Alice Mathews

Although women make up 60% of the average church they are by and large invisible listeners. Virtually all preaching is geared toward men. Choice of topics, biblical passages, exegesis of those passages, examples and illustrations all tend toward the masculine. The result is an increasing frustration with church by women which means there’s been an increasing frustration with Christianity and the God of Christianity by women. Women are exiting the church due in some measure to the obscuring show more of the gospel, according to Mathews.

Mathews peels back scores of myths as well as realities with which a pastor/preacher must contend in order to determine how women are hearing what is said from the pulpit. It serves as a wake up call for pastors/preachers/teachers to consider the diversity in general to which they are privileged to break open the Word of God.

Alice Mathews moves methodically chapter by chapter through the exploration of both the myths and realities. From gender assumptions, more moral decision-making, psychological wholeness, epistemologies, modernity and postmodernity, spirituality power leadership, roles and identity.

Throughout the book Dr. Mathews maintains a laser focus on the core question of “How does this apply to preaching?” This strength of this book as a tool for preachers lay in Mathews’ discipline to stick with the major issues involved. The rabbit trails associated with gender and the faith are legion and she steers through with clarity, concluding every chapter with the query, "What does this apply to preaching?"

Her thorough end notes are invaluable for additional information as well as a starting point for further research.

I did keep noting that much of the psychological research may, at this point, be dated. The 1970's and 1980's are a revolutionary generation removed from the present.

This is still a straightforward and useful discussion of the importance to ask "Who is my audience?" and delving into community in order to clearly as well as rightly divide and discuss the Word of Truth to any gathering, group or congregation. show less

This is a nonfiction Christian book about lessons you can learn from women of the Bible, and how you can apply these lessons to your own life today. Each chapter is dedicated to a different Old Testament woman and one New Testament woman, covering Eve through Mary. Each chapter ends with a series of thought-provoking questions for either group discussion or personal reflection.

I liked the fact that this book brought to mind several Biblical stories that we have heard before, but may have show more forgotten about, and helps you to apply lessons from these stories to your own life. The questions at the end of each chapter were another thing that I liked about this book... I was up late at night pondering them.

On the downside, there were several things about the book I disagreed with or did not like. I did not like the fact that the author only used the corrupt NIV and New American Standard Bible in the book. The KJV or YLT would have been much better. I also did not like the fact that the author talks so much about divorce and remarriage and how it's sad that the remarriage statistics for divorced women are so low, but does not mention that according to the Bible, unless under special circumstances remarriage after a divorce is wrong. And another thing that I disagree with is the author's broad definition of "abuse". She says that things such as a grouchy husband saying at every meal that his wife should have made it differently and complaining about everything she does is "verbal abuse". The husband may be a rude grouch and hard to live with, but I would never consider that "abusive"!

Overall, I am in the middle about this book. 2 1/2 stars. show less

Attention Preachers Everywhere! Read this book. "Sermons are not addressed to Occupant" or "To Whom It May Concern.", so says Haddon Robinson in the Foreward in Preaching that Speaks to Women. Dr. Mathews doesn't pretend to know everything about the subject of communicating more effectively to women, but, in my opinion, she knows more than most. In addition to focusing on loving God with all our heart, our soul and mind, she explores the psychology- responses to stress, issues of low show more self-esteem, and women's heightened susceptibility to depression and how each individual woman will hear the gospel. show less

Good Bible study.There are 4 questions for either personal reflection or group discussion at the end of each chapter. When I hope to be teachable in my faith, I open "A Woman Jesus Can Teach" and savor one chapter at a time. In the chapter about the Canaanite woman, Mathews writes: "Take heart. A little bit of faith is still faith. A drop of water is water every bit as much as a reservoir of water." Later in that chapter she concludes: "A nameless Canaanite woman...reminds us that in our show more crisis experiences, we can hang on and trust God because He is the only one who is trustworthy show less