What does the Bible say about the value of women? Does the Bible teach that women are as valuable as men or does it portray them as somehow more flawed, more suspect, or weak and easily deceived? Beginning from Genesis and working all the way through the storyline of the Bible, Worthy demonstrates the significant and yes, even surprising, ways that God has used women to accomplish His kingdom … accomplish His kingdom goals. Because, like men, they are created in His image, their lives reflect and declare His worth. Worthy will enable and encourage both men and women to embrace this true and lofty vision of God’s creation, plan, and their value in His eyes.
Bestselling author Elyse Fitzpatrick and pastor Eric Schumacher together invite women to embrace a transformative and empowering view of their Maker, themselves, and the church. But this isn’t only a book for women. It is also a book for men, especially leaders, who want to grow in their understanding of God’s perspective on women, people who normally make up the majority of their congregations; men who might be wondering if they’ve missed something amid the abuse scandals that are rocking the church. Might the headlines they’re reading today about abuse have their roots in a denigration of the value and worth of women? Worthy: Celebrating the Value of Women will help every reader see the value, place, and calling of women through study questions and a “Digging Deeper” section that will help men and women discover how to cherish, value, and honor one another for God’s glory.
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Wow. Just wow.
I have to say I was hesitant for a long time to read this book. Mostly because the title annoyed me. “Worthy” has become one of those words that gets thrown around so much these days it’s cliche to me, and I hate cliches. There’s a lot of talk about “You are worthy” without any modifiers, and it drives me bonkers. Worthy of what? Why? According to whom? You can’t just post “You are worthy” on a sign or on a social media post. What is that even supposed to mean? Do you really think every single person who reads that post/sign is indiscriminately worthy of…anything and everything? That’s literally impossible. Especially since “Worthy” isn’t automatically positive when pulled out of context. A person might be “worthy of renown” or they might be “worthy of punishment.” I know that’s kind of old-fashioned phrasing and we don’t talk like that much these days, but the word itself is actually fairly neutral.
Anyway. I’ll stop harping on the cliche now. The point is, I still don’t care for the title, but I LOVED the book. And I do understand what the authors were trying to do in choosing that title. The entire book is basically written to answer those exact questions. What ARE women worthy of? Why? And according to whom?
And I must say they do a fabulous job of answering those question, straight from the scripture. So fabulous, in fact, that I would venture to say if you are only going to read one book about Christian womanhood, this would be a very good choice.
Contrary to what some people will probably assume based on the title and subject matter, these two authors are NOT feminists or even egalitarians. They remain quite openly in the complimentarian camp (which I suppose could be considered either a pro or a con, depending on what view you come from as a reader), but this is not a book intended to argue or debate about gender rolls. Rather, it’s about looking to scripture to see how God uses and values women in the great story of history and the gospel, and about how we as Christians need to model ourselves after Christ in the way we think about, talk about, and interact with women.
I found it to be extremely encouraging and informative. It made me think about things I have never considered before, and also gave voice to many things I HAVE considered but did not quite know how to put into words. Of course, I didn’t fully agree with EVERYTHING they wrote, but I don’t think I’ve ever read a book I agreed with in every particular (unless we are talking about the bible of course!). Still, the few places I disagreed were so minor, and their overall message so important and well-written, that I don’t hesitate to give this book an emphatic fives stars! I especially appreciated the kind and respectful tone the authors used, and how they pointed back to the supremacy of the gospel and the need to stand arm in arm with all fellow believers in advancing that marvelous message, and not dissolve into vicious bickering over second and third tier doctrinal issues. Yes please, PLEASE, let’s do that.
Anyway. If you’ve been hesitating over reading this because of the title like I did, STOP hesitating and read it. You can always decide you disagree with part of their message once you’ve actually read the book, but please don’t write it off because you think it’s too cliche, or too feminist, or not feminist enough, or whatever! Honestly, that’s all I can say.
Just. Read. The. Book.
In Worthy: Celebrating the Value of Women authors Elyse Fitzpatrick and Eric Schumacher step boldly into the fray to defend women against stereotypes, assumptions, misogyny, and abuses in today’s Christian culture. I did not agree with everything in this book, but I thoroughly appreciate their work.
As someone who has been deeply wounded by some of the evangelical church’s teachings to and about women, I’m questioning many beliefs I once held tightly. Worthy gave me hope as it breathed a new, healthier perspective into the old, damaging teachings I’ve been taught since childhood. It clearly demonstrates that Biblical interpretation can easily be skewed by one’s worldview, social environment, or church culture. Worthy frequently demonstrated that simply shifting how a passage is perceived can completely change its effect and message. I do think at times they presented ideal situations and skipped over challenging passages. Still, the bottom-line message of the book is that God values women as much as He values men. No more, no less. And I can definitely get on board with that message.
I think Worthy: Celebrating the Value of Women by Elyse Fitzpatrick and Eric Schumacher is a step in the right direction and I wish all pastors, especially those on the more conservative side would read it. Given all the SBC endorsements, I wasn’t terribly surprised to read that they consider themselves complementarians and deny that women can hold the office of pastor. However, I appreciated their call for respectful interaction with others of different opinions. They acknowledge that Christians can love God deeply, serve him with devotion, yet still hold different convictions.
Disclosure of Material Connection: I was provided a copy of this book by the publisher. All opinions in this review are my own.