The Gospel of Ruth: Loving God Enough to Break the Rules - Softcover

James, Carolyn Custis

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0310330858 ISBN 13: 9780310330851

Publisher: Zondervan Academic, 2011

Synopsis

This isn’t the Ruth, the Naomi, or the Boaz we thought we knew. Carolyn Custis James has unearthed startling new insights from this well-worn story ... insights that have life-changing implications for you. Naomi is no longer regarded as a bitter, complaining woman, but as a courageous overcomer. A female Job. Ruth (typically admired for her devotion to Naomi and her deference to Boaz) turns out to be a gutsy risk-taker and a powerful agent for change among God’s people. She lives outside the box, and her love for Yahweh and Naomi compels her to break the rules of social and religious convention at nearly every turn. Boaz, the Kinsman Redeemer, is repeatedly caught off-guard by Ruth’s initiatives. His partnership with her models the kind of male/female relationships that the gospel intends for all who follow Jesus. James drills down deeper into the story where she uncovers in the Old Testament the same passionate, counter-cultural, rule-breaking gospel that Jesus modeled and taught his followers to pursue. Within this age-old story is a map to radical levels of love and sacrifice, combined with the message that God is counting on his daughters to build his kingdom. The Gospel of Ruth vests every woman’s life with kingdom purposes and frees us to embrace wholeheartedly God’s calling, regardless of our circumstances or season of life. This story of two women who have lost everything contains a profound message: God created women not to live in the shadowy margins of men or of the past, but to emerge as courageous activists for his kingdom.

About this title

From the Inside Flap:

In a time of transition, Carolyn James found herself haunted by a single question: "Is God good for women?" She felt a tension between her understanding that women are God's image-bearers and a troubling impression that God values the contributions of his sons more than those of his daughters. James sought spiritual answers. And she found them, to her amazement, in the book of Ruth.
That seemed counter-intuitive. After all, isn't the story of Ruth about a passive, deferential, submissive woman who "knew her place," and a man who saved the day? Far from it. Delving into recent scholarly work on this important book, Carolyn James uncovers a portrait of a woman who relationship with God mobilized her to the levels of radical living and self-giving love that Jesus modeled and taught his followers. Ruth's break-the-rules brand of faith revives and mobilizes the despondent Naomi and leads Boaz to new levels of godliness. Before the story is over, the three forge an alliance that literally changed the world. This is The Gospel of Ruth.

In this story, God reveals his heart for women and teaches important lessons
- God never watses pain, but deepens and equips us through suffering
- God is counting on his daughters to build his kingdom
- God calls men and women to partner together in serving him
- Sincere gospel living saturates us with purpose and transforms our relationships

The Gospel of Ruth reveals the good news of how God can resurrect and transform each woman's life and then use her in the building of his kingdom - and its all woven into the fabic of a moving, ancient, and surprising story.

About the Author:

Carolyn Custis James (MA, Biblical Studies) travels extensively as a popular speaker for women's conferences, churches, colleges, seminaries, and other Christian organizations. Her ministry organization, WhitbyForum, promotes thoughtful biblical discussion to help men and women serve God together. Carolyn founded and is president of the Synergy Women’s Network. She is a consulting editor for Zondervan's Exegetical Commentary Series on the New Testament and author of When Life and Beliefs Collide and Lost Women of the Bible. Carolyn and her husband live in Sellersville, Pennsylvania. They have one grown daughter.

About this edition

• Publisher: Zondervan Academic
• Publication date: 2011
• ISBN 10: 0310330858
• ISBN 13: 9780310330851
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 224