Lost Women of the Bible: Finding Strength & Significance through Their Stories

by Carolyn Custis James

You know the women of the Bible, but you don't know them like this... It's easy for Christian women---young and old---to get lost between the opportunities and demands of the present and the biblical teachings of the past. They live in a confusing world, caught in the crossfire between church and culture. Although home and family still remain central, more women than ever, by choice or by necessity, are blending home, career, and ministry. They need strong biblical role models to help them meet these challenges. Building on solid scholarship and a determination to wrestle honestly with perplexing questions, author Carolyn Custis James sheds new light on ancient stories that brings the women of the Bible into the twenty-first century. This fresh look at the women in the Bible unearths surprising new insights and a powerful message that will leave readers feeling challenged, encouraged, and deeply valued. Rediscover and be inspired * Eve * Sarah * Hagar * Tamar * Hannah * Esther * Mary * and others

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

240 pages, Hardcover

First published September 1, 2005

About the author

Carolyn Custis James (M.A. in Biblical Studies) is an evangelical thinker who loves God enough to break the rules--rules of cultural convention which attempt to domesticate the gospel message of the Bible.

Carolyn is president of WhitbyForum, a ministry dedicated to addressing the deeper needs which confront both women and men as they endeavor to extend God's kingdom together in a messy and complicated world. She is the founder of the Synergy Women's Network--an exciting new ministry for women in ministry leadership. www.synergytoday.org

Her books have been described as "provocative", "honest", and "deeply moving".

Reviews

[Khari · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book, but because I had to put it on pause for a couple of months, I noticed something quite interesting about the author.

Carolyn Custis James has a gift. The gift of persuasion. When you are reading what she writes you are absolutely convinced to her way of thinking. She is a talented writer and she tugs on the emotions of her readers in a deft and skilled way. I think everyone should read her books, especially if you are an emotional person who sometimes deals with depression, because she is so encouraging and enlivening. You will feel understood and brave after reading her work.

When I was reading this book at the end of last year, I was lapping up every single word that she said. When I came back to it after two months, I was like, ...wait... that doesn't necessarily make any sense. Sometimes I think she overstates her case, but she is such a passionate and persuasive writer that you just kind of gloss over it in your own head. Taking a little bit of distance for a bit helped me to view the book in a slightly more objective way. Even the discussion questions at the end of each chapter are designed to reinforce a particular viewpoint. One of my favorites was "How was Paul changed by his interaction with the women of Philippi?" Well, I know that he was changed in between his first and second missionary journeys, but I think it's a bit much to lay that change entirely at the feet of the women of Philippi. Probably there were a bunch of factors. But the other factors weren't presented. And that's okay, that wasn't her focus. It just means that her readers need to engage their critical thinking skills while reading.

This is not to say that she is wrong or bad. I think she is bringing a new perspective to a bunch of stories in the Bible that is very valuable and probably correct in some ways. I just think that I should probably read other authors as well and get their opinions as well. I think if I only read her I would have a very narrow view of these stories.

[Stephanie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really liked her perspective on the stories of women in the Bible. She looked past the events in women's lives into the nuances of Scripture that apply to all of us, no matter where we are in life. I really don't like when women writers spend a lot of time focusing on gender instead of getting to the meat behind what they are saying. (Most of them don't have meat, which is why they focus on gender issues so predominantly.)Not only is that annoying, it also serves no purpose Focusing on perceived inequalities within the church instead of doing what can be done well is a mistake. I appreciate that she doesn't complain about the hardships of "being a woman in a man's world" too much. She's almost borderline in places, but she keeps it in check, and it's not distracting. I loved the chapter on Paul and the Phillipian Church, Tamar, and Sarah best.

[Lisa · Rating 5 out of 5]

I found this to be a very eye opening book. I enjoyed the window into ancient cultures. I had just read her other book about Ruth and loved it so I moved on to this one. I actually liked this better. I think all women should read it. It made me feel much better to be a woman.

[Naomi L · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really loved what the author had to say about Eve being created as an “ezer” (strong warrior). It was beautiful and impactful to hear the way she told her story. Certain aspects of every chapter had interesting things to say that were all based off of this first woman character.

However, I gave this book only 3 stars because although the author is trying to encourage women by showing how these biblical characters served and were strong, it feels as though there is still an underlying current of women doing all of this service only in the background, where their purpose in this “blessed alliance” is only to help men in their ministries. It gets exhausting to hear this message again and again. It’s almost like saying: you women must take a strong role in servanthood, but only in the background and only in order to help men.

She describes these women as “lost” because they for various reasons weren’t able to fulfill traditional roles of women (being wives and mothers) and yet they served God in strong ways anyway. She’s on her way to describing this well, but just doesn’t quite hit the mark. I struggle with this especially because I don’t believe women are “lost” when they don’t do those things. Women who follow and serve the Lord are fully valuable, loved, and strong no matter what role they play, and they are by no means lesser if they aren’t filling a role as a wife and mother. Again, the author is sooo close, but still doesn’t quite hit the target in a way that is useful.

Finally, in order to describe these women in the Bible well, she had to add a lot of extra backstory to each one that just isn’t in the text. She does this to make their story more impactful, but I just don’t think that it’s wise to add things into biblical accounts that really are not there. For example, the author goes on about Esther being too caught up in her appearance and pleasing men with what she looks like. She spends too much money on products and too much time. In reality, the text does say that Esther is very beautiful, but this other input is certainly a whole lot of speculation that puts extra meaning in the text that I just don’t see there.

[Davina · Rating 3 out of 5]

Está bueno por las preguntas y planteos que hace, pero hay que tomar muchas cosas con pinzas porque son casi todas suposiciones de la autora.

[Grace · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting perspective on women whose stories have so much to teach us but are often skimmed over. Tamar's story was fascinating and backed up by the text; Noah's wife on the other hand didn't need a whole chapter where there were far more questions than answers. Briefly acknowledging her as an example of a likely influential character who we know nothing about would have sufficed. People seem to find it irksome that the author won't take a stance on her position toward women's 'roles' and 'controversial' passages. I think this is a wise decision - if not, people on either side of the debate would disregard her important overall message about how God shows himself and his plan in these rich stories of women we often miss by focusing on big characters like Abraham, Joseph, Samuel, Daniel, the Twelve, and Paul.

[Jonathan Thomas · Rating 2 out of 5]

What do you get if you mix presupposition and conjecture? This book.
A whole chapter on Mrs Noah? What?!
There were some interesting insights into the authors experience, and some passages of scripture, but the overall approach to scripture didn't sit comfortably with me.
However, I did love the idea of reclaiming and recalibrating the concept of 'helper'.
But, too many 'all scholars, most scholars', etc....do they?

[Iona Kroussoratsky · Rating 4 out of 5]

Finally, a book written by a female theologian, who writes with in depth expository research, wonderful use of Narratival Theology, and discerning spiritual insight.

Thank you Carolyn most of all for the poignant questions you ask of the reader time and time again. I found myself reflecting on the Bible in such a way that engaged with history, experience and reason in a very personal way, growing my love for the Lord and deepening my understanding of His Word.

Will be recommending this book to the women in my Bible Study group!

[Catherine Larson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Martin Luther had been wrestling a deep depression when his wife, Katie Von Bora, greeted him one night wearing the head-to-toe black garb of someone in mourning. Her words to him seemed to knock the breath from his chest. “God is dead!”

Katie wasn’t a prequel to Nietzche. In fact, she stood more in the line of the Old Testament prophets. She used a graphic visual representation to bring home the logical conclusions of her husband’s depressed state of mind. Her dignified sarcasm was a wake-up call. Katie stood before
Luther as a theologian and as a strong helper, using her wit, cunning, and creativity to bring him back to the path of godliness.

Katie’s story was actually my first introduction to Carolyn James and to the lost stories of godly women whose lives have been rich in the depth of their knowledge of God. Carolyn’s husband, Dr. Frank James, my History of Christianity professor, discussed Katie and then spoke of how God calls women to be theologians. His wife, Carolyn, was one of the best theologians he knew, he said. The dignity Dr. James afforded to his wife as he spoke of her made me know that this was a woman I wanted to get to know.

I now feel privileged to perhaps introduce some of you to Carolyn James and to the strength of godly women that she uncovers in Lost Women of the Bible. The first thing you will notice about Carolyn’s work is that she is someone who does her homework; or more precisely, she is a scholar. In chapter one, she lays the groundwork for the book by introducing the Hebrew term ezer, or strong helper. She elucidates the term by explaining that of the 21 times it is used in the Old Testament, 18 of those times refer to God as Israel’s helper. There is a military significance to ezer that closely aligns with the sense of a warrior, or as Dan Allendar has termed it, an Intimate Ally. Carolyn makes clear that the term ezer does not apply only to married women but to all women. It is an inherent part of how we as women bear the image of God.

Another aspect, of Mrs. James’ work that I appreciate is how she brings to light the struggles, frailties, and strengths of women of the Bible like Eve, Noah’s wife, Hagar, Sarah, Hannah, Esther, Mary, Mary Magdalene and the women of Philippi. There is no sugar-coating in her treatment. If anything, characters like Esther became much more human, even falling a bit from false pedestals, through the context she provides.

The strength of Carolyn’s work, in my opinion, lies in both the vulnerability she risks in sharing her own experience of being “lost”—feeling as if she’d missed God’s plan A for her life, and in the insight she brings to the biblical characters she includes.

Lest you fear, this is not a book that bashes men. If anything, the
recognition of the vital roles that both men and women play in this unfolding drama of redemption elevates and ennobles both men and women as they live out their callings in this “Blessed Alliance.”

I would strongly encourage both women and men to read this book. As women, we need to be challenged with how vitally important it is to know God deeply as these biblical characters did. For those of us who also experience this feeling of being lost you will be deeply comforted to know that you are not alone. As men, you can be encouraged by the depth of strength God gave to Adam and his posterity by creating woman to be ezer. For all, I hope you will soon discover for yourself the rich treasure of Lost Women of the Bible.

[Jessie · Rating 3 out of 5]

I like the idea behind this book, but unfortunately it lacked biblical truth and included too much speculation. We read this in my women’s bible study at church and I would much rather we had spent our time and energy reading something else. The over analyzing of details to try and make something out of nothing just wasn’t worth it to me.

[Eli Dhios · Rating 3 out of 5]

Me parecio bueno, una mirada interesante sobre algunas mujeres de la biblia. Pero aunque suena lindo todo lo escrito, es tan así? Mmm tendría que leer otras miradas, y el contexto biblico de los versículos que da.

[Ivy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Looking back 6 years later after my initial 2-star review, this book left a better impression on me than I had realized, as I’ve recommended it several times. When friends or family question how women are portrayed in the Bible, this is where I point them. My main takeaway is that even when culture doesn’t value women, God does and always has. Changing my review to 4 stars (just deducting one for my initial annoyances below).

While the author made a couple good points I hadn’t thought about before, this book was very long-winded. I could’ve learned just as much from a short article on the woman as an ezer/warrior with a paragraph or two on each woman. Also, I did not relate to the author’s feelings of unworthiness as a woman, especially in being left out of the covenant of circumcision. This made absolutely no sense to me and is a good example of the sorts of “problems” she created to fit her narrative of a woman being lost in a man’s world.

[Ken Peters · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was encouraged to read this book that my wife had bought and read, and I am so glad I did. It is delightfully well-written, and is packed with well-researched insights that make the messages of ten biblical women’s lives incredibly relevant today. I found this book not only encouraged me in my own walk with God, but it was also something I could easily see abundant application for in my own marriage and in pastoral ministry. This is not just a book about women for women, but is also a great book for men who want to grow in their understanding of God and in their appreciation of women!

[Maglia Lynn · Rating 1 out of 5]

DNF. A lot of assumptions and jargon. I had to put it down after "Blessed Alliance" mentions.

[Nathan Albright · Rating 5 out of 5]

I must admit that I greatly liked this book, enough that if I can find a reasonably priced volume it would be well worth having in my collection even though I have already read it, as a resource for my writing and messages. As a person with two many books and not enough space, that is not something I say lightly. Certainly, this is the sort of book that could raise a lot of questions among those who read it, and is likely to be read mainly by women. This is a bit of a shame, as this is precisely the sort of book that a fair-minded man who appreciates talking to and reading about women can appreciate without any sort of hostility. This is not the sort of book written by someone with axes to grind or the desire to put down others. Rather, this book is the sort of book written by a woman who has a great deal of sensitivity and interest in the lives other women have lived, and that is the sort of book to be appreciated by someone who reads a lot about women [1].

In terms of its contents, the author takes just over 200 pages to cover some of the most notable women of the Bible: Eve, Noah's wife, Sarah, Hagar, Tamar, Hannah, Esther, Mary of Nazareth, Mary Magdalene, and the women of Philippi. At the heart of the author's argument is that men and women are supposed to have a blessed alliance where they work together and complement each other and encourage each other towards God's kingdom and in working God's plans on this earth. Over and over again, the author points the reader to the ways in which godly women sought to follow God in the face of great difficulties. Particularly poignant is the way that the author talks about those women who have suffered lasting harm to their own reputation as a result of having sought to obey God in difficult circumstances--both Tamar and Mary of Nazareth are examples of women who have long been criticized and insulted for the ways in which divine grace showed itself through the behavior of both women in terms of the circumstances of the birth of their children. Likewise, the author's discussion of Esther and her ability to blend in with heathen society is rather poignant, and ought to be a matter of reflection for many women, and not a few men: "When Esther said, "If I perish, I perish," she was talking about having a conversation with her husband. That's how dysfunctional their relationship was. Her husband didn't want her spiritual partnership. He wasn't interested in her faith or in her advice (156)." Let us hope this is not true for this book's readers.

It is little surprise that this book deals with lost women, because the Bible is full of both men and women who are lost as a result of having their stories unread or misunderstood. If you like reading about women from a sympathetic biblical scholar who combines a great deal of insight about the lives of biblical women and the sort of empathy that comes from her own long period dealing with singlehood and barrenness, this book is precisely the sort of book that is easy to appreciate and immensely worthwhile. Knowing as I do a lot of women who struggle with harmony with others in their lives, this book provides a good picture of the perspective that women can bring without being strident or ungracious in their approach. Those men who are brave enough to read this book will find a great deal to appreciate as well, and perhaps some encouragement to act with love and understanding and a great deal of interest to what the women in their lives can provide as well.

[1] See, for example:

https://edgeinducedcohesion.blog/2017...

https://edgeinducedcohesion.blog/2015...

https://edgeinducedcohesion.blog/2015...

https://edgeinducedcohesion.wordpress...

https://edgeinducedcohesion.blog/2014...

https://edgeinducedcohesion.blog/2013...

https://edgeinducedcohesion.blog/2013...

https://edgeinducedcohesion.blog/2013...

https://edgeinducedcohesion.blog/2017...

[Phoebe · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book started out on a strong note in the introduction and even in the first few chapters, where James sets up her outline to be followed for each of the women studied. But along the way, the woman who appears most lost is James herself. Many of the reviews I've browsed, even the good ones, agree that James relies a lot on presupposition, conjecture, and a good dose of dramatization to support whatever point she's seeking to make make about each of the highlighted women. I whole-heartedly agree with those other reviews. In fact, I think Ms. James might have done better writing fiction....

I tuned out about the time she declared that everyone agreed Tamar was a devious, wicked seductress who caused great harm to the poor wittle Judah, who was only a victim to her cunning. James followed this up with (paraphrasing here): “But bear with me! If we take another look at the Biblical account, I think we can see how it wasn’t all Tamar’s fault!”

Ya think, Carolyn?? I may not agree with Tamar’s methods (although I have a suspicion they made a good deal more sense in the context of culture at the time) but Judah was hardly the victim here.

Then we got to Esther and I shifted from irritated to out-and-out angry. In one breath, James pronounced Esther at fault for being a weak pushover who worked her wiles on Xerxes’s harem and then on Xerxes himself. “She auditioned for the queen’s crown by having sex with a man who was not her husband. Then, after winning the tiara, she joined herself in marriage to a pagan man.” (Unfortunately, not paraphrasing here.)

First of all, James completely ignored the context of Esther’s story, namely: abduction, imprisonment, likely sexual assault, and the knowledge that she could be killed at any moment. But James later concludes this chapter by reminding us that Esther was just a young woman in a man’s world, a world where she was silenced and overlooked and, oh yeah, at constant risk of being exiled at best and killed at worst.

So...which is it?

I finished the book out of spite.

I will say it certainly offered a different perspective, and those are necessary; and some of the points raised were excellent. It only got frustrating when James stepped beyond the bounds of Scripture and historical fact and started making wild assumptions about these Biblical women; and when she opened a statement with "most of us know/think/agree/believe/etc". I don't think most of us do, Carolyn. At least, not any of the women I reached out to while reading this.

[Emily Fromke · Rating 5 out of 5]

Despite the interesting cover art, this book is a masterpiece. Something all women and probably a lot of men should read. A lot of the time people take just a cursory glance at the Bible and miss the ways in which God, from the beginning, has affirmed the value, worth, and vocation of women in the world as warriors—strong helpers created to build up the kingdom of God alongside their sisters and brothers. Although the women of the Bible lived in patriarchal cultures and many of their stories are “lost” to us because of their cultural context, Carolyn Custis James takes a second look at the stories we do have. And she finds that these women, like us today, oftentimes felt lost—just as we do—in their own communities when their lives didn’t follow the expectations of their culture. But, they were never truly lost. They encountered El Roi, the God who sees. And they didn’t shrink back from the callings that God have them. God used women like Hannah, Tamar, Mary, and Lydia to build his kingdom. When they felt lost or forgotten he sought them out and reminded them of their vocation and the fact that they wouldn’t be blessed by meeting cultural standards for women such as marriage or motherhood, but that God’s promise for women is the same as it is for men: Blessed is she who hears the word of the Lord and obeys. This book has given me a lot to think about and is just one example of how the Bible is still so applicable today even though it was written so long ago. Highly recommend. Will be buying copies for family and friends.

[Debbie · Rating 2 out of 5]

Just OK. To be fair, I don't think I am the target audience for this book--I was already convinced that God intends women to bring all their giftedness and strength to work alongside men in his kingdom, and that Jesus and even Paul elevated the status of women significantly, given their patriarchal culture. Since I was already there, the author's attempts to convince me felt repetitive. But I do appreciate that she's addressing the obviously multi-faceted contributions of women in the Bible from within an evangelical culture that often turns a blind eye to inconvenient accounts that challenge beloved hierarchal categories.

Also, one of her primary techniques seems to be imaginative historical speculation, i.e. "it is possible she had no family or friends--no one on their knees pleading for God to deliver her," re Mary Magdalene. Yes, and it's possible she did have family or friends! This kind of speculation doesn't do much for me.

My favorite chapter was the one on Tamar. I enjoyed reading about Tamar's initiative and resourcefulness and the positive change she helped bring about in Judah, not to mention the redemption of her family line. The cultural context provided was helpful.

[Maja K. · Rating 2 out of 5]

I really wanted to like this book. I liked its premise as I think it's important to talk about women's role in church. However, what I found was a book based largely on assumptions and asking questions many of which have never been answered.

There were many good parts in the book that were based on what the Bible really says about women - like the chapter about Eve. I also felt though, there were many speculations, such as that God didn't talk to Sarah for 13 years and Sarah felt, therefore, left behind. Just because something is not mentioned in the Bible, it doesn't have to mean it didn't happen.

Another problem I had with the book was its effort to "legalize" strong women and to justify our position in church. I don't think we are perceived only as care givers and Sunday school teachers and the book has actually made me doubt my experience with churches both in Europe and the US. Maybe there are churches that claim women are responsible for all the evil there is, luckily it does not happen where I live.

[Carrie Rosa · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was my second attempt to reading this book. Initially, I was excited to read a story that would focus on the different women of the Bible that often get overlooked, but played a vital role and have something to teach us. The book really opened my eyes to a different perspective of studying the women in the Bible and helped me to grasp the tough circumstances they faced, which are relatable to my own life.
However, I felt that most of the assessments of the biblical women were assumptions that didn't always fit with what was written in the Bible (thus me putting the book down for awhile). This is understandable as most of the accounts of these women were small, but there is still a lot to learn from what is written without having to venture into the unknown too much. Often times during the read, I was left wondering if the main points where being stretched and not required to fully understand the women.
Nevertheless, this story truly put in me the desire to understand more about biblical women and the treasures they can give me in the modern day.

[Rachel Gray · Rating 4 out of 5]

“The Lost Women of the Bible” retells the stories of mostly well-known Biblical women but from viewpoints that are “lost” to those of us living in a different time, culture, and country. The author retells their stories, highlighting their significance as women in God’s redemption story. While this book argues for the equality of men and women in the church, I really appreciated that the author argued for the importance of both men and women in the church - not just one or the other, but both as equally important to God’s redemption plan. The author highlighted the roles of women as “ezers” or “warrior helpers” throughout Scripture beginning with Eve and concluding with women who worked with and assisted the apostle Paul in the New Testament. I didn’t love the author’s style of writing, but she did a good job conveying her message clearly.

[Lois · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wonderful Bible studies on the usual (and some unusual) women of the Bible. Focusing on the word “ezer”, the book shows the strength of these women. I particularly liked her emphasis on the fact that women were always designed as fellow workers to men, not their subordinates. Tamar’s chapter was enlightening, Esther’s was an excellent study, Mary Magdalene’s was encouraging and the rest all had great information.

The book primarily used the Bible for reference. This means often overlooked passages were well researched, but there was little cultural or historical context. It’s something of a light read with a few of the lesson’s based on assumptions.

[Anne Farrington · Rating 1 out of 5]

Our parish book club chose this book because we were very interested in learning more about women in the Bible. However, the author clearly has a view of the world where all the women of the Bible were "lost" and put into less important roles. I won't go into detail, but she has a thesis and tries to force fit every female character into her view - whether it really fits or not (e.g. "Mrs. Noah" - of whom we know basically nothing - she was trying to fit into this mold of being lost). We made it through the first half of the book, and then just decided we were not enjoying it at all so decided to move on. I don't recommend spending the time to read this one.

[Jon · Rating 3 out of 5]

Wow, I really did not know what to expect. I loved learning about stories that get skipped during traditional church/Sunday school, such as Tamar and Hagar. I also loved the more in depth look into Esther, who has always been a favorite. While I don’t see eye to eye with the author’s religious views, I found the academic breaking down of each story to be very interesting.
Made me want more clinical research on these women and if they actually existed.

[Laura Wood · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent book! Well-written and engaging, it also places the women of the Bible in context and explains their lives in such a clear way that I understand the importance of women in the body of Christ in a way I hadn’t before. What a refreshing read! I may buy a copy for all of the men on my church staff!

[Julianne · Rating 4 out of 5]

So good. I love the way she helps you get inside the story, by helping add some context and language clarity. <3 I found myself crying or nearly crying a couple of times reading it- God's plans and purposes and love for women is so evident! So thankful for this little book, glad I picked it up when I had a gift card. <3

[Dorothy Grafilo · Rating 4 out of 5]

The author Carolyn Curtis James makes some incredible points. It definitely changed the way I look at the women in the Bible. The minus one star is for the fact that there were some points that seemed like a stretch, but overall good read.

[Aaron · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was a game changer for me in a spiritual battle I am facing. Appreciate of the insight of the author and the humble, loving way she presents her thoughts. I also adored the beautiful sketches of each Biblical ezer. A great read for women of God who don’t want to feel lost.

[Carla Conley · Rating 5 out of 5]

I highly recommend this book. It is very insightful and points out verses to verify the thoughts in the book. I never thought of some of these women in such a manner until I read this book.

[Maddy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I want to give this plus a A++++! The Bible basis for equality of women in the church is written in the Bible so clearly! This book digs in to give the hidden history that we don’t talk about!♥️