Half the Sky: A Must-Read Book
- Details
- Written by: Carolyn McCulley
Half the Sky: A Must-Read Book (From Christianity today)
The fight for women's dignity worldwide, the 'cause of our time,' needs Christians now more than ever.
This past weekend, The New York Times Sunday Magazine devoted its entire issue to "Why Women's Rights Are the Cause of Our Time." Some very sober and powerful reading there — and not what you might think upon encountering a magazine with a title like that. In fact, these are real, global, and serious issues that should have the attention and ministry of Christians everywhere. More on that in a moment.
The lead feature was an excerpt from the forthcoming book by New York Times columnist Nicholas Kristof and his wife, Sheryl WuDunn,a former Times correspondent who now works in finance and philanthropy. Here's a summary of the book, titled Half the Sky: Turning Oppression Into Opportunity for Women Worldwide — one that includes an honest fact about abortion that I was stunned to read in a mainstream publication. This is a good indicator of the journalistic veracity of this book's research:
Book Review - Women, Leadership & the Church
- Details
- Written by: Jenny Davis
"Women, Leadership & the Church" – Jim Reiher (Acorn Press 2006)
The Appellate Tribunal has removed the barriers to the ordination of women as diocesan bishops – but, if we are to believe Archbishop Peter Jensen, many evangelical Christians in Sydney are disappointed. Should they be? Are Australian Anglicans departing from Scripture's teaching on authority in the church? Well, Jim Reiher has done a great job and given us a concise (121 pages), easily readable exploration of the Scriptures and what they have to say about women's leadership in the church and in the home.
Jim was until recently a lecturer in New Testament and Church History at Tabor College, Victoria. He starts by inviting the reader to be willing to let Scripture, reason and the guidance of the Spirit direct their thoughts and conclusions. He continues with an overview of the key Bible teachings on women in ministry and leadership and then carefully examines these passages, both in the Old Testament and the New Testament.
Book Review: Six New Gospels
- Details
- Written by: Jenny Davis
Six New Gospels: Margaret Hebblethwaite (Geoffrey Chapman. 1994)
Review by Jenny Davis
What if I'd been alive when Jesus was on earth and seen him with my own eyes? What if I'd chatted with him, listened to him, shared a joke over a meal, seen him when he was tired and lonely and shared a few complaints? What if I'd been able to see him with a woman's eye, to hear him through a woman's ear and interpret his sayings with a woman's mind? What if…?
Well, I wasn't there and the four accounts we have in the Bible are from the men. But Margaret Hebblethwaite has written a book that looks at Jesus through the eyes of six New Testament women and what a refreshing read it is. The title may sound heretical, but is in fact describing the contents – six new pictures of the Jesus of the four accepted New Testament Gospels. The views are not sensational, but neither are they "safe". They are certainly different, because all the women are different. Taken together, a fresh view of Jesus' whole life emerges.