E-Quality Summer 2006

	CRITIQUE OF 'THE DA VINCI CODE' by Alan Johnson and Joan McKensie Dr. Alan Johnson and Dr. Joan McKenzie critique "The Da Vinci Code" in this 80-minute presentation. Addressing the scriptural problems with the book, Johnson and McKenzie give listeners a sound position for refuting the claims made in the book. This lecture was presented March 26, 2004, at First Presbyterian Church in Glen Ellyn, Illinois. Click here to listen to an excerpt from this critique!
	GOSPEL WOMEN Studies of the Named Women in the Gospels by Richard Bauckham This scholarly study examines both the individual women who appear in the Gospels and the specific passages in which they appear. Bauckham successfully captures the particularity of each woman, revealing that there is much more to be known about such women than previous studies have assumed. Library Journal says his findings are at times “nothing less than astonishing.” Eerdmans, 364 pages.
	LOST WOMEN OF THE BIBLE Finding Strength and Significance Through Their Stories by Carolyn Custis James Building on solid scholarship and a determination to wrestle honestly with perplexing questions, Carolyn Custis James sheds new light on ancient stories that brings the women of the Bible into the twenty-first century. This fresh look at the women in the Bible unearths surprising new insights and a powerful message that will leave readers feeling challenged, encouraged, and deeply valued. Rediscover and be inspired by Eve, Sarah, Hagar, Tamar, Hannah, Esther, Mary, and others. Click here to read an excerpt from this book!
	THE MAGDALENE GOSPEL Meeting the Women Who Followed Jesus by Mary Ellen Ashcroft Jesus touched the lives of many women with compassion, love, and forgiveness, but the story of the women who followed Jesus goes almost unnoticed in the Gospels. Imagine, however, hearing of the life and teachings of Jesus told from a woman's point of view. In this book you'll hear the stories of Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of Jesus, and others who devoted their lives to Jesus. Augsburg Fortress, 112 pages.
	MAD MARY A Bad Girl from Magdala, Transformed at His Appearing by Liz Curtis Higgs Come meet the genuine Mary Magdalene of the Bible—not the scarlet-draped legend—and follow her one-of-a-kind story of deliverance and dedication, despair and declaration. Mad Mary begins with the fictional journey of Mary Margaret Delaney, a bad woman—or was it madwoman?—adrift in contemporary Chicago, desperate for someone to save her from herself. Once Mary Delaney's story has prepared our hearts for learning, we'll leave the Windy City and go verse by verse through Mary of Magdala's ancient biblical tale, tossing aside modern misconceptions as we embrace the real Mary M.
	MAD MARY WORKBOOK A 6-Week Companion Workbook for Personal or Group Study by Liz Curtis Higgs Whether readers have already enjoyed Mad Mary or are about to dive in for the first time—individually or in a group setting—this 6-week companion workbook provides a practical, meaningful resource for spiritual growth and a deeper understanding of God's Word. The questions at the end of each chapter of Mad Mary are included—and expanded—in the Mad Mary Workbook, with more in-depth biblical material and plenty of space for jotting down individual answers and observations.
	NEW! MARY MAGDALENE AND MANY OTHERS: WOMEN WHO FOLLOWED JESUS by Carla Ricci Seeking “to discover whether Jesus' message of liberation had a word to say to me as a woman,” Carla Ricci found the key in Luke 8:1-3, which mentions the women with Jesus at the outset of his public ministry in Galilee with the twelve disciples. This, she discovered, is a text many Bible scholars have systematically ignored for 1900 years. She found a group of women who unswervingly followed Jesus—the only ones, when the male apostles and disciples fled—from Galilee to Jerusalem, through his passion and death, to be the messengers of the resurrection. Click here to read a review of this book!