WOMEN AND GOD:
Hard Questions, Beautiful Truth
By Kathleen Nielson
The Good Book Company. 208 pages. £8.99
ISBN 978 1 784 982 799
Kathleen Nielson does exactly what the title of her book states – she looks at what the Bible says about women, she tackles hard questions prompted by the ‘difficult’ passages, and she describes and delights in the beautiful truths of God’s attitude towards women.
The conversational style makes it very easy to read – but don’t be tempted to think that this is a lightweight analysis. It is anything but. It is a deeply refreshing read.
Nielson examines the whole sweep of the Bible, starting in Genesis, and unfolds God’s consistent and deep love for the women he has created. Discussion about women and God so often begins with the church – and with points of conflict, unhappiness and disagreement – and this means that we often fail to see the beautiful truths in the Bible as a whole. Nielson engages with the conflict – but she doesn’t let it set the agenda. What a relief.
Questions I’d never imagined
She is not afraid to ask many hard questions – for example, ‘This is shocking and repulsive. How could God allow it?’ In fact, she asked a lot of questions I had not even thought of ! She addresses many different areas – women’s roles, women’s bodies, women and the church, women and marriage, etc. In each, she gives applications which are challenging and helpful, but she does not fall into the trap of being over-prescriptive.
Rejoice in God’s workmanship
Essentially, Nielson rejoices in how God has made us, male and female – and she invites all of us (not just women) to do the same. She does not want us simply to accept the truth – she wants to show us ‘how that truth is good and can therefore be welcomed and enjoyed’. From my perspective, this book does just that.
