This fresh, insightful book explores the nature and function of biblical authority for Christian feminism. Johanna van Wijk-Bos demonstrates, from a Reformed/Calvinist context, the importance of sola scriptura for feminist biblical studies. She illustrates the ways in which biblical authority undergirds and expands feminist perspectives. The author draws upon her personal experiences of an early childhood spent in the Nazi-occupied Netherlands and an adolescence in a faith community with a strong Calvinist cast.

Can believers talk about God and to God in a way that is not exclusively male and is biblically responsible? Johanna van Wijk-Bos asks this question as she examines alternatives to the dominant male language associated with God in the Bible. Focusing primarily on the Hebrew Bible, van Wijk-Bos mines a rich source of God-imagery. Along the way, she also discusses alternative language associated with God that transcends the narrow confines of male/female imagery.

According to this well-known author, today's readers find much that is familiar in Ezra, Nehemiah, and Esther, including the message of God's faithfulness in the face of prejudice, sexism, and patriarchy.

Books in the Westminster Bible Companion series assist laity in their study of the Bible as a guide to Christian faith and practice. Each volume explains the biblical book in its original historical context and explores its significance for faithful living today. These books are ideal for individual study and for Bible study classes and groups.

These are the inspiring stories of twenty-seven Presbyterians who decided to stand for the inclusion of sexual minorities in the church. Each person's story is a testament to the struggle to live out personal faith in a public world.