Women of the Word: How to Study the Bible with Both Our Hearts and Our Minds

Women of the Word is the first of Jen Wilkin's books that I read and I have to say, it has revolutionized how I look at the Word of God. In Women of the Word, Jen clearly and succinctly explains why all Christians (not just pastors and teachers) should study the Word of God. On page 45 she writes,"Both false teachers and secular humanist rely on biblical ignorance for their messages to take root, and the modern church has proven fertile ground for those messages."I could not agree more! She goes on to explain how to go about studying the Word in a way that is effective and practical. Wilkin teaches how to study God's Word with purpose, perspective, patience, process, and prayer. She gives a detailed description (including pictures!) of how she writes and marks so that the reader has a good understanding of it. I also LOVE the fact that Jen doesn't claim that everyone in the church is a teacher. She reminds readers that teachers will be held to a higher standard (James 3:1) and that we need to ensure that we are making disciples of the Word not fans of the teacher.Overall, I would give Women of the Word by Jen Wilkin a solid A+. I think that every women's Bible study group should read through this book before anything else to ensure that they really are learning the Word with their hearts and minds equally. I also think that this book would be a great resource for a spiritually young believer. I wouldn't recommend it for a brand new believer but someone that is ready to learn and grow on their own could greatly benefit from this methodology

This book is what I have spent years searching for. If you are tired of funny stories and mood management tips dressed up in out of context scripture and called Bible Study, this book is for you. Jen Wilkin expertly shows you how to build a foundational knowledge of the Bible in her warm and engaging way. The Bible study skills taught in this book are so practical you will walk away saying, “Why didn’t I know this?” This should be taught to every believer as early as possible so they can know why they believe what they believe, and come to know and love the glorious God of the Bible.

Women of the Word is one of those books that is tough to pin down, so I'm going to stick my rating right in the middle. It's more than "okay," which a three-star rating indicates, but it's not perfect.I have done Jen Wilkin's study on Second Peter, and found her to be a refreshing Bible teacher. This definitely holds true in Women of the Word. Jen is up front about the fact that as Christians and especially as women, we are often expected to leave our brains at the door when it comes to Bible study. Worst-case scenario, women's Bible studies are seen as places where we get together to drink coffee, eat chocolate, and feminize Christianity, and isn't that cute and silly? Ugh. Women's Bible study should be about worshiping and loving God with our minds as well as our hearts, so I appreciate that Jen took the time to write a book about how one accomplishes this.I also love how Jen challenges Bible readers and students to make the Bible less about us and more about God. Her explanation of how each Bible book and story fits into the Bible's Big Story is spot on. I will be looking more closely for Creation-Fall-Redemption-Restoration patterns in my future reads of Biblical texts. And while, like anybody else, I don't like my toes stepped on, I appreciate how Jen convicted me of approaching the Bible from a selfish standpoint, such as being a "personal shopper."Jen also has some great advice for Bible teachers; as a fairly new facilitator at my church, this was intensely helpful. I especially gleaned good ideas from her sections on what not to do, such as playing the expert, relying too much on storytelling, or feminizing the text.Okay, this is where the review gets sticky. Despite these positive things, there are some pretty big pitfalls in Women of the Word, both practical and emotional. Let's start with the practical. One, Jen recommends that people read an entire Biblical text multiple times before *ever* attempting to study it. I can see this, sort of; remember, I did one of her studies and we ended up reading 2 Peter no less than nine separate times. But the flaw is, when you read the same thing over and over just for the sake of reading it, it becomes tedious. It turns you off. You may memorize the Scripture, but you'll feel like you're being told you're not smart enough to "get it" the first time. For longer books such as Isaiah, Jeremiah, Genesis, Acts, or Romans, this approach is just insane.Further on the insane: Jen expects that true Bible study can only happen if you have a printed, double-spaced copy of your text. Again, I can see this if you like to make a lot of notes, but all I kept picturing was my printer spitting out 300 pages worth of Jeremiah just so I could get through a chapter. Talk about overkill. Plus, these types of methods made me feel stupid and inadequate. I have cerebral palsy and cannot handwrite; I am totally dependent upon a computer. Jen makes it sound like, "Too bad lady, do this my way or you don't love God enough." She also makes it sound like it's a cardinal sin to highlight your Bible or not go through a text word by word, verse by verse.Jen rightly cautions prospective Bible teachers not to enter into their duty or calling lightly. However, her recommendations for teaching are way too heavy on comprehension. Too much interpretation and application is dangerous too, but Jen sounds like she wants to say, "If the Bible does not say X in black and white, it's not there." She also recommends having people do your homework and critique you endlessly before you facilitate. How are teachers supposed to get anything done? How will they gain Spirit-filled confidence in the gift Jesus gave them?Jen's tone can be condescending, and overall, she has a tendency to make readers feel stupid. Let's go back to the comprehension thing. Jen makes a compelling case that comprehension only happens with a close reading of the text, and I agree. But she *also* advocates for reading the same thing over and over, agonizing over every word, or else you can't possibly understand. Are we in kindergarten? Do you not trust us to use our minds, Jen? Are we supposed to believe God will be mad at us if we don't subscribe to your specific methods? That's what it sounds like to me, sweetie.Jen is also extremely down on anything having to do with contemplation or emotion. Again, I totally get it--the Bible is a book about GOD, not us. But to compare looking up comforting Scriptures when you need them to taking a Xanax, is the equivalent of telling a person with a severe ocular migraine to suck it up. It also drives home the message, "If you use the Bible for X instead of Y, you are stupid and disobedient." She also warns readers away from using any commentaries (unless you've read and dissected the text 10 times), but expects us to *also* know historical and cultural context, who books were written to, etc. News flash: no one knows this off the tops of their heads. Where are we going to get this information if not from a study Bible or, horrors, a *commentary*? How are we supposed to understand context and glean something other than what is on the page, if we do not seek out reputable sources to back it up? Isn't this what feeding ourselves spiritually is supposed to be about?She advocates that we "confess" every time we are bored, distracted, or confused in Bible study, or when we don't have enough time for hours upon hours of highlighting, reading, and dissecting. Again, this is fine, but it's written in such a way that the message sent is, "You are a bad Christian. Do this or your Bible study or love of the Bible does not count." Jen Wilkin claims not to be a Bible worshiper, and I don't think she is--but that is exactly what she sounds like throughout this book.So, what's my overall verdict? I'm glad I read this. I gleaned some great takeaways. But Jen's attitude toward her readers is nasty, and her teaching, if taken wrong, can be dangerous (as can anybody else's). The Bible, and God, are not meant to be put in a box, and the Bible is not meant to be worshiped. If anything, Women of the Word made me afraid to study my Bible! Jen, please back off. Please think about what you are telling women, especially new Christians (I've been a veteran for about 20 years, but...) And please, allow the mind and heart equal places in your studies.

We all know it's important to read and study our Bibles, but as anyone knows it's really hard to know where to start. With a shortage of time, maybe you tried before and gave up. This book is written to help teach us to keep our focus to keep in God's word and studying.Jen Wilkin helps lead and guide you through the process with a pointed plan to help the reader get into God's word.Jen Wilkin has written a book that we all need, this is specifically written to help women get into and more out of their Bibles. How many times do we come to our Bibles in our quiet time and wonder what now? Where do I go, what do I read?This book will help stir that desire to begin studying. " I approached my study time asking the wrong questions. I read the Bible asking "Who am I? and "What should I do?" The author continues on the explain how and where to begin.Jen Wilkin skillfully shows the reader how to grow and build a foundation of Biblical knowledge with practical, charming and delightful fashion.This would make an excellent study book for a women's Bible study to help them get more enjoyment and knowledge out of their studies. I received this book free from the publisher. I was not required to write a positive review and the opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”