Women of the Word is Jen Wilkin’s approach to studying and teaching the Bible. Fond of alliteration, as so many teachers seem to be, she’s broken down the art of Bible study into Purpose, Perspective, Patience, Process, and Prayer. In a simple, down-to-earth manner,
she explains timeless concepts like “metanarrative,” “genre,” and “context.” I appreciated that she included prayer in her study structure and that she advises us to hold off on consulting commentaries until after we have thoroughly examined the passage, its context, and any cross-references we see in our Bibles. Wilkin’s approach to Bible application is also helpful. We begin with God (what the passage reveals about Him) before considering ourselves.

The majority of the book is about studying the Word of God, which can be applied to all people. So, where does the “women” part of the title come in? The gender specifics appear in chapter 9, which is about teaching the Word of God to women. The ninth chapter is part appeal, part handbook, for women to improve the quality of women’s Bible studies. This is, essentially, the goal of the book: to equip women to carefully study the Word of God together. One is not a Christian alone but a member of Christ’s large and diverse family (1 Cor 12:12-26). Therefore, it makes sense that studying God’s Word is not done in isolation. If you are looking to start a Bible study group, improve the contributions you make to your current Bible study group, or just want to enhance your own study of God’s Word, I recommend this book.