From time to time I am asked where I hear about all of the women that I write about. It is difficult to find a whole book written about lesser known women, but there are some great works by a woman who has dedicated much time to telling the stories of women in history.
These books by Ruth Tucker are well researched and very interesting to read. I highly recommend them. She has written many other books about Missions as well, if that is a subject you are interested in. One, From Jerusalem to Irian Jaya, includes the stories of single women missionaries.
— Tucker, Ruth A., Guardians of the Great Commission: The Story of Women in Modern Missions, (Zondervan Publishing House, Grand Rapids, 1988)
BACK COVER: “In the early years of the modern missionary movement, women were denied the right to function as bona fide missionaries. However, as wives of missionaries many of them served with distinction. On the home front women zealously supported the cause of missions through fund-raising, publicity campaigns, and prayer circles.
It did not take long before the barriers that kept women from serving as missionaries were broken down. Needs overseas were overwhelming, and missionary wives appealed to their single sisters back home to come and join them. During the last half of the nineteenth century women took up the challenge and went to the mission fields of the world. They soon became a majority – as is still true today.”
This book includes the stories of over 40 women. The role that women have played in missions in the last 200 years is phenomenal, but most people could probably not name more than a few. Ruth Tucker has remedied that situation by writing this book. It is the fascinating story of how women have helped to bring the Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ to the lost all over the entire world.
— Tucker, Ruth A., Liefeld, Walter, Daughters of the Church: Women and Ministry From New Testament Times to the Present, (Zondervan Publishing House, Grand Rapids, 1987)
BACK COVER: “Rich in historical events and colorfully written, this fascinating account of women in the church spans nearly two thousand years of church history. It tells of events and aspirations, determination and disappointment, patience and achievement that mark the history of daughters of the church from the time of Jesus to the present.”
Whether you want to read the entire history of how God has used women in the last 2000 years, or focus in on a certain time period, you will find well-researched and documented stories of these women. This volume also has many wonderful pictures, appendixes, and a great 30-page bibliography for further research.
Other books containing multiple stories of women in history are:
— Zahl, Paul F. M., Five Women of the English Reformation, (William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, Grand Rapids, 2001)
SYNOPSIS: This book contains the stories of five very courageous women who lived in the sixteenth century. You will find a short account of the lives of several of them on this Blog under “Historical Women”. The book covers:
— Anne Boleyn (1507 – 1536)
— Katharine Parr (1514 – 1548)
— Jane Grey (1537 – 1554)
— Anne Askew (1521 – 1546)
— Catherine Willoughby (1520 – 1580)
— Anderson, James, Memorable Women of he Puritan Times, (General Books, Great Britain, 2009)
SYNOPSIS: In this book you will find the stories of Mary Cromwell, Lucy Apsley, Katharine Boyle, Elizabeth Bunyan (Mrs. John Bunyan of Pilgrim’s Progress), Rachel Wriothesley, Elizabeth Gaunt, Bridget Ireton, and many others who were married to famous Puritans.
This book is copied from an original manuscript and is difficult to read in places. Once you get used to the style, it is not too bad. But the stories are will worth your time and effort. (The publisher has made available digital copies on their website which you can get.)
— MacArthur, John, Twelve Extraordinary Women: How God Shaped Women of the Bible and What He Wants to Do With You, (Thomas Nelson Publishers, Nashville, 2005)
BACK COVER: “Celebrated for their courage, vision, hospitality, and spiritual giftedness, it’s no wonder women were so important to God’s plan revealed in the Old and New Testaments. It wasn’t their natural qualities that made these women extraordinary but the power of the one true God whom they worshipped and served.”
The twelve women are: Eve, Sarah, Rahab, Ruth, Hannah, Mary the Mother of Jesus, Anna, the Samaritan Women, Martha and Mary, Mary Magdalene, and Lydia. I am sure that the stories of these women will be as inspiring to you as they are to me. John MacArthur has researched their lives and given us many interesting details that we may not have known before. He tells their stories in such a way that you can relate to these women. They are not just ‘super-spiritual’ beings. They are real flesh and blood women, many of them poor. But they all had one thing in common – they courageously followed the Lord.
My most recent post was about Gianna Jessen. Here is a book you can get to find out more about this remarkable woman. An updated book is coming out in January, 2011.
— Shaver, Jessica, Gianna: Aborted . . and Lived to Tell About It, (Focus on the Family Publishing, Colorado Springs, 1995)
BACK COVER: “God is using Gianna Jessen to remind the world that each human being is precious to Him. It is beautiful to see the strength of the love of Jesus which He has poured into her heart. My prayer for Gianna, and for all who listen to her, is that this message of God’s love will put an end to abortion. Let us fight abortion with the power of love.” Mother Teresa
This book traces the miraculous story of Gianna’s life beginning with the time her mother has made the decision to abort her. The most amazing thing that comes shining through in Gianna’s testimony is her faith in Christ.
In January, 2011, an updated version of — Gianna: Aborted . . and Lived to Tell About It, will be available. Here is the review from Amazon.com.
“Gianna Jessen picks up her life story where the book Gianna originally left off. She details her incredible experiences since then, including meeting George Bush and Tony Blair and opposing abortion before legislatures across the globe. (Excerpts from some of her addresses are included). She describes her life mission and desire to not live an ordinary life. Some personal achievements are mentioned such as participating in a marathon. She concludes by addressing a series of FAQs. Over 203,000 copies sold in previous editions.”
