Maros, Susan L., Vince L. Bantu, and Kirsteen Kim, eds. Power, Agency, and Women in the Mission of God. Eugene, OR: Pickwick Publications, 2024. 290 pp. Paperback, $55.49.

Initially, I was reluctant to review this book, partly because I'm weary of dialogues that define women's roles in relation to men. As a younger woman, my faith journey was often constrained by gender-based limitations, always in contrast to men's experiences. There was little credence given to my ability to pray, hear God's voice, and respond accordingly, particularly if my actions contradicted prevailing viewpoints on gender roles. Thankfully, times have changed, and women now have far more opportunities. Yet, alongside women's growing agency and power, patriarchal and sometimes misogynistic views persist, limiting the perceived possibilities of women being used by God beyond traditional patriarchal roles.

This book offers a refreshing perspective! From the outset, the editors eschew apologetics, instead asserting that "God is at work and God's daughters have been and continue to be a vital part of that work" (p. 4) and that "God has created and called women to exercise agency" (p. 10). These statements captured my attention as a diverse array of scholars and practitioners presented an interdisciplinary and intercultural volume exploring the complex intersections of gender, power, and agency within Christian mission and leadership contexts.

Organized into five "conversations," the book focuses on specific aspects of women's lived experiences and contributions in Christian contexts: “Women in Global Christianity” describes how women participate in their societies and faith communities. “Sexism From Multiple Frameworks” explores the impact of sexism on women's lived experiences including: inequality using a psychological lens; hindrance of women’s agency and power using a cultural and theological lens, and voicelessness explored through an analysis of Hannah in I Samuel 1-2. “Addressing #MeToo, #ChurchToo” examines the problem of inadequate responses within churches to the physical and sexual abuse of women. “Models of Women's Power” challenges dominant White, male, Western views to explore women's power and agency in specific social and organizational contexts. “Women's Leadership” describes the dynamics of women's leadership formation.

Each conversation provides nuanced personal examples illustrating women's power, agency, and leadership. The diverse backgrounds and perspectives of the fifteen contributors, which include seasoned academics, ministers, and nonprofit leaders and consultants, create a rich tapestry of insights that enriches the content with both depth and accessibility, scholarship and practice.

Throughout the collection, contributors illuminate how women's journeys are fundamentally shaped by the dualities they navigate – moving between inclusion and marginalization, agency and oppression, voice and silence, visibility and invisibility, safety and violence, power and powerlessness. These lived tensions, vividly illustrated throughout the book's examples, reveal both the complexity of women's experiences and their steadfast determination to pursue their divine calling.

A challenging aspect of this collection is the persistent acknowledgment of the dualism in women's lived experiences: inclusion/marginalization, agency/oppression, voice/silence, visible/invisible, safe/violent, power/disempowerment. The book’s examples stand as testament to these dualities while demonstrating how women strive to respond to God's call. In the foreword, Amos Yong astutely notes the book's documentation of how women "work individually and collectively to engage their relational, social power, to enact their God-given agency to be light and salt in the world" (xiv). A sobering aspect of this book is how women persist in their belief that "to participate in the Missio Dei is to participate in God's love toward people" (8) in the face of these dualities.

This book is a valuable conversation starter about power, agency, and gender in the mission of God. I would encourage the editors to create a second volume expanding the discussion to include other topics pertinent to leadership, which might include the following: Issues of identity, particularly identity in Christ in relation to other identities such as organizational, citizen, and church members; Change agency, specifically how women effect change where resistance is noted; Decision making and strategy formulation, describing how women evaluate strategies and determine leadership priorities; Creative action and resilience in spaces where negative dualities are present; Social capital and social network analysis, including how women construct and navigate their networks to collaborate effectively. Two additional topics that warrant further conversation are religious trauma specifically related to sexual abuse and violence in the church, and the incorporation of voices and experiences from the LGBTQ+ community.

This volume is recommended for those interested in missiology, gender studies, and leadership. This book challenges readers to consider power, agency, and leadership within Christian contexts and offers inspiring narratives of women's agency and leadership within diverse settings. As such, this book is excellent for those seeking to deepen their understanding of the complex dynamics of God's work in the world.

Alicia D. Crumpton

Professor of Leadership Studies

Johnson University

Johnson City, TN, USA