S4 E26 | Dr. Carmen Imes | Uncovering Women's Voices In Scripture: A Discussion On The Every Woman's Bible

The Alabaster Jar

In this conversation, Dr. Carmen Imes joins Dr. Lynn Cohick to discuss their involvement in creating a study Bible for women, addressing problematic passages, and answering objections to the Bible and Christianity. They explore the misconceptions surrounding the Proverbs 31 woman and the purity laws in Leviticus, providing insights into the cultural and historical context. They emphasize the importance of including women's voices and perspectives in teaching and preaching and the need for resources like the Every Woman's Bible to address women's questions and concerns. In this part of the conversation, Carmen Imes and Lynn discuss the concept of impurity in the Old Testament and how it relates to the bleeding woman in the New Testament. They also talk about the Every Woman's Bible and its accompanying app, Filament, which provides additional resources for studying the Bible.

Key Takeaways:

• Creating study Bibles specifically for women allows for exploring passages that are problematic or misunderstood from a female perspective.
• The Proverbs 31 woman should not be seen as a checklist for women to aspire to but as a personification of wisdom in various domestic spheres.
• The purity laws in Leviticus were not meant to be oppressive or judgmental towards women but rather had to do with their role in childbirth and the potential for life.
• Including women's voices and perspectives in teaching and preaching is important for addressing women's questions and concerns.
• Jesus' ministry challenged and transcended the purity laws, offering a new understanding of purity and healing. The Old Testament addresses issues of impurity beyond menstruation, including long-term discharges and abnormal discharges in both men and women.
• The Every Woman's Bible is a study Bible that focuses on women's issues and questions. Its accompanying app provides additional resources.

Episode Breakdown:
00:00 - Introduction and Setting
01:27 - Creating a Study Bible for Women
06:02 - Understanding the Purity Laws in Leviticus
10:25 - Including Women's Voices in Teaching and Preaching
29:46 - Impurity in the Old Testament
33:23 - The Every Woman's Bible

Episode Resources:
Being God's Image: Why Creation Still Matters by Dr. Carmen Imes
Bearing God's Name: Why Sinai Still Matters by Dr. Carmen Imes
NLT Every Woman’s Bible (Tyndale)
Dr. Carmen Imes’ Torah Tuesday YouTube Series
The Filament App (Tyndale) Jesus and the Forces of Death: The Gospels' Portrayal of Ritual Impurity within First-Century Judaism by Dr. Matthew Thiessen

Episode Sponsor:
The Alabaster Jar is brought to you by The Center for Women in Leadership, a newly formed 501©3 nonprofit organization whose purpose is to equip women in a context that is biblically rooted, theologically robust, and ethnically diverse to thrive as leaders in the academy and the Church. Follow them on Instagram @leadershipwithoutapology. Learn more about The Center for Women in Leadership at: https://www.leadershipwithoutapology.org/.