Where Have All Our Women Gone?

Abstract

In the 21st century, young Christian women struggle with understanding and applying practical aspects of Biblical womanhood in their day-to-day lives. Extreme views on both sides make it difficult for young women to navigate life in a way that makes sense in the cultural context of the 21st century. Young women today struggle to utilize the full range of talents and gifts that God has given them, and more importantly, they struggle to align their lives with Scripture. The lack of knowledge concerning what Biblical womanhood is, combined with confusion about how it is applied, impacts not only the women themselves, but everyone in their close social networks, their families, their husbands (or husbands-to-be, if applicable), their children (if applicable), and the church body.

The research conducted in this thesis showed that while a plethora of literature, Bible studies, and other resources dealing with Biblical womanhood exist, many of these resources do not address or celebrate the unique situations of young Christian women and the different ways in which Biblical womanhood can manifest itself in the lives of women. Additionally, many of these resources do not account for the unique situations of young women in postmodern America or how these women can embody Biblical womanhood even if they are not married and/or do not have children. 

This body of work acknowledge, celebrate, and destigmatize the incredible beauty and variety of Biblical womanhood, as well as its common threads, or foundation based on principles found in Scripture through a historical grammatical approach. By working in a modernized 1950s aesthetic, I aimed to accomplish these goals and to celebrate the importance of Biblical womanhood in the church and family; and its beauty. God gifted women in unique ways to reflect His image, bring Him glory, and fulfill God’s mission for the global and local church, the home, and society.

Problem Statement

In 21st century postmodern America, many young Christian women are unaware of the true heart and meaning of Biblical womanhood. Many conservative Christians view Biblical womanhood as existing within the strict boundary line that surrounds the home and make no allowance for how a woman might apply her gifts outside of this small sphere. Others, with a more liberal take on Biblical womanhood, see it as being indistinguishable from its male counterpart – Biblical manhood – and therefore are unable to see that a woman is formed by God to be different from a man and thus are unable to see how a woman can uniquely reflect God’s image in her own right. Neither of these two polar views hold the answer to the question of what Biblical womanhood is, as neither of these two views can be fully backed by Scripture; however, this author’s opinion is that the conservative view that tends to define Biblical womanhood within the sphere of the home, is more in line with the literal interpretation of Scripture. Succinctly put, the confusion surrounding what Biblical womanhood is, and what it looks like in postmodern America, lies in a misunderstanding of how Scripture defines what a woman is and who she is called to be; as a result, this confusion often leads to the stigmatization by both Christian and secular society alike of a woman who seeks to live a life that exemplifies the Scripturally based principals of Biblical womanhood. 

Visual Solution

My visual solution to the aforementioned problem was to develop and design a body of work that shows a more balanced approach to Biblical womanhood and celebrates the variety of manifestations that the principles of Biblical womanhood can have in a woman’s life. The primary goal of this body of work is to destigmatize Biblical womanhood by showing the multifaceted beauty and pragmatic value Biblical womanhood holds both for women, and also for society. 

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Emma_Catherine_Thesis_Document.pdf