Book Review: Bad Girls of the Bible

From Hannah:

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««««« (three)

Bad Girls of the Bible is an entertaining, compassionate look at the lives of ten Biblical women who were known for their sinful behaviors. Higgs writes a fictional, modern-day account of each story then examines the biblical text, evaluating each woman’s actions and place in the story.

Although I found the book interesting, the author focused on the women to the exclusion of the main point of the bigger story they are a part of. The story of Joseph and Potiphar’s wife isn’t primarily about Potiphar’s wife. It is about Joseph’s commitment to follow the Lord and ultimately shows God’s provision for His chosen people through Joseph’s trials in Egypt. Potiphar’s wife plays an important role in that story, but instead of talking about how God used even her sinful actions to place Joseph in a situation where he could eventually gain an audience before Pharaoh, Higgs speculates about the woman’s motives, lifestyle, and even her clothing. Devoid of the purpose of each woman in the great context, this book turns the Bible into a compendium of morality tales.

I would instead recommend Beth Moore’s Bible study on Esther for an in depth look at a Biblical woman that appropriately looks at the person in light of the overall story. For an overview of Biblical women, I would recommend Elizabeth George’s The Remarkable Women of the Bible or John MacArthur’s Twelve Extraordinary Women.

I received this book from the publisher for the purpose of review.