Several years ago my friend Wendy Alsup sent me a manuscript for a booklet she was using in a women's class she teaches at her church. I read it through, made some comments, sent it back to her, and forgot about it. This past summer Wendy emailed me that her booklet, now titled Practical Theology for Women, had been published by Crossway Books. She very graciously sent me a copy of the book, and I was delighted to read it again.
Simply put, I like this book. It is short, just 152 small-sized pages, but it is filled with good meat that will provide great fodder for discussion and growth, whether used personally or in a group.
The book is based on the idea that theology is not just for men; it is for women. As Wendy puts it, "No matter where our husbands, fathers, or pastors may be in their spiritual journey, when we ladies grow in our understanding of God's character and attributes, it can only be a blessing for our homes, our marriages, and our churches" (p. 22).
The book contains fifteen chapters divided into three parts: 1) What is Theology? 2) Who Is Our God? and 3) Communicating with Our God. In these chapters Wendy lays out a solid theology of who God is and how we should relate to him. It is thoroughly saturated with Scripture that is applied to the milieu of daily life.
Wendy has written a book of basic theology. It is not deep.It doesn't delve into deep thorny issues of theology proper. At the same time, this is not a book that is lightweight or filled with fluff. Aside from the Preface, it is fairly light on stories and it won't make you laugh a lot. It will simply drive you to know God more, and to know him in a way that overflows into the practices of your life.
This book can be profitably enjoyed by people from all levels of spiritual maturity and theological knowledge, though it seems geared towards those with less knowledge and experience in the Word.
The downside of this book? Men might not read it because of its title. I would recommend buying your wife a copy and reading it for yourself.
1 comment:
We just got a review copy of this from Crossway and my wife will be reading it and reviewing it. I skimmed it and thought it looked great! Thanks for the note!
Allen Mickle
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