Women, Leadership, and the Bible

How Do I Know What to Believe? A Practical Guide to Biblical Interpretation

Natalie R. Wilson Eastman

• Publisher: Cascade Books
• Year: 2014
• Print ISBN:
  9781608999132
  9781498215572
• eBook ISBN:
  9781630871765
• Topic: Theology & Religion
• Subtopic: Biblical Criticism & Interpretation

What do you believe about women's roles in church leadership? Should women lead groups that include men? Should women preach? Should women be ordained? More importantly, why do you believe what you believe? Plenty of books exist telling women what to think; precious few help women think for themselves, particularly about theological issues. Women, Leadership, and the Bible helps women learn to interpret the Bible and discern for themselves answers to their questions about women's roles in the church, along with any other issue they may face in life. In straightforward, plain language, Dr. Natalie Eastman introduces women to a five-step, easy-to-follow process for studying the Bible and interpreting what they study. [NOTE to designer: if there is not enough space on the back cover then cut the following section in italics] This book encourages women that they can think for themselves and can analyze significant theological issues, despite any hesitations they may have, any conflict surrounding an issue, or any lack of theological training. By the time readers finish this book, they will have a biblically defendable, theologically reasoned, and thoroughly discerned understanding of what they believe Scripture says about women's roles and how that understanding could play out within the church. No longer will they feel as though they have nothing to contribute when the subject of women's roles--or any other of life's theological questions--arises.

Table of contents

• Title Page
• Foreword
• Acknowledgments
• Introduction
• Abbreviations
• Chapter 1: Where Many Women Begin with “The Women’s Issue”
• Chapter 2: The Plan, Introduced
• Step 1: Prepare
• Chapter 3: Prep Method 1
• Chapter 4: Prep Method 2
• Chapter 5: Prep Method 3
• Step 2: Identify
• Chapter 6: She’s Got a Little List
• Step 3: Study
• Chapter 7: Get into the Text! Study Guidelines
• Chapter 8: Get into the Text! Fundamentals of Interpretation, Part 1
• Chapter 9: Get into the Text! Fundamentals of Interpretation, Part 2
• Chapter 10: Get into the Text! Fundamentals of Interpretation, Part 3
• Chapter 11: Get into the Text! Fundamentals of Interpretation, Part 4
• Chapter 12: Get into the Text! Fundamentals of Interpretation, Part 5
• Chapter 13: Get into the Text!
• Summary of Step 3: Study
• Step 4: Filter
• Chapter 14: Your Job Now: Analyze and Critique
• Chapter 15: External Filters
• Chapter 16: Internal Filters
• Step 5: Choose
• Chapter 17: Just Do It
• Chapter 18: What’s Next?
• Conclusion
• Appendix A: Meet the Mentors
• Appendix B: Resources, A Strategy
• Appendix C: “Where Do I Start?” A Case Study in Interpretation
• Bibliography