Questions Women Asked: Historical Issues, Timeless Answers

This book has a brilliant balance of both Biblical scholarship and fascinating stories. Simonetta Carr's fine writing style pulled me into this book from the very beginning. And something kept me thinking about what I had read even after I had finished a chapter and set the book aside -- it was the questions that these women had asked, and how relevant they still are today. These questions stuck in my head, and I found myself thinking about them throughout the day. That is precisely why I put in the "headline" these words: "Yes, historical issues, but TIMELESS answers."It's not often that we find a book that would appeal to both the scholar and the non-scholar. But this book does precisely that. When QUESTIONS WOMEN ASKED was available to order, I bought a copy for myself, of course, but also one for my pastor, who has since told me how very much she has appreciated this book. She said that she found it especially delightful to discover women she had not yet known about, in addition to finding out more in depth about some women whose lives she had previously studied.For me, most of it was completely new information. I had heard about only a very few of the women in this book. Beautifully balancing this new biographical information for me were the questions. Many of them I myself have asked or I have talked with friends who have been asking such questions. I love the sense of connectedness over the years -- women from the past who had struggled with questions so like those of today. I love it, that sense of being connected with such a rich line of women who were seeking to understand, and were not afraid to ask, to question, to think, to ponder.As a long-time teacher of literature at the high school level, I do appreciate fine writing. The content of QUESTIONS WOMEN ASKED is most definitely praise-worthy, and it is delightful when the writing style is equally fine, as it is in this book. I also very much have enjoyed the way it is possible to read one chapter, think about it, ponder the meaning of that chapter’s question in one's own life, and then come back to another chapter when the time is right. No rush. The way this book is put together, the reader is given the opportunity to interact with the ideas and the questions and the thoughts at his or her own speed.Oh, yes, in case you had not figured this out already, I most certainly do recommend this book. Highly!

In Questions Women Asked, Carr profiles 31 Christian women “who have either posed or examineda variety of puzzling questions, striving to find biblical answers.” While these questions reveal alot about each woman’s historical context and individual personality, they can also stir up fruitfulquestions and discussions for our own day.Some of the women in these chapters posed questions directly in published writings orcorrespondence; others lived with questions over the course of their lives, as they endured trialsor pursued their vocations. Spanning from the fourth century to the late 20th, Questions WomenAsked also provides a unique, episodic overview of church history. With an academicbackground in this area, I was especially pleased to encounter many names that were new to me. Even when a familiar name popped up (like Augustine’s motherMonica, poets Anne Bradstreet and Phillis Wheatley, or Olympia Morata), I found theirstories told from a fresh angle, raising good questions about topics like motherhood, marriage,doubt, and injustice.I recommend this book to anyone who wants to better understand women’scontributions to church history, or who could simply use some encouragement from the stories ofChristian lives well lived. Since each chapter stands alone, one could dip into this volume everynow and then without feeling lost. However, it’s especially well-suited to group discussion. Eachchapter’s discussion questions are genuinely thought-provoking, sometimes inviting readers’own thoughts about the specific theological or practical questions a woman poses. (Carr doesn’tassume, for instance, that readers will necessarily agree with each woman’s conclusions.)Finally, I appreciated that the book isn’t hagiographical in its descriptions; the womenare portrayed as real human beings with strengths and weaknesses. Carr describes their struggleshonestly, as most of these women dealt with trials like grief, illness, depression, loneliness, orspiritual doubt at some point in her life. No matter the particulars, Simonetta takes care tohighlight each woman’s trust in God’s Word and His grace in Christ.

“Questions Women Asked: Historical Issues, Timeless Answers” written by Simonetta Carr in 2021 is not some regular history book full of little bits about Christian women. Yes, it’s good to read more about their faith but every chapter talks about what each woman questioned, pursued, or searched to deepen their faith in God. I enjoyed reading the women’s specific desire to find an answer and how they did so. I found the questions “Food for Thought” at the end of all 31 chapters were helpful. Each chapter is short but would work very well for a group book study.