News / Education
B&H author explores what ancient Eve teaches modern women
Book counters feminist teachings about womanhood
So writes Robert Lewis in The New Eve: Choosing God’s Best for Your Life, a new release from B&H Publishing Group, the publishing arm of LifeWay Christian Resources of the Southern Baptist Convention.
In the release, Lewis investigates why it is important for women to recognize their connection to Eve and how she predisposes modern women to certain tendencies, traits and temptations.
“Eve is so important,” Lewis writes. “Her past is your present.”
Lewis explains that Satan’s deception of Eve brought humanity to a cataclysmic moment that still affects all mankind.
“Most of us know it simply as the Fall,” he writes. “It was a moment when all of God’s original intentions and core callings for you as a woman, and for me as a man, became twisted, distorted, and – most of all – difficult.”
(Lewis explains more about this topic in an Inside LifeWay podcast.)
Quick to deflect all the blame from Eve, Lewis explains that during the temptation, Adam abdicated his role as leader and protector. Genesis 3:6 states that as Eve sinned, Adam was “with her.”
“In other words, the whole time this evil madness was being unleashed on Eve, Adam was right there, watching his wife’s strength wane as Satan deceived her into abandoning God’s command not to eat the forbidden fruit,” Lewis writes. “The truth is, as Adam stood and watched his wife entertain sin, he sinned. Not overtly but covertly.”
Through the Fall, Eve became the symbol of a failed femininity for all women in every generation, and Lewis contends the first woman still has a following.
“In every age, there are countless other ‘Eves’ who still choose to believe God’s core callings can be short-changed or neglected in the pursuit of other, seemingly life-giving ambitions,” he writes.
Lewis issues a clarion call for modern women to learn from Eve and not repeat her mistakes.
Lewis describes New Eves as women who are known for wise moves, not foolish ones, and provides examples of women who have chosen to live life according to God’s plan.
Throughout the book, Lewis outlines five bold moves drawn from the Bible that help women live the best life possible:
--Living from the inside out
--Adopting a biblical definition of womanhood
--Embracing a big-picture perspective on life
--Living with the end in mind
--Using wisdom with a man.
“These moves are not hard to understand, but they require boldness and courageous faith to activate,” Lewis writes.
He also outlines wise moves for 10 stages of a women’s life, beginning with single adult to late-in-life widow and finally glorified saint.
For instance, Lewis encourages single adults to focus on character development, skill and career improvement, spiritual growth and Kingdom service. For late-in-life widows, he offers the following wise moves: serve others, mentor younger women and be involved in Kingdom work.
Lewis cautions women that being a New Eve is not about a cookie-cutter, one-for-all lifestyle.
“It’s about you being you. God’s you. The best you,” he writes. “It’s about leaps of faith, bold moves, and deep convictions that refuse to be swayed by the world.”
The New Eve is available at LifeWay Christian Stores and online at LifeWayStores.com.
For up-to-date news and information regarding LifeWay Christian Resources, visit http://www.lifeway.com/lwc/article_main_page/0%2C1703%2CA%25253D167487%252526M%25253D201280%2C00.html?.
