This new book, Every Woman a Theologian: Know What You Believe. Live It Confidently. Communicate It Graciously by Phylicia Masonheimer is a must read for all us women. Especially if you are new Christian or have never studied theology, this book will point you in the correct direction. I see she is also coming out with a study guide soon for it, so it will be a great group study book to do, and I would love to be a part of group going through this book. So, if anyone is wants to do a book study, be sure to contact me!! Even for someone like me who is a bit more seasoned in theology there were still a few things I learned, but also a lot that was so great to read over again that I have learned from other theologians. This is the first women’s book though I have read on this topic, so that was great to get a women’s perspective on it, though no different than a man’s.

The author did her research and made this a book that if you are from a different denomination could read too. I really like that she did not do a us against them type of writing when she wrote about the different denominations, she only pointed out the differences, and also how we can learn from one another, even if we don’t agree on certain things, especially when it comes to 2nd and 3rd issues, yes the essentials of faith are important and those must be agreed on, but there are some issues that differ amongst denominations that cause issues, and that shouldn’t be the case. Instead we should learn from our Brother and Sister’s in Christ and encourage one another and be unified. Such as this, “All Christians agree that salvation, baptism, and the Holy Spirit are essentials of our faith. But we differ on how those essential function…Branches can intertwine and mingle peacefully…Sadly, many Christians do not expose themselves to the other branches. They don’t read material outside of their denominational comfort zone. And because thy don’t understand how the other branches arrive at their biblical conclusions,t hey fight. They argue. They condescend. They lose their love.” I can say I have been one of them, but I am so thankful to have a mix-mosh exposure to different denominations, not only in my family, but also from my many moves. Unfortunately, I have had some friends that were hard-core Calvinists (and there is nothing wrong with that, I actually follow and understand most those beliefs that Calvin taught), however, they would shut out people who didn’t see it there way and would say there is the only true church, to which I would disagree with it. It was hard, and unfortunately we are not friends anymore because it got to be too difficult. They would argue at things that were not important doctrines, doctrines that won’t save you. I am friends with many people of different denominations and friends that are not Christians, it is not my job to put out rules and list of do’s and don’t, that is the Lord’s job, my job is to love, encourage, and share truth in that way. I have friends that believe that women must wear head coverings, while that is something I don’t believe in, it doesn’t cause strain because we both see it different and can see each other’s points from God’s Word. Another thing that causes disagreements that I have experience with is baptism. I at one point was not accepted into a church unless I was baptized the way that church believed baptism. I wanted to be a member, so I followed through, though looking back I am not sure I would have from what I have learned along the way, but I was much younger and didn’t understand theology well. I am still learning and I am sure not always right! Again, I have been on of those at times in my journey of faith, being hard-headed at times, but so thankful the Lord opened my heart to that truth.

The book starts out about what theology is and the importance, how the Bible came to be and was put together, how we can trust the Word, who Jesus is, understanding the Trinity, Holy Spirit, Gods’ justice, our purpose, what is the church, the study of end times and so much more. She really offers up many of the questions you see asked from people and then answers those from the Bible and from other theologians.

Here are a few highlights of mine I will share, though so many:

Pursue theology to pursue God’s heart, and you will be surprised to find that doctrine leads to devotion.
Christ does not require us to blindly believe. Faith is, after all, only as good as the thing we put our faith in. To believe in God we must first understand who it is we are trusting.
Scripture is not just meant for other people. It is not to be used just for pointing out sin in others; it is for the refining of our own character. The authority of the Bible changes us before it changes the world.
Understanding God’s justice requires a foundation in both love and holiness. Without love, God’s justice is ruthless. Without holiness, God’s justice is untrue.
Scholars have concluded that Jesus fulfilled anywhere from 300 to 570 Old Testament prophecies.
Because the New Age is rising in popularity, we must be clear on who the Spirit is and what He is not.
Today, we think we must get the perfect programs, music, and aesthetic to keep people in the church. But the draw for early Christians wasn’t what a church building could offer. The draw was Jesus.
Healthy fellowship is vulnerable, loving, truthful, and wise.

To find out more about this book and the author go check out her website

If you're looking for a basic intro to theology book that gives lots of different viewpoints, Phylicia Masonheimer's "Every Woman a Theologian" may be a good place to start! Each chapter breaks down a topic of theology, with scripture, stories/illustrations, and differing viewpoints. She has helpful application points (most notably, discussing church hurt and spiritual abuse in ecclesiology).

I don't agree with her everywhere or think she fairly represents Calvinism (though that is an exception, generally speaking she does a fantastic job with differing viewpoints). She gives a lot of different views in very little space, which means it's a lot of info without much depth and sometimes I wonder about what she chose to give more space to (ie, when discussing historic premillennialism she spends a lot of time talking about the early church fathers and the slide into demeaning physical things. Which isn't really saying much about historic premillennialism the way her other sections on eschatological views do).

Even so, it's a helpful starting point for studying theology, but those who already have read or studied some theology will probably want something more in-depth.

This book is extremely helpful for women who would like an introduction to theology. Masonheimer walks readers through basic systematic theology in a warm and inviting way.

The title and description of this got me interested and I agree that women should know what they believe and how to share their point of view with others. However, it is directed toward more of a conservative/evangelical audience. I would recommend this book for women in those circles. Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC.

You don't have to go to seminary to be a theologian! Every Woman a Theologian is an accessible book that encourages the reader to know what they believe and why they believe it. As Christian women, we need to be Biblically literate and be able to confidently know the truth that is found in God's Word so that we can share it with those around us. This book is a great resource to help dig into the core beliefs of Christianity and understand why we believe what we believe!

This is such a great resource to be able to hand to people. As someone with an M. Div who loves all this stuff, it can be hard to find an easy to understand resource to share with others who would be overwhelmed by a theology textbook. I loved how it introduced so many topics in an accessible way but also didn’t force any viewpoints.

I do think it is a little bit dense and possibly overwhelming for someone who is a brand new believer or baby Christian, but this is an excellent resource for those who really are hungry or asking lots of deeper questions. Definitely adding it to my go to recommendations list.