I was asked if I’d like to review a copy of Pew Sisters
The book arrived and it wasn’t quite what I expected in terms of the study itself. I had the idea that it was going to focus on scriptures which talk about the need for the Body of Christ and while I suppose you can say that this book does that, in a way, it’s not very straight forward in its approach. Each chapter reads as a devotional, telling of a real life challenge that some one (like you, like me) has faced. Following the story there are a series of discussion questions, words from a hymn to meditate on, and a prayer to pray. Each chapter is given the name of a woman and she the focal point of the devotion. For example in Chapter 10 we meet Gabriella who has five children and just discovered she is pregnant with her sixth. She feels out of place in society as her pregnancy is met with disapproval. She eventually learns that ‘children are a blessing from the Lord’ and learns to be thankful and joyful.
I get what this book is trying to do. It is trying to show us through life situations that we can identify with – from having cancer, to losing loved ones, to having miscarriages or multiple children – that God is with us, working out the details of our lives. And furthermore He has most likely surrounded the majority of us with women friends who can (or should!) be able to rejoice with us when we are rejoicing and weep with us when we can do nothing but weep. I do agree that women are very bad at offering sympathy to one another as a general rule and very seldom encourage one another with scripture. This is something that I agree needs to change. I just didn’t necessarily think that this was the best book to bring such change about.
The thing that causes me the most hesitation in this book is the author’s frequent statement: “scripture says _____” (insert statement of choice). But she never provided the scriptures she was referring to. There is a passage of scripture given at the head of each chapter but they are rather easily glossed over and not referenced again after their initial mention. The Body of Christ does need to recognize that it is designed to work together, to comfort, encourage and extole one another. In order to learn to do this right and effectively, it’s going to take more than just a “coffee shop conversation” (although it might take a few of those as well!). We really need to be digging into Scripture and applying it to our lives. We need to take hard looks at what God has called us to and then conform. If we obey the Lord in loving others (particularly those to whom we are joined to in our local congregations) then the Church will be highly effective.
I do think that this book is trying to be as scripturally accurate as possible. In the Forward, which is written by Rose Adle, she exhorts women who are looking for devotional books to ask themselves the following questions,
” . . .[I]s this book theologically sound and doctrinally rich? Or is it vacuous or heterodox? If women are liberated enough to roar, surely we are strong enough to insist on faithful interpretation and application of Scripture.”
To that I give a resounding AMEN! So, I ask myself if Pew Sisters
In summary, I don’t think this book is bad necessarily. I just think it’s weak. I probably would not choose it for a devotional with a group of women and I wouldn’t participate in a group who used it. Again, not because I think it’s bad but I’d rather gnaw on steak than eat a thin meat sandwich, so to speak. I think it could be better. And if you can engage with something better, you should.
I do very much appreciate Concordia Publishing House offering a copy of this book for my review in exchange for my honest thoughts. I have indeed faithfully given them.
Carrie writes book reviews from a Christian worldview over at Reading to Know.
Appreciate your honest review.
I’m afraid this is exactly how I feel about too many “women’s study guides” these days. Not bad, just not good. Milk, not meat. It’s true of studies marketed to teens as well.
I think the depth of PS is not that it reads like a seminary lecture, but that it explores and accepts the theology of the cross; ie, that adversity and suffering are the normal conditions of Christian life. This is where it differs from pop women’s devotionals, most of which want the reader to come away having decided that her feelings are her choice and the only Christian way to feel is happy since God is so good, He’s so good to me. PS allows for a realistic piety more reflective of what we see in the life of Jesus. While it’s an easy read, I don’t think its lessons are easy. They are a challenge to the prevailing Christian culture of mandatory optimism on THIS side of the eschaton.
The Scriptural allusions, rather than explicit references, indicate to me that the study assumes a basic level of Scriptural literacy. For a group study, this seems like a safe thing to do. The leader, presumably, knows Scripture well enough for a it to be a native language which she can spell out in more detail to anyone who isn’t tracking. Personally, I find it distracting to be bombarded by chapters and verses all the time so I think this approach works.
I thought I had commented on this, but I don’t see it. Evidently I thought about it but didn’t get any further than that. 🙂
My preference for Bible studies is to have them more meaty, more dig into the Word kinds of things. But I can see that this might be useful, too. One thing I ask myself sometimes when studying Scripture is “What does this look like in everyday life?” This sounds like it might be useful from that aspect, both for the person with a need and the person wanting to help and encourage.
I’d prefer references, too, rather than just “Scripture says..” If the author doesn’t want to put chapter and verse right in the text, a footnote or end notes would help those wanting to study the passages further to look them up.