Since I became a new Christian, I have had many questions about Christianity, such as “How can I hear God’s voice?”, “How should I pray?”, “What happens after I die?” and “do I have free will if God is sovereign?”
You may have probably asked many questions as well; it is inevitable when dealing with a transcendent and infinite God. Several sisters in Christ have also struggled with the faith and asked questions about God and the Christian life. In Questions Women Asked: Historical Issues, Timeless Answers, Simonetta Carr shares thirty-one insightful questions from thirty-one women throughout church history.
Questions Women Asked is a different kind of history book. Unlike others, it focuses on the theology of church history figures rather than their personal stories. Carr structured her book this way because she wants women to challenge themselves with critical theological questions and mull over various theological issues.
The book has 31 chapters; each tells the biography of a woman in church history, a question she asked, and her answer or conclusion. Every chapter also includes a “Food for Thought” section with questions for further reflection and/or group discussion.
The women featured in this book lived from AD 325 to 1968 and came from various backgrounds. For instance, there is Monica of Targaste (Augustine’s mother), Renee of France (a queen), Anne Bradstreet (a puritan), and Phillis Wheatley (an ex-slave). Despite their different backgrounds and eras, these women have one thing in common besides their gender; love and devotion to the Lord Jesus Christ.
As a lover of theology and church history, this book is perfect for me! I thoroughly enjoyed reading it and loved discovering these amazing sisters and the theological questions they asked. Though these women lived hundreds of years ago, their questions are still so relevant! For instance, “How Should a Christian Live Separate from the World?”, “Should we speak against injustice?”, “Should we pray for God’s enemies?” and “Can Women write about theology?”.
As if the thirty-one questions of the book are not challenging enough, Carr provides even more thought-provoking questions at the end of each chapter. These questions are the most profound ones I have ever seen in a book, and they made me think deeply about the issues at hand.
Question Women Asked is one of the best books I have read this year (I have read 40 so far!). Carr did an outstanding job telling the stories of inspiring women of church history and selecting relevant and profoundly intellectual questions. It was a tremendous joy to discover these amazing women (most of whom I didn’t know) and join them on their quest to know God more through their questions. I read this book during Women History Month, and I suspect I will repeat it next year.
Sisters (and brothers) I highly recommend this book! Buy it, read it, discuss it, and gift it!
