What is God's design for women? Review of Sharon James' book

In today's society where the world and the Church seem increasingly confused about gender, Sharon James has written a book which is faithful to Scripture, comprehensive in its scope and easy to read.

'God's Design for Women' refreshingly accepts and celebrates the differences between men and women, and offers a return to the Biblical model for women and their place in marriage, the home, the family and also in the workplace. She examines feminist thinking and highlights how much it has affected our twenty-first century mentality- women are brought up in our society to be ambitious and to demand equality, but at the expense of recognising the value of a woman's traditional role as a housewife and mother. Sharon James points out that whilst discrimination against women is wrong, it is just as wrong to view women who choose to be full-time mothers as 'failures'. Adam and Eve were cursed in the areas where they were to find fulfilment- Adam was cursed in his work and Eve was cursed in childbearing. It makes sense that women, who are naturally equipped emotionally and physically for nurturing, invest time and effort in rearing their children and creating a godly home environment.

A concept I found really interesting was that equality and submission go together perfectly within marriage. James points out that within the Trinity, the Son submits to the Father, and yet all parts of the Trinity are equal. It's easy to see the wife as less important because she must submit, yet she is of equal value in the marriage and of course in God's sight.

The book discusses women's ministries and how there is such a need for women to minister to other women and provide emotional support that many men find difficult to give. The book also talks about how to be a godly, modest women in a society that places value solely on physical appearance rather than good character. James writes in a readable style and always comes back to Scripture- I think every woman should read this book and it might also be helpful for men, to reaffirm the differences in gender roles and the section on women's ministries is particularly helpful in a Church context.