Reviewed by Divine Zape for Readers' Favorite

In Women Who Knew Jesus, Dr. Bonnie Ring writes: “When the women of today are introduced to the stories of the encounters of Jesus with women, they often recognize their similarity to those women, feel the impact of that similarity and suddenly regard those women as significant role models and companions for their own journeys of faith and witness.” In this revolutionary work and in a world that is filled with masculinity, the author reads the Gospels again with readers, highlighting the revolutionary spirit of Jesus who willingly went out of his way to encounter women, and not only to commune with them, but inviting them to be partakers of the Kingdom. From the Samaritan woman at the well, to the healing experience of the mother-in-law of Simon Peter whom Jesus healed, to the controversial encounter with the prostitute Mary Magdalene, and a lot more, this book explores a new form of spirituality that invested women with the power to follow the path of the Gospel without fear.

At a time when the debate for the ordination of women into the Catholic Church is very heated and when the question of gender equality is still a reality, this book comes along like a powerful invitation to reflect on the ministry of Jesus and the place women held in his life. The relationship between Jesus and his mother, Mary, already demonstrates the power he conferred on women. For example, at the wedding feast at Cana, Mary did what no other disciple could have done, entreating Jesus and pointing out that the people were without wine, and Jesus performed a miracle. Jesus didn’t only meet to pardon, heal, and commune with women, but he entrusted them with a mission. Women Who Knew Jesus explores this aspect of the Gospels brilliantly. Dr. Bonnie Ring is very knowledgeable about the Scriptures and explores the role of women in Jesus' life as well as in the history of salvation. Here is a book that every woman should read.