Celebrating Authors: The 2021 Christy Awards Announced

Congratulations to the authors and publishers of this year’s Christy Award winners, announced Thursday, October 28, in an online format. The ceremony featured Dallas Jenkins, producer and director of the hit series The Chosen, and his literary agent Steve Laube. BOOK OF THE YEAR The Edge of Belonging, Amanda Cox Revell/ Baker Publishing Group CONTEMPORARY ROMANCE Stay with Me, Becky Wade Bethany House/ Baker Publishing Group FIRST NOVEL The Edge of Belonging, Amanda Cox Revell/ Baker Publishing Group GENERAL FICTION The... Read more

The Moral Dilemmas of Judah and Tamar

October 25, 2021 By Kelley Mathews

Advent approaches and, with it, my thoughts turn to the lineage of Christ. Who were those significant people listed in Matthew 1? And why were five women, specifically, mentioned by name? This post is the first in a series exploring the stories of those women—and the men paired with them. The story of Judah and Tamar notoriously confounds preachers—how does Genesis 38 fit within the context of Joseph’s saga, chapters 37–50, and how can a story full of sexual sin... Read more

Beautiful Feet: A Poem

October 12, 2021 By Kelley Mathews

I sit alone in a classroom filled with men I see a man a son a brother a husband a father not lesser things —simply what I see first But I come closer I listen —I hear your heart It beats to break bread shepherd sing lead dream write words preach the Word You sit in a classroom filled with men. And that one woman in the corner. You see a woman a sister... Read more

What Our Brothers Are Writing about Women in Church Leadership

October 5, 2021 By Kelley Mathews

In my previous posts, here and here, I listed a number of books I’ve used to research my own work on the subject of women in ministry. Those books were all authored by women, and I promised a follow-up with resources authored by men. You’ll find many, many male authors studying and writing about what the Bible has to say regarding women, but I found this selected bibliography helpful. I think you will too. Women in the Earliest Churches... Read more

More Books on Women in the Church

September 30, 2021 By Kelley Mathews

As I plow through a load of edits on our manuscript answering forty questions on women in church leadership, I’m reminded on every page of our extensive bibliography. We read or consulted over 200 books, articles, and blog posts! If the topic of women in church leadership interests you, these resources (some shared in an earlier post) will benefit your own research. Gender Roles and the People of God, by Alice Mathews (no relation, unfortunately) Author, radio host, and... Read more

The SBC Executive Committee Betrays Its Mandate

September 22, 2021 By Kelley Mathews

The Southern Baptist Convention (SBC) is in trouble. The question is: is that good or bad? During the SBC’s Annual Meeting in June 2021, the messengers passed several motions directing their leadership to act. Foremost among those resolutions was a directive to the Executive Committee (EC): they were not to oversee the investigation of its own actions related to sexual abuse cases. A task force would be created to hire a third-party investigative firm, and the EC would waive their... Read more

Children’s Author Glenys Nellist Releases New Illustrated Bible

September 20, 2021 By Kelley Mathews

Another children’s Bible? Yes! I Wonder bursts with color, creativity, and questions that invite children to think about the story they just read. Veteran children’s author Glenys Nellist, creator of two popular series, Love Letters from God and Snuggle Time, included 30 Bible stories equally divided between the Old and New Testaments. Children will meet the usual dominant characters such as Adam and Eve, Noah, Abraham, Jacob, Joseph, David—but also some less-often highlighted people such as Esau, Miriam, Rahab, Ruth,... Read more

In Stone and Story: Early Christianity in the Roman World (A Review)

September 16, 2021 By Kelley Mathews

Dr. Longenecker, a professor at Baylor University who specializes in Christian origins, bolsters his already impressive reputation as an expert in Christianity in ancient Roman culture. In Stone and Story explores early Jesus worship by examining the context of first-century Roman culture as revealed in the excavations of Vesuvius. Readers enter the lives of everyday Romans in the communities of Pompeii and nearby Herculaneum through the remnants of architecture, art, and household items. Though covering a wide range of topics,... Read more

The Theology of Women Academy Opens Its Virtual Doors

August 31, 2021 By Kelley Mathews

Ever wondered if women could be pastors, teachers of men, and/or church leaders? Is God’s good design a hierarchy of male leaders in the church? What about marriage—should the husband act with authority over his wife? Have you felt lost knowing what to study in the Bible to understand what it says about women and leadership? What resources should you consider to better understand the major views on women? For 18 months I have worked with a co-author and a... Read more

Galatians: A Review of N.T. Wright’s Commentary

August 26, 2021 By Kelley Mathews

In the inaugural publication of the Commentaries for Christian Formation (Eerdmans), Prof N.T. Wright denies that Galatians is primarily about, as many today assume, the relationship of faith and works regarding who is going to heaven. Instead, he says, Paul envisioned Jewish and gentile believers uniting around their common kinship in Christ. And that unity will serve as a witness to the world looking on. Supporting his commentary with first-century historical contexts and meanings, Wright intends his work (and the... Read more