Women and God: Hard Questions, Beautiful Truth

by Kathleen B. Nielson

What does the Bible really say about women?
Is God somewhat sexist?
Is there a way to see what God says in this area not only as true, but also as beautiful?

In this warm, conversational, sympathetic book, Kathleen Nielson asks the hard questions on this most emotive subject, showing how truth can not just be believed, but enjoyed. Women of all backgrounds, views, and ages will want to read this crucial book.

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

188 pages, Paperback

First published February 1, 2018

About the author

see also: Kathleen Buswell Nielson

A native of St. Louis, Missouri, Kathleen Nielson holds M.A. and Ph.D. degrees in literature from Vanderbilt University and a B.A. from Wheaton College (Illinois). She has taught in the English departments at Vanderbilt University, Bethel College (Minnesota), and Wheaton College. She is the author of numerous Bible studies, and the book Bible Study: Following the Ways of the Word, as well as various articles and poems. Kathleen has directed and taught women s Bible studies at several churches and speaks extensively at conferences and retreats. She serves as director of women s initiatives for The Gospel Coalition and on the board of directors of The Charles Simeon Trust. Kathleen and her husband Niel (president of Covenant College 2002 2012, now leading an enterprise in global Christian education) have three sons, two beautiful daughters-in-law, and a growing number of grandchildren!

Reviews

[Francine · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book made me cry out of love for Jesus. The best read I’ve done on the subject of women and God. Praise the Lord for Nielson’s gracious words!

[Andrea · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you've ever read and been confused about some of the verses in the Bible concerning women, like those in Deut. 21 or 1 Cor. 14, this book "Women & God" seeks to provide clarity. I appreciate that this book was written as it's such an important and relevant topic, with the trending #MeToo, #TimesUp, and "The Future is Female". Does God see women as equal to men?

The author does a good job of giving a "big picture" view, starting with Genesis and threading the gospel-focus throughout. Personally, I would have liked more in-depth answers to some of verses discussed, as I was often left with more questions. However, this book is a readable (not overwhelming in size or writing style) and helpful overview on the topic of women & God.

[May · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really, really, really good, careful and thorough treatment of what the Bible says about women. The author does this with great reverence towards what the Scriptures say as a whole and with great tact towards the spectrum of thoughts out there. Very practical, honest questions are not skirted but directly pointed to the Scripture, which at times is clear and at times left open to cultural and situational interpretation. What you come away with is a holistic picture of a loving God who created women with a beautiful purpose of uniquely reflecting His image; this can be lived out in various contexts starting from the inner place of the heart and spreading out into the world. Highly recommend!

[Danette · Rating 3 out of 5]

"What does resonate with all we've seen in the scriptures is that women are to be valued as God's image-bearers along with men - and that all believers, filled and empowered with the Spirit of the risen Christ, together serve him until he comes again. God's ordering of male and female in marriage and in the church is meant to bring about unity. Unity through complementarity."

2019 - A book about theology

[Rebekah Hanna · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of my new favourite books, I agree with my friend who read ‘Women and God’ and then said she’d never felt so glad to be a woman. To be a female image-bearer is a beautiful thing to be celebrated alongside the joy of being a male image-bearer, both equally special, valuable and revealing of God’s good character. I love her chapter about Jesus as a ‘Man Unlike Any Other’. Kathleen quotes a woman named Dorothy Sayers which I found very striking, “Perhaps it is no wonder that the women were first at the Cradle and last at the Cross. They had never known a man like this Man- there had never been such another. A prophet and teacher who never nagged at them, who never flattered or coaxed or patronised; who never made arch jokes about them, never treated them either as ‘The women God help us! or ‘The ladies, God bless them!’; who rebuked without querulousness and praised without condescension; who took their questions and arguments seriously”. Praise God that this is who Jesus reveals the Father to be. Highly recommend for women and men to read

[Grace J · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5, rounded up to 3 stars.

Nielson made some good points that I really liked, but overall the book was unsatisfactory. I appreciated Nielson's willingness to bring up some hard questions, but as someone asking those questions I did not feel they were adequately answered. She spent way more time arguing for a complimentarian reading rather than arguing for why it is still good for women.

I know you agree with complimentarianism. I wasn't looking for someone to defend its accuracy but its goodness. And on that front, I was disappointed.

In short, I'm still asking the hard questions that I was before reading this book.

A couple things I particularly disliked: 1) I have a really hard time with the idea that all women exist to help all men. I didn't feel like the author adequately defended it as true or good for women. 2) I disliked how the author made me feel guilty for celebrating strong women like Deborah.

[Erin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Nielsen navigates the tricky waters around many issues of God and women in the Bible. Whether you struggle to understand difficult passages of the Bible or wonder what your role is in the home or church, she presents Gods Word as a means to answer these questions. While not in-depth into each topic, Nielsen discusses some various views and rightly puts our focus where it needs to be when we encounter these topics- God’s Word!!

[Anna Walker · Rating 4 out of 5]

Highly recommend, especially for women engaged in any kind of ministry to other women. Has one of the best answers that I've ever read to the idea that a woman being a "helper" equates with a lesser role.

[Hannah Carvalho · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amei.... A autora vai tratar de versículos muitas vezes usados de formas errôneas por homens e mulheres.

[Sarah · Rating 5 out of 5]

I appreciate that she teaches how the Bible backs up the Bible and how it explains itself. Best to use this approach. Only really accurate approach! So she does a great job of showing God’s order and love for people. When dealing with the subjects of the New Testament, it’s best explained if we look at the Bible as a whole and let It defend and explain itself.

[hollie · Rating 5 out of 5]

An engaging and challenging read with strong biblical foundations, providing a perfect starting point for conversations about women in the Bible.

Stand out sections are:

- Chapter 5, about Deborah in Judges
- Chapter 7, exploring Women's Bodies in light of Creation/the Fall/the Future (our Hope)
- Chapter 8, about Women and Jesus
- Chapter 10, tackling Women in the church

[Eva · Rating 4 out of 5]

Pointing to the Gospel on each page Nielson discusses sensitive issues and big topics without shying away from them. Pointing to truths about women in full old testament and new testament context and how these truths point to the goodness and sovereignty of God this is a must-read for every woman and man.

[Yuliya Stepnova · Rating 5 out of 5]

One profound biblical ‘healthy’ and beautiful book on womanhood. Loved it!

[Irina Storozuk · Rating 5 out of 5]

El subtitulo es muy apropiado: preguntas difíciles, hermosa verdad.

Este libro aborda una gran problemática actual como es qué dice Dios acerca de las mujeres. Destaca constantemente el Evangelio y nos recuerda cómo el pecado corrompió todo, incluyendo nuestra relación con Dios y con las otras personas.

Algunos de los temas que toca son temas tabú como la Ley y el trato a las mujeres, nuestro cuerpo y mujeres con personalidad fuerte, entre otros.

Me hubiera gustado mayor profundidad en los capítulos del matrimonio y la iglesia. También hubiera estado bueno un capítulo sobre soltería. Igualmente es un excelente recurso para estod temas de los cuáles hay poco material.

[Shona Howard · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a wonderful book and I think the author explains some difficult and confusing concepts/bible passages extremely well. The only reason I gave it 4 stars is that I disagreed with the author’s comment on page 166 that ‘Leaders of his (Jesus’) church are to be qualified males’. I understand why the author believes this, and many women in my family share those beliefs. I simply do not agree that women cannot be ministers. I attend a church which only until very recently had 3 females ministers (the church now has 2 female ministers working alongside 2 male ministers). Despite that one disagreement I have over whether a women should be in pastoral leadership , I think the author does an excellent job at encouraging women to step up in their call to prophecy, teach, pray and minister to others.

[Niely Galindo · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amei a leitura, vale muito a pena! 🤍

[Mariana · Rating 4 out of 5]

Um livro denso que aconselho a quem já tenha bons conhecimentos bíblicos. Uma abordagem diferente de outras com que me cruzei ao longo dos anos. Uma autora que enfrenta as questões de frente, por mais complexas e /ou polémicas que possam ser.

[Juliana · Rating 4 out of 5]

É um livro muito bom, tem uma dinâmica interessante. Leitura fácil.

[Raniele Oliveira · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ótima leitura! Muito edificante, ajuda-nos a ver que nós portadoras femininas da imagem de Deus somos muito importante na edificação da casa de Deus.

[Rachel Menke · Rating 4 out of 5]

I do not envy the task Kathleen Nielson had in writing this book. It had to be like navigating a minefield! But overall she did a fantastic job of getting to the heart of these issues in a way that magnifies the truth and authority of Scripture and also acutely feels the pain and hurt often associated with such issues.
This book tackles all sorts of debated and contested issues when it comes to women and God: what do we make of God through those hard and graphic OT stories of polygamy, rape, and other abuses of women; what does God really say about the woman’s role in the home and the church; how do we even deal with the fact that we refer to God as Father and Son (and why not Mother and Daughter), and much more.
Nielson is writing from what would be considered a complementarian viewpoint but I appreciated that her views are far from the hyper-complementary ideas I have often encountered in complementarian environments. I appreciated the way she acknowledged single women, women in ministry, and women with strong leadership skills.
Overall while I agree with all of her conclusions I sometimes struggled with how she got there. In her defense she had a lot to cover and not a lot of space to do it in so I think that’s where some of the “jumps” occurred. It constantly felt like she wanted to say more but couldn’t so she just hit the tip of the ice burg for each topic rather than really drilling down. This is a necessity but sometimes I felt like topics were too quickly summarized and moved on from.
This is an excellent resource and great read for any woman who has wondered how to deal with some of these tough topics and also I would highly recommend it for pastors and elders as a great way to gain insight into the women of their church and thoughts they likely wrestle with.

[Marian Jacobs · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was wonderful and timely. I have perused other books on women lately only to be disappointed in their treatment of scripture. Nielson's theology, application, and understand of women's inner workings was on point. She was fair, but critical. She did not throw the baby out with the bathwater (my pet peeve....) I bought this book in kindle format but now I'm going to get it in paperback so I can loan it out.

If you're swinging on the pendulum of women's issues in the home and church, READ THIS BOOK!

[Ruthe Estrela · Rating 5 out of 5]

Livro incrível!!! Acrescenta muito conhecimento! Se vc não gostar/gostou, pelo o menos teve contato com uma opinião que certamente não é fútil!!

[Kaylee Kulus · Rating 3 out of 5]

I appreciated this book not shying away from some difficult topics and questions

[Julie Biles · Rating 5 out of 5]

Kathleen Nielson travels risky terrain over which few are willing go. This book provides biblically sound answers for difficult questions concerning women’s roles touching all aspects of life. I will mention that Nielson is a remarkable wordsmith and I find her writing absolutely delightful.
She explains that this book is not an answer to the world’s voices “that often lump Christianity in the general category of ‘religions,’ in discussions of sexism-that is unfair attitudes or treatments based on one’s biological sex.” But she does intend to show her readers the goodness of the God who made us-specifically the goodness of God to His female image-bearers. And that she does beautifully!
The author guides us through the narrative of Scripture beginning with the creation of the first male and female.
She unpacks the giftedness of strong godly women such as the judge and prophetess Deborah who gave herself to serving God in a critically hard time in Israel’s history. Then there is the unlikely Moabite prostitute Rahab who plays an amazing role in Israel’s history and ultimately is included in the lineage of the promised Savior.
The chapters entitled, “Women, Sex, and a Question of Double Standards” and “Women’s Bodies” traverse the difficult but pertinent issues women are facing today. She explains how our bodies preach creation but they also preach the fall. Here she addresses the pain, abuse and exploitation that permeates the lives of so many females. Her explanation of how our bodies preach hope points the reader to Christ, the child who was born, who died, and who was raised up-all by God’s hand to be the Redeemer.
In chapter 8 we meet Jesus who was unlike any other man. The author unfolds for her readers the interactions between Jesus and the women around Him. We see that He overturned the sexist attitudes and practices that were commonplace in His day. We meet so many suffering women in these stories who experience the presence of Jesus and are healed.
Nielson graciously shows us the crucial part women played in Jesus’ ministry. She uses this solid biblical foundation on which to build her explanation of the beauty of the created order within marriage and in the church.
This is a timely book and an amazing read!

[Paul Lewis · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a book I would recommend to anyone; both males and females. Kathleen does an exceptional Job letting the heart of God speak through the scriptures. This book is essentially an expositional survey of the parts of scriptures that would evoke the hard questions: Genesis story, the laws of Moses about women who are caught in adultery, raped and captured during war; Female Judges and view of women in churches and marriage.

Each chapter is a necessary building block to explain the preceding chapters, without taking rabbit holes of circumstantial details (unnecessarily). Her approach is one of allowing the scriptures to speak for itself, which is necessary for such an emotionally charged subject; with the particular charge of the antiquated nature of scripture and patriarchal bias.

Her foundation is quite noteworthy and the points she extends from it are equally important. This subject can simply focus mostly on what women cant do (because of the need to defend a position), she devotes the last 3 chapters of shining light of scripture on what a woman's involvement in the body of Christ looks like from a Complementarian understanding of the scriptures.

Thoroughly enjoyed this read

[Leanne · Rating 2 out of 5]

Like another reviewer, I left this book with just as many "hard questions" as I had when I began reading. Kathleen Nielson regurgitates all of the age-old, patriarchal inferences and understandings of Scripture that lead to the sexist practice of female submission under male headship and authority. She does answer the question, "Is God Sexist?" with a resounding "no." But this "no" leaves the reader scratching her head. In effect, she proves just the opposite. And while I do not believe God to be sexist, I do believe Nielson's interpretation of the Scripture is.

This is a great book if you are looking for someone to validate a patriarchal view of the role of women in the church. Nielson speaks often of how "we" are challenged by "the world" and "the media" and "secular society" with many unbiblical beliefs. I am not the "we" of whom she speaks. I am a follower of Christ and the Bible that takes a different view; and I am reading the same Scripture that Nielson reads. Unfortunately, I did not find her answers as "Beautiful Truths."

[Faith Crosley · Rating 4 out of 5]

Read this book with my small group this semester. We enjoyed it. We thought it very biblically represented femininity and what the Bible says about women. I think this would be a great book for someone who has questions or doesn’t understand what the Bible says because a lot of later chapters when talking about New Testament was information that I feel like is very talked about in church culture. This book would also be really helpful if discipling someone who struggles with the concept of women in the church, Kathleen does a great job at distinguishing true biblical scripture from what the world says about biblical scripture and giving us all of the strictly biblical details.

Overall, I think this is a great representation of women in the scriptures. Might not be super helpful for developed believers who already understand feminine roles, but it could be super helpful for newer believers!

[Kelsey Smith · Rating 5 out of 5]

A wonderful examination of Biblical truth. She acknowledges the truth is, as it always is, difficult to stomach, and yet approaches it with humility and respect. Truly Nielson encapsulates a perspective moderated by a holy fear of the Lord, while providing insights so warm that they inevitably invite you to delve into the difficult places in the Word. I used this as a basis for a women's Bible study, and it was a wonderful experience. We used six of the chapters and the passages she exposits. We studied the passages throughout the week, and then we came together for a time of rich discussion.
Are you a woman who struggles to delight in what the Bible says about you? You're not alone here, but hope is not lost. Nielson will help you learn to do as Psalm 119 repeatedly urges: to delight in the testimonies of God. All of them.

[Carol Arnold · Rating 4 out of 5]

Recommended. Mrs. Nielson does an excellent job in this book of discussing the issue of what does the Bible really say about women? She starts at the beginning and covers Genesis 1, 2 and 3. Then she looks at several women in the Old Testament and how they are portrayed in the pages of scripture. She discusses how Jesus related to women and goes on to cover women's roles in marriage and the church. She does not shy away from controversial subjects and passages such as submission or women's role in the family and church. She does all this by thoroughly examining what the Bible says. She does it with gentleness and respect for all positions while not backing down on what she believes the Bible teaches.

[Ruth Clemence · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a very gracious and helpful book discussing some of the harder parts of the Bible regarding women. I love how Christ-centred and loving it is written. The footnotes are also useful to explore other books and resources which offer other views, giving the reader plenty of opportunity to think through this important topic.

I particularly enjoyed the chapter on Deborah who has often been used as a pawn in the complementarian and egalitarian debate. The author wonderfully handles her important role and helped me to further appreciate God's good design for both men and women.

A must-read for anyone who wants to further understand how God loves and values women, and who seek greater clarity on contentious issues surrounding the Christian faith and women.