Just Wives: Stories of Power and Survival in the Old Testament and Today

Giving astute attention to social worlds of women, of both ancient and modern times, Katharine Sakenfeld explores the stories of eleven women in the Old Testament—Sarah, Hagar, Ruth, Naomi, Vashti, Esther, Michal, Abigail, Bathsheba, Gomer, and the good wife in Proverbs 31. In clear and engaging fashion, she reveals the complexity of these women’s lives, drawing out the issues they faced and relating their struggles to those women around the world face today. By encouraging women from across the world, in various cultures, to bring their own experiences to the biblical texts, and sharing the interpretation of some who already have, Sakenfeld allows her readers to see new possibilities for meaning in the scriptures. She includes study questions for group discussion.