Reading the Bible With Women

By CARMEN JOY IMES|MARCH 13, 2024 --Christianity Today online: 

https://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/2024/march-web-only/rahab-prostitute-jericho-joshua-study-bible-women-history.html?utm_source=CT%20Women%20Newsletter&utm_medium=Newsletter&utm_term=21327&utm_content=16144&utm_campaign=email

A few quotes below may help you determine if you wish to read more:

"As I reread the Old and New Testaments, focusing both on the women in the text and the women who would read it, so many biblical stories came to life for me in a whole new way. I was forced to wrestle with difficult passages that seemed hard on women. But as I wrestled with these stories with the help of others, I discovered profound insights about the goodness of God.

"Reading on behalf of women also sensitized me to the female characters in Scripture who are too often sidelined or caricatured with one-dimensional labels like prostitute, sister, seductress, widow. Not only are these portrayals sometimes inaccurate, but they can often distract from more important facets of their character—such as their courage, loyalty, creativity, and determination—as well as their vital contribution to God’s redemptive plan outlined in the biblical narrative.

"One such character is Rahab—to whose name we hasten to add—the prostitute. Rahab’s story is sometimes boiled down to a trite takeaway: that God is willing to use even the basest of sinners to accomplish his purposes, even foreign prostitutes! But her character contributes so much more meaning to Israel’s story. ... "