Women of the Word by @jenwilkin was actually a book that was given to my wife, Hayley, as a gift. I have heard a lot of great things about it recently, so I picked it up and gave it a read. Since this is not my first time reading a book by Wilkin, I knew that I would at least find solid theology with a gospel-centered foundation.
In Women of Word, I found an accessible book on biblical interpretation for anyone who is interested on growing in his/her interpretive skills. Wilkin rightly reminds us that this is not as much of a suggestion as a need for our lives. We are called to love God with all of our hearts and all of our minds. As Wilkin notes, the more we love something, the more we are willing to study and learn about it. She writes, “The key to enjoying wine isn’t just to guzzle a lot of expensive wine, it’s to learn about wine.” Football fans know their favorite team’s history and starting lineups at a minimum. Consequently, if we love God and His Word the way we say we do, then studying should be more natural.
Some of us just don’t know how to get the best out of our Bible study. Fortunately, this book does a great job giving a simple framework that anyone can do. She gives us five P’s for interpretation: purpose, patience, perspective, process, and prayer. As you read through, Wilkin is aware of the busyness of life and the potential roadblocks. She is gracious throughout and understanding. Instead of bashing, she continues to encourage the reader to keep on. I appreciated her statement in the chapter on patience: “It has been said that we overestimate what we can accomplish in one year and underestimate what we can accomplish in ten.” There is always pressure to be in the know. Forget that! Just begin, and allow your love for God to grow as you learn to study His Word.
Women of the Word gets a 4/5 for me. I have started to put her process into practice and I am excited to see where it goes. Try it out with me!