True Woman 201: Interior Design – Ten Elements of Biblical Womanhood by Mary A. Kassian
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Having read True Woman 101 by Mary Kassian and Nancy Leigh DeMoss, I was interested to read the sequel and see what it was about. While having read True Woman 101, it is not necessary to read that first before doing True Woman 201. It lays the foundation but the books can stand alone. In this second book, the authors dive more deeply into Titus 2 and what a godly woman looks like. Each week a separate character trait is looked at. This book is designed to be used as a Bible study guide with a small group though it can also be done on one’s own.
Some of the character traits discussed, ones that are counter-cultural to the world we live in, are discernment, reverence, and love for one’s husband and children. On a side-note, it was rather surreal to be reading in the chapter on children and have a Christian blogger quoted, where I stopped and was like, wait – that looks like something I wrote! So I checked the endnotes and sure enough, one of my blog posts was quoted! However, it was not quoted favorably but rather used as a negative example. Still a bit of a shock to see myself quoted in a book! (I did not request this book for review because of being quoted in it; I had no idea I was quoted!)
The lessons are designed to do 5 days a week, so it’s a manageable study for women to do. It would be excellent to use this with teens or in pre-marital counseling with women. Another great place to use this study would be in a mentoring ministry. As each week looks at a different trait mentioned in Titus 2, the study draws upon other Scriptures that also talk about these traits. The authors aren’t afraid to tackle some of the harder subjects, such as the phrase in Titus 2, “workers at home”, though they don’t go into a ton of detail on the issues.
I would recommend this study, particularly with a small group of women that are mixed in age of younger and older, even teens. It is a 10-week study so could even be done over a summer break.
*I was sent a copy of this book free from the publisher Moody Press in exchange for my review.
Sojourner Between Worlds 
Wow – that is so crazy finding yourself quoted in the book Debi!!!!! Sordof weird too, since you agree with True Women but even you don't fit their paradigm closely enough! As you know, I have major issues with True Women, at least in regards to the gender role issues. I am more interested in being Christ like, than like a “true woman”. Of course, I know you and True Women want to be Christ like as well – but the whole approach rankles me. At one point I had planned a careful review and analysis of True Women 101, but never did. However I did recently do a 2 part review on a book called Biblical Femininity. Apparently from comments I have received, it is very similar to True Women.
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Yeah, they quoted from my blog post on being childfree. I still struggle a bit with the whole “complementarian/egalitarian” aspect. I feel like there is so much emphasis on the part of the verse that says women should not teach men or have authority over them, while ignoring the next phrase that says “but should remain silent”. I doubt I'll ever come to terms with it in this life. Not a major issue for me, fortunately.
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In regards to this, it is not about the teaching aspect for me. I dislike how True Women (and other similar approaches) put women in such small boxes. A woman's primary role or the main emphasis is on things like: being a keeper at home, a wife and mom, or a nurturer of children at church and in society if they are single. But not all women fit this paradigm – whether today, or in Bible times.
Being single can be portrayed as a “temporary season” while you wait for a husband and children. What if that never happens? What about married without children? What about a marriage where the man's income is not sufficient to support the family? (In that regard, it seems the keeper at home approach only works today in first-world, middle/upper class cultures.)
Where does it leave all these types of people? It leaves them no or little place in their description of “Christian womanhood.” It can make them feel desperate. Lacking. Excluded. The Christian faith is not suppose to be like that…Jesus was exclusive with truth but inclusive with people. I appreciate Luke 11:27-28:
While Jesus was saying these things, one of the women in the crowd raised her voice and said to Him, “Blessed is the womb that bore You and the breasts at which You nursed.” But He said, “On the contrary, blessed are those who hear the word of God and observe it.”
I heard it said that our truest masculine and feminine selves happen when we are pursuing Jesus…rather than pursuing a narrow definition of womanhood or manhood.
The Bible also teaches contentment with circumstances. And some of these approaches do nothing but breed discontent because someone does not have that spouse or child or ideal situation where they can stay home.
You know me Debi, and I am not being argumentative but just sharing my personal concerns and frustrations. Even the title “True Women” troubles me. If you don't fit their descriptions, then you are not “true” – which means you are false. Thanks for listening…
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