# Any reformed women theologions/writters ?



## Mayflower (Oct 24, 2006)

Are there any welknown and good reformed women theologions/writters ? Or are the good systematic and biblical works only written by men ?


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## BertMulder (Oct 24, 2006)

Mayflower, I think that, by definition, most reformed and presbyterian theology writers will tend to be male. Know of a female writer, Gertrude Hoeksema, but she did not really write theology. She wrote some Bible history lessons for children, as well as some (PR) church history type books.

Reactions: Like 1


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## Laura (Oct 24, 2006)

Mmmm...Reformed women theologians. You are probably not going to find that anybody here recognizes such a thing. I am of the opinion, and I think most here are, that "theologian" is mostly subsumed into the category of pastors and teachers, from which offices women are excluded, so... 

Nevertheless, I think Elizabeth Prentiss (son of minister Edward Payson) had sound enough theology and a sharp enough mind to write a systematic work on doctrine that would excel much of what's being published in the "top" modern academic presses, but she chose to use her gifts within her calling as a pastor's wife and mother; e.g., she was more competent to counsel other women, and besides helping in the training of her own children she wrote children's books that obviously promoted sound doctrine. And then there is her poetry:

I thank Thee, O my God, that through Thy grace
I know Thee, who Thou art;
That I have seen the beauty of Thy face
And felt Thee in my heart.

I thank Thee, O my Savior, who hast deigned
To stoop to even me;
Within my inmost soul hast ruled and reigned,
And will my ransom be.

I thank Thee, Holy Spirit, that Thy wings
Brood o’er my wandering mind;
Bringing to my remembrance sacred things
To which my eyes were blind.

I thank Thee, Triune God! But oh, how cold
The warmest words I speak;
For love and goodness strange and manifold,
All human words are weak.

O teach me, then, to praise Thee with my life,
With stern obedience;
To make the atmosphere about me rife
With silent eloquence! ​
There's some sweet, rigorous Calvinistic orthodoxy right there.


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## caddy (Oct 24, 2006)

Beautiful Poetry !


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## Mayflower (Oct 24, 2006)

BertMulder said:


> Mayflower, I think that, by definition, most reformed and presbyterian theology writers will tend to be male. Know of a female writer, Gertrude Hoeksema, but she did not really write theology. She wrote some Bible history lessons for children, as well as some (PR) church history type books.




Beste Bert, leuk om je naast refoforum ook bij puritanboard te mogen ontmoeten!


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## BobVigneault (Oct 24, 2006)

I really like and I'm happy (and unashamed) to recommend Carolyn Custis James. She will not qualify for what some here classify as reformed but she's certainly not an arminian. Her best work is "When Life and Beliefs Collide".


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## a mere housewife (Oct 24, 2006)

Francis Ridley Havergal while I don't think she would ever claim to be a theologian, is a very good Christian woman writer.


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## Semper Fidelis (Oct 24, 2006)

I always enjoy reading Starr Meade in Modern Reformation.


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## ReadBavinck (Oct 24, 2006)

I could not recommend Geneva College professor Esther Lightcap Meek's book on epistemology enough. It's titled _Longing to Know: A Philosophy of Knowledge for Ordinary People_.

The [ame="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1587430606/sr=8-1/qid=1140484848/ref=pd_bbs_1/102-3747407-3426520?%5Fencoding=UTF8"]book[/ame] at Amazon.
A website for the book.


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## BertMulder (Oct 25, 2006)

Mayflower said:


> Beste Bert, leuk om je naast refoforum ook bij puritanboard te mogen ontmoeten!




Small world eh?


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## BobVigneault (Oct 25, 2006)

We use Starr Meades book, Training Hearts Teaching Minds: Family Devotions Based on the Shorter Catechism for our family devotions. What is funny is how her gender is kept very discreet in any description of the book or bio of Starr. It was recommended to me by a couple of men, both of whom thought she was a he.


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## rmdmphilosopher (Oct 25, 2006)

I used to attend the same church as Starr Meade... She's a good writer and a very nice lady. She actually teaches a class on literature for some of the little homeschoolers out here in Arizona.

Another good Christian writer who is a woman is Nancy Pearcy... TOTAL TRUTH, her book on apologetics, is dynamite and excellent! 

But I don't think you're going to find any 'good systematics' by a woman...


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## tewilder (Oct 25, 2006)

rmdmphilosopher said:


> I used to attend the same church as Starr Meade... She's a good writer and a very nice lady. She actually teaches a class on literature for some of the little homeschoolers out here in Arizona.
> 
> Another good Christian writer who is a woman is Nancy Pearcy... TOTAL TRUTH, her book on apologetics, is dynamite and excellent!
> 
> But I don't think you're going to find any 'good systematics' by a woman...



How many of the ghost writers for famous speakers and preachers are women?


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## rmdmphilosopher (Oct 25, 2006)

> How many of the ghost writers for famous speakers and preachers are women?



Ghost-writers for famous preachers? I don't know if I could respect a preacher who used a ghost-writer to prepare sermons! That's terrible. Has that ever happened tewilder?


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## VirginiaHuguenot (Oct 25, 2006)

In the history of women "theologians," the name Anna Maria van Schurman stands out. She was one of the most brilliant intellects of 17th century Europe, male or female. She carried on a famous correspondence with Gisbertus Voetius and Andre Rivet (two geniuses in their own right) about the propriety of women in higher education, including theology. She later became a Labadist (even writing a treatise in 1673 which defended this movement), a group which Wilhelmus a Brakel wrote passionately against. 

Anne Hutchinson is another major female "theologian" from the Reformed tradition.

Both of these examples, in my view, represent the dangers of women "theologians."


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## BertMulder (Oct 25, 2006)

I guess another important female writer was Queen Marguerite of Navarre. Would not call her a theologian though.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marguerite_of_Navarre


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## tewilder (Oct 25, 2006)

rmdmphilosopher said:


> Ghost-writers for famous preachers? I don't know if I could respect a preacher who used a ghost-writer to prepare sermons! That's terrible. Has that ever happened tewilder?



Many certainly use ghost writers for their books. Since the real author of popular Christian books is often not the person on the cover, who knows how many are women?


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## caddy (Oct 25, 2006)

Correct me if I am wrong Andrew, but Hutchinson's story sounds oddly familiar with the present day Beth Moore being discussed in another thread:

"Hutchinson publicly justified her comments on pulpit teachings, against contemporary religious mores, as being authorized by 'an inner spiritual truth.' Governor Winthrop and the established religious hierarchy considered her comments to be heretical, i.e. unfounded criticism of the clergy from an unauthorized source. In March 1637, the community voted to excommunicate her from the Massachusetts Bay Colony church for dissenting the Puritan orthodoxy. They accused Hutchinson of blasphemy and of lewd conduct. She was put on trial, found guilty and eventually banished from the Massachusetts Bay Colony."


 

Although I am sure we would all agree Moore is no Brilliant Theologian.




VirginiaHuguenot said:


> In the history of women "theologians," the name Anna Maria van Schurman stands out. She was one of the most brilliant intellects of 17th century Europe, male or female. She carried on a famous correspondence with Gisbertus Voetius and Andre Rivet (two geniuses in their own right) about the propriety of women in higher education, including theology. She later became a Labadist (even writing a treatise in 1673 which defended this movement), a group which Wilhelmus a Brakel wrote passionately against.
> 
> Anne Hutchinson is another major female "theologian" from the Reformed tradition.
> 
> Both of these examples, in my view, represent the dangers of women "theologians."


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## VirginiaHuguenot (Oct 25, 2006)

BertMulder said:


> I guess another important female writer was Queen Marguerite of Navarre. Would not call her a theologian though.
> 
> http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marguerite_of_Navarre



I think that's right. As a writer she is best known, I believe, for her poetry and perhaps for her correspondence with John Calvin, which as I recall is mostly pastoral or ecclesiastical/political in nature. 

Her daughter, Jeanne d'Albert also wrote to Calvin. 

Marie Dentière, however, is famous as a female Reformed "theologian," who wrote to Queen Marguerite and defended the right of women to teach the Word of God publicly.

Other female Reformation-era "theologians"



caddy said:


> Correct me if I am wrong Andrew, but Hutchinson's story sounds oddly familiar with the present day Beth Moore being discussed in another thread:
> 
> "Hutchinson publicly justified her comments on pulpit teachings, against contemporary religious mores, *as being authorized by 'an inner spiritual truth.'* Governor Winthrop and the established religious hierarchy considered her comments to be heretical, i.e. unfounded criticism of the clergy from an unauthorized source. In March 1637, the community voted to excommunicate her from the Massachusetts Bay Colony church for dissenting the Puritan orthodoxy. They accused Hutchinson of blasphemy and of lewd conduct. She was put on trial, found guilty and eventually banished from the Massachusetts Bay Colony."
> 
> ...



I don't know much about Beth Moore but the comments I have seen about the Lord "telling" her to do this or say that are certainly in that vein.


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## gregbed (Oct 25, 2006)

Marva Dawn comes to mind. I don't how closely she tows the reformed line. She seems to travel in circles that feature reformed theologians. Regents College (where she teaches) doctrinal statement emphasizes the sovereignty of God and the solas. I don't know how it plays in out in the classroom, but Waltke teaches there. Dawn's focus is on worship and language. She was an early scholarly critic of the 'seeker sensitive' movement. I have "Talking the Walk" in my book pile to read. From a quick skim, it reads a bit like Leithart's "Against Christianity".


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