Fierce: Women of the Bible and Their Stories of Violence, Mercy, Bravery, Wisdom, Sex, and Salvation

Description

Women in the Bible—some of their names we know, others we've only heard, and others are tragically unnamed. Pastor and provocateur Alice Connor introduces these women and invites us to see them not as players in a man's story—as victims or tempters—nor as morality archetypes, teaching us to be better wives and mothers, but as fierce foremothers of the faith. These women's stories are messy, challenging, and beautiful. When we read their stories, we can see not only their particular, fearsome lives but also our own. Acknowledgments. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . xi Introduction: Together with Certain Women. . . . . . . . . . .1 Part 1. The Only Four (plus Mary) Tamar: When Sleeping with Your Father-in-Law Is Righteous. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .11 Rahab and Bathsheba: Who’s Naked Now? . . . . . . . . . . .21 Ruth: Who Are You Responsible For? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .31 Mary Theotokos: More than Meets the Eye. . . . . . . . . . .41 Part 2. Hebrew Women Asherah: So God Had a Wife, Maybe? Probably.. . . . . . .55 Eve: Mother of All Living. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .65 Hagar: Abraham’s Other Woman. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .73 Deborah and Jael: Women on Top . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .81 Song of Songs: The Sexy, Sexy Bible. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .89 Widows: Those Left Behind. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .97 Jerusalem: I Don’t Love You, and I Always Will. . . . . . .107 Susanna’s Choice. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .117 Part 3. Christian Women At the Well and on the Road: Women Back-Talking God. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .131 Mary and Martha: Jesus’ Family of Choice. . . . . . . . . . .141 Herodias and Herodias: Not So Sexy after All. . . . . . . .151 Priscilla and Phoebe and Lydia and Rhoda: Paul’s Church Ladies. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .159 Mary of Magdala: Who Lives, Who Dies, Who Tells Your Story? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .169 Appendixes The Biblical Stories Themselves and Where to Find Them. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .177 Homework: a.k.a. Ideas for Further Reading. . . . . . .179