Book Review - (A)Typical Woman: Free, Whole, and Called in Christ

Abigail Dodds' (A)Typical Woman:  Free, Whole and Called in Christ addresses the topic of biblical womanhood from the complementarian perspective.  This is not a book that is addressing a new idea.  Dodds states in the beginning of her book, "So many are searching for a novel approach, a new way to think about something, a uniqueness or niche.... Novelty leads to heresy and false teaching....  If this book seems like new information to you, it isn't because I came up with something novel; it's because we've forgotten the basics, or we were never taught them." 

(A)Typical Woman is broken into three parts.  Part one addresses what it means to be a Christian woman.  Dodds focuses on being dead to sin and made into a new woman at the point of becoming a Christian.  She debunks the notion that a "typical" woman exists and focuses on the call of all women to be faithful to God in the circumstances He has given.

Part two breaks down the different titles seen throughout womanhood:  single, married, mothering, working, and discipling.  She points out the differences in these varied stations of life, but exhorts that these different viewpoints are inter-dependent.  Dodds poses a question all women, regardless of their current stage of life, should consider before embarking on new endeavors such as "entering the workforce or motherhood or setting up their home or any sphere of work".  She challenges women to ask themselves, "Am I faithfully obeying God as his child by meeting the genuine needs of others, or am I pursuing self-actualization, self-fulfillment, or selfish ambition apart from him?"

In part three, Dodds focuses on how women are fearless and free in Christ. She spends time discussing the importance of relationships with others who differ from us and the growth and perspective that can be developed from those relationships.  She focuses once again on the myth of "typical" womanhood.  "The nature of being Christian women isn't based on what we do but on who we are - who he's made us."  In conclusion, she offers a challenge.  "Are we willing to be agents of the gospel of Jesus Christ?  Are we willing to exercise the gifts God has given us, whether teaching, serving, administrating, giving, counseling with wisdom, exhorting, and on and on, to his glory and for his people, holding nothing back?  Are we willing to really have some skin in the game?"

True to her word, Dodds did not present anything new or different from the Biblical perspective of womanhood that I have been taught from Scripture my entire life.  I appreciated her reminders of serving Christ in every aspect of our lives and remaining faithful to all He has called us to.

 

Rachel's Rating:

★★★★☆