If you’ve ever suspected there’s nothing new to be discovered in the
field of biblical studies, think again. In New Testament Women for
Progressive Christians, Volume 2, Donald Schmidt uses the latest,
up-to-the-minute, ground-shifting biblical research to explore the story
of Jesus’ encounter with Mary and Martha in John 11 – except maybe
Martha wasn’t part of the original story at all! And so it goes. Like
most ancient texts, the stories in the Bible – including those from the
New Testament – are told from a male perspective, often for purposes
that have more to do with supporting traditional male roles than
representing the radical inclusiveness Jesus and the earliest Christian
communities modelled. In this six-session study, in addition to Mary
Magdalene, Schmidt explores the stories of the women at the cross and
tomb, in the early church (Acts), and in the letters of Paul, to reveal
characters too often distorted by layers of tradition.
Donald Schmidt has had a love for his Creator, for Jesus Christ, and for
ministry in the Christian church for many years. He holds MDiv and DMin
degrees in theology and Jewish studies. He has been in active ministry
in a variety of churches in both Canada and the United States for almost
40 years. He is the author of eight volumes (and counting) of the award
winning “for Progressive Christians” series of Bible studies. In his
spare time he likes to work with wool – knitting, spinning, and weaving.
He lives in British Columbia with his husband, Kevin.