The Gospel-Centered Woman:
Understanding Biblical Womanhood through the Lens of the Gospel
by: Wendy Alsup
Many Christian books written to women claim to present God's good instructions for their lives. Some expound on the value of marriage and children. Many extol the virtues of the Proverbs 31 wife. A good number teach the value of love, submission, and respect in Christian marriages. Though this book deals with these topics, The Gospel-Centered Woman addresses women from an entirely different perspective. The most important part of the Bible's instructions to women center around the gospel. Jesus' life, death, and resurrection brought about a seismic shift in our understanding of Scripture. After His resurrection, His disciples understood words written thousands of years before with a clarity they never had previously. The good news of Christ illuminates all other Scripture, including instructions to women.
Link to buy the book: http://ow.ly/jgKJd
About the Author:
Wendy Alsup is a wife, mom, and math teacher. She is the author of "Practical Theology for Women: How Knowing God Makes a Difference in Our Daily Lives" and "By His Wounds You are Healed: How the Message of Ephesians Transforms a Woman's Identity".
Find out more about Wendy at
My Take:
From the moment I started reading the introduction to this study, I knew that I was going to like this book. The writing was easy to read and seemed to come straight from the heart of the author. It also met me right where I was - and this was only the intro.
As I kept reading, I enjoyed it more and more. I didn't read it every day, but the days I did found me digging deeper into my Bible than I have in quite a while.
One thing that I liked so much about this study was that it was so refreshing. I have read many devotional or study books that are written for women. Many are good, but sometimes I would feel that there was something missing from them. At times I would almost feel worse when I finished the book (I felt as if there was no way to live up to the expectations presented, i.e. - the Proverbs 31 wife) instead of encouraged.
After reading this book, I realize that what was missing was the Gospel. Now, I am not saying that previous books I have read completely left out the Gospel, but many of them did maybe gloss over it more than they should have. While this book points out that the Proverbs 31 wife is a great example from the Bible, she should not be the ideal - Christ is. My identity does not revolve around how well my life as a wife and mother measures up to her example - my identity is found in Christ alone and what He did for me. How freeing!
Of course this identity in Christ does not mean that we as women should just sit around and do nothing since it's all been done. Rather, we are free to live the lives Christ has for us. I am encouraged to try to get out of the habit of "trying to do everything right" (which is usually dictated by influences other than the Bible) and instead experience the freedom and joy of living my life for Christ.
Another thing that I liked about this book was that it was written very intelligently. There were so many things to think through, and each point was backed up by Scripture.
The only issue I had with this study was that the discussion questions for each chapter are at the end of the book. This is just a preference, but it would have been easier to answer them if they had been placed at the end of each corresponding chapter.
I am debating between a 4½ and a 5 BookWorm rating for this one. I'm going to give this book another read in a few months and come back and update my rating then.
To see what other reviewers are saying, click here.
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