctrine according to importance and taking care not to elevate minor matters of disagreement over major matters of agreement, Byrd is steeped in legalism, and it leaks out in every chapter in a way that leaves a bad taste in my mouth. In several sections, she attacks and rants about books written by other Christian women in ways that appear more harmful and hateful than constructive. I wish instead of attacking other women who love the Lord and seek earnestly to serve Him, she would have read the books she is criticizing a little more closely. Often Byrd calls out things out of context and seems to miss the author’s connection of her point to Scripture, or she misreads the passage entirely and assigns a foreign motive not organically present in the text. Example: Byrd asserts that authors such as Jen Hatmaker, Beth Moore, and Sarah Young, because they write about insights the Holy Spirit has revealed to them in the Scriptures, are trying to put their words and insight on the same level as Scripture/to write more Scripture. Any actual reading of these authors would reveal that this is a pretty ridiculous misreading and mischaracterization. This isn’t an effective way to point out theological differences or even heresy. Her mishandling of others’ work just made me want to go read it for myself (the ones I hadn’t yet anyway) to get a more balanced picture and discern for myself whether these texts are really as horrible as she says.

Perhaps the most jarring example of Byrd’s legalism comes when she goes on a tirade about the recent trend of Bible journaling. I understand the suggestion that perhaps collaging and doodling over the Scriptures could be something that obscures the Word in some cases. However, many women who do the Bible journaling and doodling seem to keep a separate Bible to do this in that is not their study Bible. Byrd is palpably upset about the entire situation of art being anywhere near the Bible. At one point, she actually says something about how whimsy has no place in studying the Word of God. As if all joy is evil and must be avoided! It sounds funny, but this notion is actually pretty insidious. Our God is the creator of joy, of beauty, of creativity, of art, and yes - of whimsy! It is a very dangerous trap to fall into when we begin to believe that any and all joy, beauty, etc. is tantamount to sin. This attitude very often gives way to the extremely damaging belief that, when discerning the will of God, the path that makes us most miserable must be the true one. Please avoid this line of thinking, for your own spiritual health.

My advice: do as Byrd says, not as she does. Read her own book with a critical eye, careful to spit out the bones. Then you will be able to absorb the good without swallowing the bad theology. Just don’t read it expecting it to answer the question of what the role of women is in the church, or the role of women in general, or if you are already a woman of deep and rich study in the Word and other books of substance. You might be a little bit disappointed.

[Kim · Rating 4 out of 5]

Aimee Byrd hits hard with her latest book, swinging at the fluffy feel good women's studies and women's books that have no substance, and are quite dangerous because of this. She starts out with a little rehash of her "Housewife Theologian" and "Theological Fitness" for those who didn't read her first books, and quickly gets into the meaty portions of the dangers of being a "Little Woman", why the Christian publishing market panders to them (and how), how & why we need to be critical readers, and lastly how and why we are to sit under good preaching as well. As usual, she uses solid scripture and both historic and current theologians to back up her claims (while dismantling woman authors who don't to the same). This book is different from her first two in that she is also writing to the church pastors and elders at the same time she is talking to the women (especially women's group leaders), and points out why it's important to address these topics in their churches and gives them a female perspective to think about. In short, care about the ladies in your churches and be involved in what they are teaching each other or sharing with each other.

One criticism I have is that she paints such currently popular authors such as Jen Hatmaker, Lysa TurKeurst, Stormie Omartian, Beth Moore, and the like as being somewhat malicious in misleading little women, as if they and their publishers know they are theologically lite or incorrect and are trying to lead them down the path to destruction. I don't necessarily agree with this; I just think these ladies have good intentions, but their lack of solid theology and research and probably gospel-less preaching they've been given has led them down the feel-good best-life-now road. With all the commotion being raised over "The Shack" movie and book-tie-in in recent weeks, I'm glad she also addressed this book too.

I've always hated the books geared to Christian women in the bookstores. In the past I just thought they were a bit fluffy and devoid of any real substance and I just didn't learn much other than emotional garbage. Byrd's first two books were the first to get me excited about a woman author talking to women, because she was the first to talk real substance and was bold in her theology. This book pinned down what I was craving and why, and unfortunately I see too many ladies falling into the Christian version of chick-lit and I see the downfall of that in our churches today. Great read for both men and women in the church!

[Kae · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm only about halfway through this book, so perhaps I shouldn't say anything yet. So far, I think the author has some very good points, but often makes them with a snarky attitude. I liked her book Housewife Theologian much better.
However, one thing I can't get over and what prompted this review is how the editors at P & R allow so many of Aimee Byrd's sentences to end in a preposition! She is quick to point out the flaws in the theology of "little women," but does so without even using proper grammar....
Update: Still working my way through this and I am nearly finished. I REALLY liked the chapter on reading, based on Adler's classic work, How to Read a Book. I liked the idea of "triage" for discerning truth and error. I think, though, that Aimee dropped the ball when she used excerpts from books that she had problems with--in most cases, she did not explain what she thought was wrong with them, exactly. Yes, I know you are supposed to be triaging them yourself, but if she is trying to teach us how to do it, she should be specific the first time through. It's like getting answers wrong on a test and the teacher does not give you the right answer when she grades the test. Or turning in a research paper and getting a poor grade on it without getting any comments written on it to tell you why you got the poor grade. Again, I know you are supposed to figure it out for yourself, but SHOW how, then next time we can work it through....
Another grammatical error (p. 259): "There is all kinds of research that points...." No. "There ARE all kinds of research" OR "There IS research. " Where are the editors??
One more beef with P & R.... This is a nice book, physically. Great cover picture, good quality. EXCEPT.... there should be a blank page after the book ends. I think it is a sign of a "cheap" book when it ends with the last printed page.
All of that said, I would recommend this book to my pastor and to some other women. I believe that what Aimee Byrd was trying to get across was valid, and I was convicted about some of my tendencies to be a "little woman." I definitely need more discernment.

[Angie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I generally steer clear of books aimed at women in the religion category, because so many are all just fluff, and most are filled with bad theology. But I've got to say, if you want a book to encourage you to dig deep into discernment read this one. It will most likely offend you if you like many of the popular Christian authors publishing lately. But maybe it will inspire you to take a hard look at what you're reading, compare it to the Word and see how it truly measures up.

[Wes Bredenhof · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thought provoking! Probably so for women, but definitely for pastors and elders.

[Abigail · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book had a lot of helpful, thoughtful encouragement about what formal and informal ministry to women could look like in conservative confessional churches and how to wrestle with the good and bad that can result in parachurch ministry. I think I kind of wanted this to be a harder hitting Women of the Word by Jen Wilkin, and it was not that. I found some of her exhortations a bit pedantic - for example, her long discussion about Ministry vs. ministry vs. "initiatives," while thought provoking, seemed incredibly overboard in the context of most churches I've been part of. She really tackles a lot of the issues surrounding women's spiritual growth and discipleship, and I loved her take on parachurch ministry (either it is church or it isn't! If it's a church, then ordain people and administer the sacraments/ordinances of the church! If it's not, then why are there only men on your leadership boards? Why are women more likely to lead a breakout than a plenary?). Since women are by and large reading a lot more than men and reading a lot more pop theology than their church leaders can keep up with, I really appreciate that she also looks at how to train women to read well. Don't just give them a list of what to read and what not to read, but train them to engage and figure out what is worth keeping or discarding, and how to discern what's a Really Big Disagreement and what's a minor quibble.

Once I made peace with this not being a more intense Women of the Word, I really struggled with the hidden assumptions present that reflect the background of the church and denomination of the author. As a fellow smart, thoughtful woman with strong personality and communication gifts, I can relate very much to the author but I feel really burdened that literacy is not something we should take for granted. I review this from my couch in North Carolina, where 22% of the adult population experiences difficulty with reading and writing to a degree that negatively impacts their daily life and that of their family. A discussion of women's discipleship that focuses only on sharpening the skills of the people who already read seems short sighted. On the other hand, "readers are leaders," and if the people who are willing to devote their time to reading can just do so in a better manner, it certainly will benefit the church as a whole. As someone who has often spent time in churches that were a compromise with my husband (which is true of more than half of the wives I know; we've often bid our time in churches that were NOT what we would have picked alone), many of her discussions would have left me feeling a little helpless and powerless. What do you do if you're really an Anglican or Presbyterian at heart but you live in a small town with few options and you're invested in an E-Free church without the robust guidance of church officers? One book can't solve every problem, for sure, but it would have been nice to see that kind of thing touched on. I would have loved to see a more robust critique of some of the more conservative material marketed to women, too. She did a great job of pointing out issues within the conservative side of gender discussions (like a few brief discussions of the inherent theological discrepancies in Council for Biblical Manhood and Womanhood), but when it came to book reviews, it seemed like she slammed against a lot of more liberal writers (Jen Hatmaker, Rachel Held Evans, etc.,) while lumping much less harmful (and often edifying) works (Beth Moore, Ann Voskamp, etc.,) in the same stroke. I was pleased to see her speak against the work of Debi Pearl's Created To Be His Helpmeet, for instance, but would have liked to see more robust critical engagement with works in the mainstream of complementarian theology.

I'll give this four stars because she does a great job of asking and expecting people to engage with her ideas without demanding they agree with her entirely. While she comes across as condescending in some places, she does not do so in ways that shame people who disagree with her entirely.

[Olanma Ogbuehi · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is one of those books that, "...had me at hello..." to slightly abuse the quote from the film Jerry Maguire. I know of Aimee Byrd's work through her, "Housewife Theologian" blog and through the "Mortification of spin" podcast. Therefore, I was anticipating a book that was well researched, thoughtful and provocative, but thoroughly Biblical and to borrow from her blog title, theological. I was not disappointed in any respect.

Aimee Byrd does not pull her punches she tackles the subject head on about the kind of women Christian women ought not to be, from the pen of the Apostle Paul, that is, "...weak women (gullible women) burdened with sins and led astray by various passions, always learning but never able to come to a knowledge of the truth." [2 Tim 3: 6-7]. This is the apostle Paul seemingly at his most maddeningly unpolitically correct. However, the author opens up the Scripture and shows that this is a warning for Christian women to avoid these pitfalls; by instead becoming good students of God's word.

Byrd shows the wider context of Scripture, with a high view of God and His image bearers male and female human beings, men and women. Women are held in high esteem as 'suitable helpers', which Byrd renders, 'necessary allies' of men, with good warrant.

Throughout the book Byrd makes it clear that theology is for women; biblical doctrine is for women, drawing on the teaching of the Bible itself and referencing theologians past and present. The book does not have a badgering tone but it pleads with women to take their role in being good students of God's word seriously. She also exhorts pastors to take seriously their responsibility for instructing women in sound doctrine and for guarding the flock from errant theology that might slip through via 'women's ministries' left to their own devices: seeing this pastoral neglect. I really favour the terminology of 'women's initiatives' that the author suggests, to emphasise the priority of the pastoral office on the ministry of word and 'sacrament'.

There is a well reasoned discussion of the place of parachurch organisations in the Christian life and on the primacy of the local church in that capacity.

There was so much that I really liked about the message in this book. It contains encouragement, exhortation and rebuke for me. There is no room for passivity and complacency. I was challenged to read, the Bible, to listen attentively to the preaching of the Bible to, study to show myself approved, as it were. As an educator I resonated with Byrd's call for us to be active readers and to be critical readers.

I would rate 4.5 stars only because there were some debatable details about how a pastor may engage people (women in particular) during sermons. Some people are good at eye contact and others are a bit awkward, for instance, but I would argue that it is the words I hear, admittedly with the benefit of meaningful inflection, which have an impact on me. However, full marks for all of the practical suggestions of how women can come alongside other women, and men (including the church office holders) in the congregation. It was also good to provide suggestions of how pastors can promote the development of sound doctrine among their sisters in Christ, how they can learn from them and protect them as undershepherds of Christ.

Definitely recommended for men and women in the church.

[Christina · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow. Before diving into this book, I was intrigued and a little skeptical. After finishing it, I was amazed at much this book exceeded every expectation (in a good way). I am immensely grateful towards Aimee Byrd in writing such a relevant book for the current generations of Christian women (and everyone in the church) to listen in on. She properly exposes the serious crisis of just plain toxic Christian doctrine and theology present in so many Christian books, particularly geared towards women.

I have been passionate about this problem for many years, and for that reason I am reluctant to read any Christian book written about women, for women, or by women. I gravitate towards Timothy Keller, C.S. Lewis, Jonathan Edwards, A.W. Tozer, and J.I. Packer - my main men. I eat up their words and theology and I leave little room on my bookshelf for any book that has "woman" in the title or is written by a female author. This is because I've been so angry at the lack of sound doctrine in so many Christian books, especially those addressed to women.

Aimee properly addresses all of this, and does so in such a through and authentic way. She is bold and brave and I admire her passion. Her passion is not rooted in pride or "feminism" or a faulty view of submission and "biblical womanhood." No, her passion is rooted in the Word of God and the desire to properly address false teaching and hold all women to a higher standard of sound doctrine and theology. She has personal experience with being exposed to false doctrine as an early believer and being treated as "less than" as a woman who shouldn't "worry about theology." She cares about this from both an intellectual and emotional perspective and her effort to write a book on the subject was not only valiant but successful. I am thankful for every chapter she wrote, the wealth of other authors that she pulled from, and how the heart of every argument was centered on the Word of truth.

My only critique of the book is that some of the organization was difficult to follow. This is understandable, given the plethora of topics Aimee wanted to cover and the desire to address each one properly and in a biblically sound way. The organization didn't subtract from her message, it just made it a little difficult to read systematically or to predict what would come next (either within a given chapter or between chapters).

All in all, this book challenged me to think critically, properly handle Scripture with care, and teach women (and men) sound doctrine. I left this book being even more heated about false doctrine, but zealous to expose it. I left encouraged to read more, challenge more, and equip all of the women I know to be critical thinkers as it relates to the Christian teaching they are being fed. Thank you Aimee for making such a significant impact in my journey as a woman believer, frustrated by very similar things. I felt listened to. Thank you also for your contributions to the Mortification of Spin podcast - I have enjoyed listening to that over the past couple of years and it has only contributed to my spiritual growth and has refined my critical thinking skills. Thank you!

[Jo · Rating 2 out of 5]

The author states the theme of this book very plainly: “We should want to equip competent, theologically minded, thinking women” (p. 138). She addresses several issues related to this, including the way church leaders should integrate women’s initiatives into the church as a whole, the huge amounts of devotional literature of varying qualities marketed to women, and the idea of women being necessary allies to men in the Christian life.

When I started reading this book, I felt like Aimee Byrd might be a kindred spirit (and I still think she might be). As a woman who wants to love God with all my mind, I could relate to her premise and the struggles she has faced in that pursuit - begging for women to be taken seriously, and bogged down on the other hand in the reality that, yes, women as a whole do seem to willingly consume a whole lot of the biblically unsound stuff that is marketed to them.

Even though the diagnosis of the problem seemed spot-on to me, I also felt the book was unfocused - like she was split between arguing for women to be taken seriously by their brothers in Christ, and chastising women for not thinking enough about what they read, and chasing down some theological trails (like the issues she has with complementarianism and the eternal subordination of the Son). All that made me feel like she was going too many directions, and I could never get a sense of the flow of her argument. (On page 138 when she literally said, “...which has been the theme of this whole book,” I said “Ah!” and wrote it down, because I’m not sure I could have told you that up to that point.) The last chapter was a talk she had given to a group of seminary students about how to preach to women, with a section tacked on at the end advising women on how to listen to preaching. It just felt too cobbled together.

Finally, I didn’t care for the way she handled criticizing other women’s writings. She didn’t really engage with any of the writers, just cherry-picked a few things to show you how bad they were (plucked out of context). Maybe they are bad. But I honestly can’t say I feel like they got a fair shake in this book. And in one unhelpful section, she lays out a bunch of quotes for readers to practice being discerning about - but then she doesn’t tell you straight up what she thinks is wrong with them! Some of them I didn’t have that much of a problem with, but I knew Byrd thought I should have a problem with them - it was just confusing and unhelpful. I was also left with the feeling that Byrd might be a bit unbalanced in her view of the place of emotions and experience in the Christian life. I do think the Lord uses the Word primarily to grow us as Christians, but also uses other means.

This is a long review, mostly because I had a lot of mixed feelings as I read this book. I know I mostly voiced the things I struggled or disagreed with, but there is a lot to think about here, and much of it is solid. I also appreciate that Byrd clearly does care about the health of all members of the church. It’s one of those books that brings up a lot of good issues, but didn’t quite seem to deliver on the answers.

[Courtney Stuart · Rating 1 out of 5]

This book was sent to me to review from Netgalley, so I don't have specific page numbers, but have given the location number ( LOC ####) from my Kindle to highlight quotes. Thank you to the publisher for allowing me to review this book.



Evangelical Christians are not generally expected to be critical thinkers. LOC1254

Very true. And so it is with a heavy heart that I must write about this book. The overwhelming feeling of this book is that Byrd is so wrapped up in rules and regulations that she misses out on the joy of discovery and understanding our Creator God.

Several times Byrd makes it clear that she doesn’t accept the ordination of women to the “capital M ministry.” There are many roles for women in the church but Scripture makes it clear that the offices of elder and pastor are not among them. (see 1 Timothy 2:12) But this interpretation of Scripture is just that, an interpretation which is the action of explaining the meaning or way of explaining. Another way of seeing this verse is to look at the whole context of the letter. The church in Ephesus was having troubles with people teaching and preaching false doctrine. Paul was teaching the church in Ephesus that people were to sit quietly and hear the truth of the gospel as Paul had taught his chosen leaders to teach it. It becomes clearer in 1 Timothy that a number of women were teaching these misleading philosophies. This is the reason he wrote that women were to sit quietly and not have authority over a man. But if this is really the rules that Paul wanted every church to follow, why didn’t he write about it in his other epistles? Why does Paul write to nine different churches but only restrict women in three? He didn’t write it because it wasn’t an issue in the other churches. Paul wrote to Timothy about the issue because it was plaguing the Ephesus church. Paul wanted to correct unbiblical teaching being given by the women. Some of these rebellious women were disrupting the meetings, attempting to teach their false doctrine; Paul put an end to it by telling the women to shut up! But he never meant that a woman couldn’t be a pastor or a leader of the church. Paul wrote to specific churches about specific problems.


The phase they are not allowed to speak does not clarify the issue. The verb lalein (to speak) is too general to refer to any particular kind of speaking. It is used of tongues (27) and also prophecy (29) and refers equally to the questions with which women might interrupt a discourse. So general is the word that the suggestion that Paul is merely referring her to irregular talking, be it chattering, calling to children, soothing or more often rebuking babies, or interjecting a remark or query, cannot be ruled out.
New International Bible Commentary. Based on the NIV
F.F.Bruce, General Editor 1979



The churches didn’t have what we call the New Testament; at best they had a letter or two from Paul to read out aloud at meetings. Out of 44 writers of the Bibles 66 books, only Paul restricted women and only in a couple of locations. We are not to take this verse and misconstrue its meaning. Women are often gifted and called to be exceptional elders and pastors.

I strongly dislike Byrd’s way of blackening the names of women who have had a huge impact on the Christian world. She claims that Aimee Semple McPherson had herself claimed new revelation from God, as if she wanted to add to the canon of the Bible. But that is misrepresenting Aimee Semple McPherson’s words. Now undoubtedly Byrd has an issue with Semple McPherson who had no problem with women being ordained because of her history with the Salvation Army and their stance that women can and should be in leadership. But to say that she claimed special revelation from God when it is blatantly obvious that she meant she felt led by God’s Word to lead people to Jesus is just outrageous.

And to attack Sarah Young for a writing method meant to encourage readers to imagine Jesus talking to them directly is ridiculous. Sarah Young writes truth from Scripture in a first person style. She has never claimed that she was being given new Scriptural revelation. One might wonder at what Mrs. Byrd’s view on Eugene Peterson’s interpretation of the Bible called The Message might be.

So if all Christians agree that it is normative for God to speak, the disagreement is merely over method, says Seth Barnes, founder of Adventures in Missions. The Bible promises that God speaks through the closed canon of Scripture. But that doesn’t confine God to speaking only through the written word. “God is going to speak however he chooses,” Barnes says. “At the same time we know that God is personal and is very clear in Scripture that ‘my sheep hear my voice.’”
Christianity Today, 10 /1 / 2013


Beth Moore, of Living Proof Ministries has a pretty rock solid statement of faith clearly set out on their webpage www.lproof.org . It seems petty to complain about her story telling style as teaching wrong theology, when all she is striving to do is to make the truth of the Bible more easily applicable to a modern ear.

It is important for us to learn what God has communicated about himself; that he is one being, one Godhead, in three ‘persons’ – namely the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. The Lord God is one. The Father is God, the Son is God and the Holy Spirit is God. They are not three separate beings. LOC 2558

In Christian theology, a hypostasis or person is one of the three persons of the Trinity. The three persons are distinct, yet one in “substance, essence or nature” ( homoousios). There is only one God in three persons, distinct from each other – Father who generates, the Son who is begotten and the Holy Spirit who proceeds, co-equal and co-eternal. Each is God, whole and entire.


If an author is not in line with what God says about himself, then you should have serious doubts about what she is teaching you. LOC 2572

I think that many of the differences I have with Mrs. Byrd’s statements comes down to points of view. She claims people are saying one thing, and I interpret what they say through a very different lens. I think that she is right about us taking theology much more seriously; we should wrestle with everything we are taught. But my opinion is that Byrd is taking things other people say and express way out of context to stir up controversy for controversy’s sake. I did agree with her exhorting preachers and pastors to take ministries focusing on women more seriously. I appreciated that each section of the book finished with questions to further provoke thought and understanding. I just don’t agree with a lot of what she teaches, but I think that should be seen as a victory for this book. It made me search my Bible and explore histories and look for meaning rather than just gullibly accepting what she has written, which was her underlying goal.

Read and do your own research of this book, don’t blindly accept everything that is taught to you.


For further reading:

10 Lies the Church Tells Women J. Lee Grady 2000, 2006
Published by Charisma House


Fashioned to Reign - Kris Vallotton 2013
Published by Chosen Books

[Lauren Duke · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book poses lots of great questions and attempts to answer them as well. Even though I don’t land exactly where the author does, her points and questions are worth all church members (not just women) to consider.

She states women are necessary allies in the mission of the church. And while I think she’d describe her self as complementarian, she does so within limits. Pushing back on main stream evangelicalism leaders who have stated that women are to submit to men in ALL circumstances- not just church and home life.

“We must ask, where is this taught in God’s word”. A very simple yet profound question.

Chapters 4-6 are worth the price of admission for the whole book.

Chapter 4 discuss how the church ministers to all members and attempts to question the validly of “women’s ministries”. Something I’ve wondered in the past. There is typically no “men’s ministry” so why is the distinction needed. And can what we label as “ministry” really be thought of in that way. A church I attended once had a “Women’s Bible Study” that was reading a Trim Healthy Momma- diet/lifestyle book. I couldn’t imagine a church reading a Microbrew at home book and labeling it a “Bible Study”.

Women should be encouraged to grow in sound doctrine and theology just as the men so they can participate as necessary allies in the Ministry of the church.

Once I’m again, I don’t agree with her every conclusion. But she brings up many great points and questions to ask.

[Sarah Fowler Wolfe · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really helpful and highly recommended for women (in leadership or not), pastors, and elders. Points out some common errors in women's ministries and popular Bible studies, and gives practical solutions. She addresses preaching, pastoring, discernment in choosing studies as well as really excellent encouragement on knowing scripture and both reading and listening with discernment. Reformed and complementarian, deeply anchored in scripture. A very encouraging read.

[Harriet · Rating 4 out of 5]

Although I didn’t agree with every detail, this was a really good book. Byrd diagnosed the problem well (ie women often not being given good theology and being easily swayed by false teachers) and gives lots of practical tips. The book covers a lot, from tips to reading books to tips for listening to sermons. I’d recommend women in the church to read this, as well as church leaders who are addressed throughout the book in how they approach the church’s ministry to women.

[Ciara Anderson · Rating 5 out of 5]

More intelligent insights by Aimee Byrd challenging women to take up their place in the church without falling into the traps of liberal thought.

[Lance Kinzer · Rating 3 out of 5]

There is a lot to like about this book - I'd give it 3.5 stars if I could.

[Angie Shoemaker · Rating 4 out of 5]

I felt like the author took things I’ve been thinking about for years and put them into MUCH better words than I ever could. I would love it if our pastors could read this book!

[Callie]

Previously read and recommended this book, but unfortunately Aimee Byrd’s current positions (via Twitter) no longer seem to match up with this book (which I thought was solid at the time I read it 6+ years ago). Considering the authors shifting focus/positions, I unfortunately have to say I don’t recommend it anymore.