Reviews

Practical Theology for Women: How Knowing God Makes a Difference in Our Daily Lives by Wendy Horger Alsup, Wendy Alsup

lee_hillshire's review against another edition

 I almost didn't read this one, just because the title felt Wrong to me somehow. But I had an hour or two to read, and thankfully my fears were unfounded. It's a good little book, a sweet introduction to theology and why it matters in our daily lives. Sadly I think the author directing this book only at women could have been somewhat misguided. I understand that she teaches theology to women at her church, and that is a really valuable calling. But nothing about this book was women-specific, and thus because it is a book, it feels like it misses out on what could have been its larger purpose by directing itself only at women. A few offhanded comments the author made make me wonder if she believes she has nothing to offer men, or that she thinks she should not be writing for them. At the same time, women coming from strict "theology is men only" backgrounds (of which I'm not super familiar) might find themselves more drawn to a book that calls itself "for women" rather than a more generalized "theology for beginners" type title.

But really, none of that has to do with the content of the book, and I found it very down to earth, easy to read, and valuable.