Books

5 Books on Women in the Global Church

Chosen by Gina Zurlo, author of “Global Christianity: A Guide to the World’s Largest Religion from Afghanistan to Zimbabwe.”

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Women in the Mission of the Church: Their Opportunities and Obstacles throughout Christian History

Leanne M. Dzubinski and Anneke H. Stasson

In many places around the world, women represent more than three quarters of the regular, active participants in congregations and Christian ministries. Dzubinski and Stasson have written an excellent complement to the standard narrative of white, male, Western church history by highlighting women who helped make Christianity a world religion.

Weavings: Women Doing Theology in Oceania

Edited by Lydia Johnson and Joan Alleluia Filemoni-Tofaeono

This volume helped set the stage for theologizing about gender justice in a region where patriarchy is widespread, with women caught between the expectations of traditional culture and Christianity. Violence against women is especially severe in Papua New Guinea, Solomon Islands, Vanuatu, New Caledonia, and Fiji, even though these countries are majority Christian.

The Church of Women: Gendered Encounters Between Maasai and Missionaries

Dorothy L. Hodgson

In the 1950s, Catholic missionaries went to Tanzania hoping to convert Maasai men. But as Hodgson shows in this classic of ethnography, they deemed the mission a failure when Maasai women converted in droves. Today, nearly one-fifth of the world’s Catholics live in Africa, with women making up a distinct majority.

Abuelita Faith: What Women on the Margins Teach us about Wisdom, Persistence, and Strength

Kat Armas

A core practice of world Christianity scholars is looking at what is happening at the so-called margins of society and the church. This is exactly what Armas does in Abuelita Faith, identifying the theological contributions of mothers, grandmothers, sisters, and daughters in their everyday lives.

Invisible Women: Data Bias in a World Designed for Men

Caroline Criado Perez

This book helped me recognize a flaw in how we study global Christianity: insufficient data on women in churches, ministries, and missions. Invisible Women illustrates how women are left out of decision-making processes, causing decision-makers to overlook their unique needs, experiences, and bodies. From inequalities in medicine to ill-fitting uniforms to poorly designed public restrooms, when research caters mainly to men, women suffer more than inconveniences.

Also in this issue

This month’s cover story profiles Bono of U2, exploring how grief, music, and activism have shaped—and been shaped by—his Christian faith. This issue also features a pair of articles focused on Bible literacy that take a historical look at the creation of concordances alongside a contemporary assessment of today’s popular Bible apps. How do tools like these impact scriptural interpretation for good or for ill? Plus: a Christmas reflection on the expansive purpose of the Incarnation.

Cover Story

Bono’s Punk-Rock Rebellion Was a Cry of Hopeful Lament

Testimony

Cambodian Spies Were Watching Me. So Was Someone Else.

Why Are We So Cynical About Peace on Earth?

From Holistic Health to a Holistic Gospel

Bible Apps Are the New Printing Press

News

They’re Not Religious. But They Oppose Abortion.

What Is a Missionary Kid Worth?

News

Finding Common Ground in a Big Fish

When the Best Bible-Reading Tool Made Bible Reading Worse

News

The Season’s Greeting Most Preferred for Happy Holidays? ‘Merry Christmas.’

News

Prayer and Forgiveness Offered at Texas Execution

Our Advent Waiting Goes Back to Eden

The Messiah Is Coming

New & Noteworthy Fiction

Why Christmas Is Bigger Than Easter

Our December Issue: We Wonder as We Wander

Reply All

If Troubled, Look for God’s Comfort. If Restless, Look for His Lordship.

We Can’t Outbreed Unbelief

‘I Will Grieve but not Grumble, Mourn but not Murmur, Weep but not Whine’

Review

From the Rise of the ‘Nones’ to the Indifference of the ‘Never Weres’

Review

Who Do You Say He Is?

View issue

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Black Clergy and Christians Grapple with Charlie Kirk’s Legacy

Many say the activist’s inflammatory statements on race should inform how we remember his life.

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A Sudden Death: Voddie Baucham, Who Warned the Church of Fault Lines

Known for confronting critical theory, moral relativism, and secular ideologies, Baucham died a month into leading a new seminary in Florida.

Why Many Black Christians Reject the Evangelical and Mainline Labels

The history of a prominent church pastored by MLK in Alabama shows the reason African Americans often don’t embrace either term.

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Pastor Abducted in Nigeria Amid Escalating Kidnapping Crisis

Armed gang continues to hold him after family paid the ransom.

Review

The Liturgy of American Charisma

Historian Molly Worthen studies dynamic leaders, eager followers, and their shared efforts to “consecrate a new reality.”

Inside the Ministry

The Next Gen Initiative

Casting a captivating vision of following Jesus for the next generation.

The Just Life with Benjamin Watson

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Creating real pathways to stability so families can flourish through housing, work, and dignity.

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