Have you wondered why women are treated as they are? Have you questioned why being woman in the world is not that easy? Don't be ashamed you haven't worked it out. The situation is complex.
It's more tricky if you are travelling a spiritual journey. Equally, being a woman is complicated in religious settings.
In her first year away from home, university student Faith meets her woman minister friend for coffee fortnightly. They discuss basic assumptions about women and men, the world, human beings and 'waking up.' They peer into scripture to excavate stories of a diversity of women; daughters, wives, prophets, breadwinners, victims and survivors, leaders and risk-takers. Between hot chocolates and hazelnut lattes, Faith and her soul-guide delve into misogyny and theology. They study women's leadership and ministry experiences. They laugh and cry, they rejoice and are angry, they think and dream.
Through her coffeeshop conversations, Faith discovers the quiet sound of her own inner voice. She finds ways to recognise and nurture it. She thus begins the journey of knowing how to be woman in the world.
About the author
Susan is no stranger to being 'other' as she's negotiated faith and gender issues. Her writing has been honed as a teacher, spiritual director, supervisor and minister. She's completed a doctorate in theology too.
Susan's agile, spacious mind engages respectfully with diverse beliefs and opinions, distilling complex ideas, making change accessible. Life feels possible, hopeful after conversations with her, both in and out of coffee shops. She brings a gentle, quirky sense of humour to her writing
Like the previous two books in Susan's coffee shop conversations trilogy, here is integrated years of church study, scholarly observation, struggle and no small measure of pain, undergirded by authenticity, deep faith, and a sense of the numinous.
Advance reviews of Being Woman in the World
"Susan Jones has written a marvellously engaging theological discussion set around two women meeting regularly for coffee. I love the way the book bravely delves into taboo subjects and dissects Scriptural verses. It could have been a rather heavy tome, but it isn't. Susan has a deft hand exploring notions of God and women in the Bible. Interspersed with the discussion is poetry that glides and sings its way throughout. What a refreshing book!" Rose Riddell, author of To be Fair: Confessions of a District Court Judge
"It's marvellous! Susan has managed to distil numerous theologians not to mention her own thought PLUS poetry with humanity and elegance. The result is a book I didn't want to put down till I'd finished. It left me looking for more." Trish Patrick
"A super read. I gained a lot. Women are great. What the men of the church have missed out on over the centuries." Yvonne Wilkie
"At last, a pillar of the church, a Doctor of Theology, a scholar and a life-long disciple of Christ, has gathered in one book, a multiplicity of inspirational facts, lists of Biblical names, historical details and research from a wide selection of writings, teachers, theologians and Biblical scholarship. They reveal a perspective of Being Woman in the World which honours both women and God. I believe this book will give women hope for a better future for their daughters and sons, and ultimately go far towards healing our planet.
The magic of this book is that the style of writing is so totally non-patriarchal! A local coffee bar, an inquiring student, moments of humour, poignant, appropriate poems, heart-breaking insights. And an author who gives us an insight into her strong...