We all live in a particular time in history, and our views are almost inevitably colored by the prevalent opinions of our age. This is particularly true today with regard to the role God intended for women, so it is helpful to read a solid Christian work from a different era. In 1848, Adolphe Monod, the greatest evangelical preacher in French-speaking Europe, gave two sermons on the nature and role of women: Woman: Her Mission and Her Life. Firmly anchored in the Bible, this pair of messages has remained a classic work and will ring true to many a Christian woman today. There are a few points that reflect the thinking of mid-nineteenth century France, but the vast majority of the text is simple, biblical wisdom.
A unique feature of this edition is a new section added to the end of the book. It shows how Monod's teaching was exemplified in the lives of four special women in his family: his wife Hannah, his mother Louise, his older sister Adele, and his daughter Sarah. This section includes long and touching quotes from primary sources and serves to give the volume a more personal touch.
Adolphe Monod (1802--1856) was the best-know and best-loved Evangelical preacher in French-speaking Europe of his day, and he was a significant figure internationally. His own faith came alive through the spiritual Awakening that started in Geneva in his early years and moved on into France. Monod's preaching sought to pass on that new spiritual life to others. He has been called "the voice of the Awakening." In addition to two decades of pastoral work, mostly in the Reformed Church of France, he spent another decade teaching at the denomination's seminary in Montauban, laboring to train pastors who would, in turn, carry on the work of the Awakening, bringing new life to the broader church.
Constance K. Walker, editor and translator, is a retired Senior Research Scientist in nuclear physics at Duke University. She has also edited and translated other important works by Adolphe Monod, was the principal editor of a new French edition of his famous Farewells, and authored a short biography of Monod. She has given numerous talks, often in partnership with her late husband, William D. Walker, on the harmony between science and the Christian faith, and she has written a short booklet on the subject. She recently moved to Pompano Beach, Florida from North Carolina to help start Florida Coast Church, a new congregation in the Presbyterian Church in America.
