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Liberated: How the Bible Exalts and Dignifies Women
There are parts of the Bible that I have struggled with, and bits that seemed far removed from my life as a twenty–first–century woman. I have wrestled with them, but as I read, I came to know that God offers more liberation, more freedom, and more fulfilment than I could dare to imagine. Equality for all people is a foundational principle in our culture and embedded in our law. The consensus is all people are equally valuable. However, religion is seen as a stronghold that promotes inequality. There is a widespread belief that the Bible is sexist. Women fear that God does not want their good and instead, he wants to box them in and clip their wings. Our culture believes that they need to forget religion to achieve equality. This, however, is not the case. The principle of equality is established in the first pages of the Bible, and its message exalts and dignifies both men and women. Bible teacher, conference speaker and author Karen Soole shares what she has discovered as she has read the Bible and grappled with it over many years. She takes us through the Bible story from Genesis to Revelation and challenges the reader to decide whether God is offering life and liberation, or suffocation and oppression. It is an invitation to meet and know the God of the Bible, and to view his Word through the lens of his character. Chapter titles include Although this book is about women, it is not ‘only for women’. These things matter to everyone. This book was written for men and women, although it addresses concerns that women face in particular. These concerns are relevant to everyone.
- GenresChristian
192 pages, Paperback
Published November 5, 2021
7 people are currently reading
79 people want to read
About the author
Karen Soole
2 books12 followersKaren Soole has been teaching the Bible in groups and one to ones for over twenty five years. She currently divides her time between her family, leading small group Bible studies and supporting the North West Partnership Ministry Training Course. She is the chair of the Northern Women s Convention and Equipped!
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Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews
April 9, 2022
What a great book. Thanks Karen Soole!
The subtitle expresses its vision perfectly: "How the Bible exalts and dignifies women". Working through the Bible's teaching to show how good it is for women, Soole has produced a short book which is easy to read and yet surprisingly thorough in its scope. Of course, it gives a few pages (at most) to each of the many passages it considers, but in each case shows that taking a text in its original context (rather than taking verses in isolation) immediately clarifies God's affirming and dignifying vision for women. Moreover, each chapter reminds us that the Bible is not fundamentally a textbook about gender, but a testimony to the gospel of the Lord Jesus, and His rescue plan for women and men alike.
If you've ever wondered if the Bible is good news for women, this is a book you must pick up and read - and while you're at it, why not get a bunch of extra copies to give away.
The subtitle expresses its vision perfectly: "How the Bible exalts and dignifies women". Working through the Bible's teaching to show how good it is for women, Soole has produced a short book which is easy to read and yet surprisingly thorough in its scope. Of course, it gives a few pages (at most) to each of the many passages it considers, but in each case shows that taking a text in its original context (rather than taking verses in isolation) immediately clarifies God's affirming and dignifying vision for women. Moreover, each chapter reminds us that the Bible is not fundamentally a textbook about gender, but a testimony to the gospel of the Lord Jesus, and His rescue plan for women and men alike.
If you've ever wondered if the Bible is good news for women, this is a book you must pick up and read - and while you're at it, why not get a bunch of extra copies to give away.
January 1, 2023
An excellent book that fits right into an important niche. For anyone who is doubting what Christianity means for women and about how church history has abused women using the Bible, this book shows the truth of the Bible and how Christ fulfills all. High praise but I believe it deserves it.
January 22, 2022
Helpfully front footed - Karen Soole teaches the Bible with real confidence that it actually does dignify women, and that even the incidents that I most instinctively shy away from are in fact evidence of that. This book is pitched (I think) really well, and avoids cliché.
Some of the chapters took odd twists towards the end, and didn’t quite seem to ‘join up’ with the next, but I think in most cases this was so they’d stand alone better, and have some clear application. I also think the chapter on marriage felt like it needed a *little* more clarity/expansion, and the lack of mention of church leadership felt like a gap considering how often people bring it up as an example that the Bible/Paul *is* sexist.
Overall well worth reading (and giving to others!)
Some of the chapters took odd twists towards the end, and didn’t quite seem to ‘join up’ with the next, but I think in most cases this was so they’d stand alone better, and have some clear application. I also think the chapter on marriage felt like it needed a *little* more clarity/expansion, and the lack of mention of church leadership felt like a gap considering how often people bring it up as an example that the Bible/Paul *is* sexist.
Overall well worth reading (and giving to others!)
April 21, 2022
This really is a wonderful book. It is short and concise yet still gives a balanced overview of what the Bible teaches about men and women. Soole tackles some of the most difficult passages in the Bible and, in my view, brings helpful clarity through her careful reading of each passage in its context. Most importantly, Soole takes the reader back to the central gospel message again and again; demonstrating how true hope, joy and freedom are found only in the Lord Jesus. Well worth a read.
September 19, 2023
3.5 There's loads I like about this book. It's very accessible: Karen Soole writes in a really clear and engaging way and all of the bible verses and passages referred to are written out in full, so you don't need a bible to engage with the arguments. It's well informed from a world perspective: literature, music, politics, history, philosophy etc are all used to inform Soole's thinking and arguments. Someone reading this who is not a Christian will find something they are familiar with. Props to her for using Elena Ferrante and Taylor Swift among other notable women.
I think this book is mainly written for people who aren't Christians to address one of the biggest criticisms/misconceptions of the Bible. I was looking and hoping for bit more depth and discussion for people who are Christians and want to think about this in more detail - but that would make this a different book. There are discussion questions and a passage to read at the end of each chapter and this makes the book very good to read with a friend. I would like to do this next as I think I'd get more out of it, and it would certainly equip me to speak to friends about the topic.
I think this book is mainly written for people who aren't Christians to address one of the biggest criticisms/misconceptions of the Bible. I was looking and hoping for bit more depth and discussion for people who are Christians and want to think about this in more detail - but that would make this a different book. There are discussion questions and a passage to read at the end of each chapter and this makes the book very good to read with a friend. I would like to do this next as I think I'd get more out of it, and it would certainly equip me to speak to friends about the topic.
July 17, 2022
I think the book has many good things in it.
However, it still has an air of devaluing wifehood and motherhood, in a way that is not Biblical.
Good for starting to think about the topic, but would be complemented by reading other books like Eve in Exile by Rebekah Merkle, and 'Masculine Christianity' by Zachary Garris.
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On second reading, I find these flaws.
1. Ignorance of how male/femaleness is rooted in creation. It goes further than being made in God's image. God has made us distinctly male and female with differing roles, clearly presented in the Bible throughout.
2. She doesn't actually critique the feminists. She accepts their charges as correct (for the most part) and shapes the Bible to her own ends, rather than actually looking at everything she could. Therefore she misses out and ignores those passages and patterns that challenge her thesis.
3. She fails to highlight how messed up the feminists' lives were/are. Not that anyone is perfect - but the fruit of your life shows the viability of the root thinking.
4. She deals a lot with narrative, but fails to do robust textual analysis (probably because of the nature of the book).
5. She fails to put church fathers in context - eg she quotes a secondary source linking augustine with the idea of women not being made in God's image without dealing with the entire teachings Augustine had. Likewise, she cherrypicks what Luther says without giving him a fair hearing.
Ultimately this book is an attempt by evangelicals to appease the culture and feminists - to try to make the Bible more palatable to people who will intentionally misinterpret it anyway. They have blinded themselves to natural law and God's word - and they ignore the consequences of so-called liberation (birth control, abortion, no fault divorce, plummeting birth rates, rampant sexual deviance and abuse etc etc).
However, it still has an air of devaluing wifehood and motherhood, in a way that is not Biblical.
Good for starting to think about the topic, but would be complemented by reading other books like Eve in Exile by Rebekah Merkle, and 'Masculine Christianity' by Zachary Garris.
------
On second reading, I find these flaws.
1. Ignorance of how male/femaleness is rooted in creation. It goes further than being made in God's image. God has made us distinctly male and female with differing roles, clearly presented in the Bible throughout.
2. She doesn't actually critique the feminists. She accepts their charges as correct (for the most part) and shapes the Bible to her own ends, rather than actually looking at everything she could. Therefore she misses out and ignores those passages and patterns that challenge her thesis.
3. She fails to highlight how messed up the feminists' lives were/are. Not that anyone is perfect - but the fruit of your life shows the viability of the root thinking.
4. She deals a lot with narrative, but fails to do robust textual analysis (probably because of the nature of the book).
5. She fails to put church fathers in context - eg she quotes a secondary source linking augustine with the idea of women not being made in God's image without dealing with the entire teachings Augustine had. Likewise, she cherrypicks what Luther says without giving him a fair hearing.
Ultimately this book is an attempt by evangelicals to appease the culture and feminists - to try to make the Bible more palatable to people who will intentionally misinterpret it anyway. They have blinded themselves to natural law and God's word - and they ignore the consequences of so-called liberation (birth control, abortion, no fault divorce, plummeting birth rates, rampant sexual deviance and abuse etc etc).
June 15, 2023
A really helpful look at a few different questions that particularly get asked by women exploring the Christian faith. Soole is helpful in her sympathetic treatment of the subject as well as in the clarity and directness of her answers. What I particularly loved was the effort she went to to use a gospel link in every chapter. Whatever the question or subject matter, Soole answered it well and then was careful to point us back to Christ and the hope that only he offers. I would highly recommend this as one to read through with seeking female friends!
November 29, 2021
What does the Bible teach about the role and worth of women? Especially the old Testament? This accessible book, written by one of the best Bible teachers I’ve heard (in Word Alive), takes us to some of the more difficult passages in the old Testament, and explains what they truly teach about the role and worth of women. The book is accessible to both Christians and non-Christians, and helps people to see the worth the Bible places on women. The author grapples with the really difficult passages of the Bible, and also shows us the glorious gospel.
April 3, 2024
Karen Soole helps us to see that rather than degrading and pushing down women as the world might have us believe, the Bible infact lifts up women and allows them dignity. Karen intentionally leans into the really difficult passages in the Bible (Judges 19 etc) and alongside cultural references of song and literature, helps to show that God's design for women is one of liberation and salvation.
This is written at a level that anyone in your church, or a friend who has raised questions about the role of women in Christianity, would be able to understand without being too academic.
The questions at the end of each chapter mean it would be a great option for a book group.
This is written at a level that anyone in your church, or a friend who has raised questions about the role of women in Christianity, would be able to understand without being too academic.
The questions at the end of each chapter mean it would be a great option for a book group.
January 4, 2022
A truly insightful book that as the title says, liberates you to freely seek God, his truth and strip you of demeaning, undervalued or misogynist views you might have thought were condoned by His word. I would warmly recommend this book to both men and women, young and old who want to delve into difficult topics to be true bearers of His word.
August 5, 2022
Good as an evangelistic option but feels quite brief. I often wanted Soole to go into more detail and felt there were some simple/simplified answers to some very complex issues. A good read but I am left wanting more.
October 31, 2024
Brilliant, I loved this! So helpful for someone who has grown up in quite an oppressive church background. This book has encouraged me and has given me a new appreciation for God's good design of women. It is culture that has done the damage, not the Bible!
June 3, 2022
Clear, Biblical book on God's love and care of women.
July 1, 2022
Incredible - wholly recommend.
June 1, 2022
This is a book that I wish had been written 10 years ago, when I first started asking these sorts of questions.
It’s the first Christian literature I’ve read on this topic that has a good balance of strong biblical theology, but also grace, understanding and acknowledgement of what women in the church have been through. It’s the first book from evangelical circles that has made me feel seen and valued. No excuses. No “but now women are trying to change God’s order” or “of COURSE we value women the same”. The author quotes the damaging theologies about women that church leaders have held for a long time. She admits that many women throughout history have been hurt. And then she spends time pointing us to Jesus and showing that there is a better way. This book is refreshing. It is deeply researched and well thought-through. It feels as though Karen Soole has been listening to my frustrations surrounding women in the church and has addressed each one. She carefully examines each issue and presents a clear case for the Bible upholding the value and dignity of women every time. I don’t think I’ve ever heard anyone teach like this before. It’s feels like she has given women a voice and shown that we truly are valued. For so long I have struggled to see this in the church - and on occasion the Scriptures too - so I’m very grateful to Karen for showing me that there is hope without compromising Biblical truth.
There are lots of key takeaways from this book but the one that stands out for me: Jesus really loves women, and the church should follow suit. 💗
It’s the first Christian literature I’ve read on this topic that has a good balance of strong biblical theology, but also grace, understanding and acknowledgement of what women in the church have been through. It’s the first book from evangelical circles that has made me feel seen and valued. No excuses. No “but now women are trying to change God’s order” or “of COURSE we value women the same”. The author quotes the damaging theologies about women that church leaders have held for a long time. She admits that many women throughout history have been hurt. And then she spends time pointing us to Jesus and showing that there is a better way. This book is refreshing. It is deeply researched and well thought-through. It feels as though Karen Soole has been listening to my frustrations surrounding women in the church and has addressed each one. She carefully examines each issue and presents a clear case for the Bible upholding the value and dignity of women every time. I don’t think I’ve ever heard anyone teach like this before. It’s feels like she has given women a voice and shown that we truly are valued. For so long I have struggled to see this in the church - and on occasion the Scriptures too - so I’m very grateful to Karen for showing me that there is hope without compromising Biblical truth.
There are lots of key takeaways from this book but the one that stands out for me: Jesus really loves women, and the church should follow suit. 💗
Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews