A Woman's Place Is in the Story
Seeing Women in the Biblical Narrative
IVP Academic · Biblical Studies · Paperback, 240 pages
Published August 25, 2026 · ISBN 9781514011072 · $24.99
From the publisher
Ignore them, marginalize them, or dismiss them as brief cameos — these have long been common approaches to Christian teaching on the women of the Bible. The result? We miss their significance in the biblical story and, in turn, misunderstand Scripture itself. Sandra Glahn challenges this pattern, calling readers to recognize how biblical narrative actually works. When we do, we see that women are not incidental to the story but essential to it.
In A Woman's Place Is in the Story, Glahn models how to read stories in their literary context and understand why the original authors included what they did. She reexamines both well-known and neglected passages — Tamar and Judah, the Hebrew midwives, Abigail, the woman of Samaria — showing how, even in brief appearances, women move the plot forward and reveal profound truths about who God is.
Description adapted from the publisher, IVP Academic.
What reviewers are saying
"Sandra Glahn introduces us to many forgotten women who are central to the plot of the Bible and whose stories are essential reading if we want to understand God's purposes. She teaches us to read more carefully, to reconsider negative stereotypes, and to reenter God's story as full-fledged participants. A compelling book with a crucial message!"
— Carmen Joy Imes, associate professor of Old Testament, Biola University, and author of Becoming God's Family
"Sandra Glahn, a consummate storyteller… shows how to read stories about women in the context of the big story of the Bible. We are treated to surprising insights… The reality is that many in the church, both women and men, do not know the stories of women in the Bible, and so Glahn offers a conclusion on what the church's leaders can do to reconfigure the place of women in the Bible's story."
— Scot McKnight, visiting professor of New Testament, Houston Theological Seminary
"Taking a narrative approach to interpretation, she alerts the reader to subtle yet vibrant female characters in the Bible and also corrects some modern assumptions. Women aren't mentioned as often as men in Scripture, but when they are, they play pivotal roles in God's story of redemption."
— Preston Sprinkle, author of From Genesis to Junia
Endorsements published by IVP Academic; more on the publisher's page.
Pulpit & Page note: we'll add our own take once we've read it. For now, this page gathers the publisher's description and what named reviewers have said.
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