Book Review: Women of the Word
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Women of the Word
Book Author: Jen Wilkin
Review Author: Ann
Darling Downs Free Reformed Church
Pro Ecclesia Bookshop
Women of the Word
by Jen Wilkin
152 pages/2014
We read the Bible every day, at the table and personally. But how do we read the Bible? As a story book, a book to make us comfortable?
To help us gain more insight in who God is, and who we are, by our Bible reading, Jen Wilkin has written the book ''Women of the Word''. She gives us a tool as to how to study the Bible in order to get to know God better and His plan for salvation from Genesis to Revelation. She does so with the Five P's of sound study: study with Purpose, Perspective, Patience, Process and Prayer.
Her advice is to start with the last: prayer, the most important part. Without that our study is nothing but an intellectual pursuit. We need the Holy Spirit to guide us and enlighten our minds and make us humble before God.
When we study with purpose, we keep in mind the big picture of the whole Bible and so come to a better understanding of God's purpose from the beginning to the end of the Bible.
With perspective, the author wants us to be like archaeologists, uncovering who wrote a particular Bible book, when it was written, to whom it was written, in what style and why it was written. This enables us to read it in the way the author intended it to be read.
Patience is a virtue. Bible study requires work and discipline. Take your time reading the passage a few times and don't straight away go to the commentaries. And when we do, we have to make sure it is a sound commentary or study Bible. She also recommends a Bible dictionary.
If your life's stage is making it difficult to spend much time for in-depth study, do the best you can. There is a time and a season for everything.
The previous P, patience, already covers a bit of the process. With our study, we first have to ''own'' the text. Make it your own. Only then can we look to the opinions of others for help.
Towards the end of her book, the author adds another P, namely, people. Studying in a group, like women's club, helps us moving forward and guards us against derailing.
All in all, a very Scriptural and helpful book, written in an easy style with good examples and Bible references.
Not only for women. Also, men can benefit from it. It didn't take my husband long to finish it.
Anne Gunnink, Darling Downs.
This book review was organised by Pro Ecclesia Bookshop in conjunction with the Women's League. All books are available from Pro Ecclesia Bookshop, Armadale (and Rockingham on request).