Laura Savage-Rains is the author of the book, “God Chose a Woman First.” It explores the story of “firsts” as experienced by 13 women in the Bible.
“Everything from the first person to acknowledge God’s role in childbirth, to the first person to break 400 years of prophetic silence from God … and the first person to announce the Resurrection news,” she says.
These stories matter, Savage-Rains says, because of how much Christianity has shaped our culture. That goes for our calendar, and even our laws – especially voting laws.
“It took the women in the 1800s in America to finally say, ‘Look, women need the vote,'” she says.
It took decades before American women finally secured voting rights because they had to overcome what she calls Biblical “misinterpretations” that women should be subservient.
“That women were to always submit to men, and that men were supposed to be in charge,” Savage-Rains says.
She says secular history gives greater context to some of the stories about women in the Bible. For example, she says Egypt had had two female pharaohs by the time of the first female judge appeared in the Bible.
“I think it’s amazing that these stories were preserved,” she says.
Written by Caroline Covington.
