A Break in the Action

“The Lord loves righteousness and justice; the earth is full of his unfailing love.”

-Psalm 33:5

People are longing for peace and justice. The women whose stories are in these pages followed the Lord Jesus Christ in his way of compassion and justice for the world. The Gospel message is better presented when Christians match their actions to their words in acts of mercy and love. These women pursued a God of peace and justice who respects all persons, especially the lowly, the weak, the forgotten, the marginalized, and the poor.

Lasting peace comes through faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. True justice comes from God. “Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ,” (Romans 5:1-2). Justified women and men who have the peace, comfort, and assurance of God’s forgiveness have the privilege and the responsibility to advance true justice as they spread the gospel of peace in word and deed. From Shiphrah and Puah to Dorothy Day, the women in these stories are a shining example for Christ’s followers who have been empowered by the Holy Spirit to take the message of hope to a lost world.

“He has shown you, O mortal, what is good. And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with hour God.” (Micah 6:8)

The women gathered in “Women of Faith and Courage” by Mary Walker are not included merely to inspire for a moment. Their stories carry biblical, historical, and spiritual weight. Each life adds something essential to the wider testimony of faith, reminding readers that Christian history is fuller, more textured, and more instructive when women are remembered with honesty and depth.

That is why the title resonates beyond simple encouragement. It offers recovery rather than novelty, substance rather than sentiment. “Women of Faith and Courage” by Mary Walker is especially well suited for readers who sense that important voices have been minimized and who want to engage stories that restore perspective, memory, and meaning.

During its two-thousand-year history, the Christian faith has been influenced and passed down by faithful women. The women whose stories are in these pages were martyrs and nuns, mystics and scholars, writers and reformers, preachers and missionaries, abolitionists, and evangelists. These women are examples to us of faith, perseverance, forgiveness, fortitude, and truth and righteousness.

In this book, we will recount the stories of many women from the Early Church to today who sought to follow their callings to serve in God’s kingdom. There are very important reasons for learning about the lives of the female saints beyond giving them the recognition that they deserve for their achievements. We can learn much from the stories of the lives of the women in this book. Women and men are heirs to the promise and have a joint responsibility to practice truth and righteousness and to take the gospel to the lost (Galatians 3:26-29). These dedicated women faced many barriers and confronted many obstacles in their paths as they sought to serve Christ. They did not seek God’s truth and righteousness for themselves but for God’s glory.

“For the word of the LORD is right and true; he is faithful in all he does. The LORD loves righteousness and justice; the earth is full of his unfailing love.” (Psalms 33:4-5).