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Bad Girls of the Bible #1
Bad Girls of the Bible: And What We Can Learn from Them
Ten of the Bible’s best-known femmes fatales parade across the pages of this popular and unforgettable study with situations that sound oh-so-familiar.
Women everywhere marvel at those “good girls” in Scripture–Sarah, Mary, Esther–but on most days, that’s not who they see when they look in the mirror. Most women (if they’re honest) see the selfishness of Sapphira or the deception of Delilah. They catch of glimpse of Jezebel’s take-charge pride or Eve’s disastrous disobedience. Like Bathsheba, Herodias, and the rest, today’s modern woman is surrounded by temptations, exhausted by the demands of daily living, and burdened by her own desires.
So what’s a good girl to do? Learn from their lives, says beloved Bible study teacher and speaker Liz Curtis Higgs, and choose a better path. Whether they were “Bad to the Bone,” “Bad for a Season, but Not Forever” or only “Bad for a Moment,” these infamous sisters show women how not to handle the challenges of life.
With her trademark humor and encouragement, Higgs combines a contemporary retelling of the stories of these “other women” in Scripture with a solid, verse-by-verse study to teach us how to avoid their tragic mistakes and joyfully embrace grace.
Let these Bad Girls show you why studying the Bible has never been more fun!
Includes Discussion Questions and Study Guide
Women everywhere marvel at those “good girls” in Scripture–Sarah, Mary, Esther–but on most days, that’s not who they see when they look in the mirror. Most women (if they’re honest) see the selfishness of Sapphira or the deception of Delilah. They catch of glimpse of Jezebel’s take-charge pride or Eve’s disastrous disobedience. Like Bathsheba, Herodias, and the rest, today’s modern woman is surrounded by temptations, exhausted by the demands of daily living, and burdened by her own desires.
So what’s a good girl to do? Learn from their lives, says beloved Bible study teacher and speaker Liz Curtis Higgs, and choose a better path. Whether they were “Bad to the Bone,” “Bad for a Season, but Not Forever” or only “Bad for a Moment,” these infamous sisters show women how not to handle the challenges of life.
With her trademark humor and encouragement, Higgs combines a contemporary retelling of the stories of these “other women” in Scripture with a solid, verse-by-verse study to teach us how to avoid their tragic mistakes and joyfully embrace grace.
Let these Bad Girls show you why studying the Bible has never been more fun!
Includes Discussion Questions and Study Guide
288 pages, Paperback
First published September 26, 2000
1009 people are currently reading
11473 people want to read
About the author
Liz Curtis Higgs
76 books1,430 followersFormer Bad Girl, grateful for the grace God offers. Happy wife of Bill, one of the Good Guys. Proud mom of two grown-up kids with tender hearts. Lame housekeeper. Marginal cook. Pitiful gardener. Stuff I love? Encouraging my sisters in Christ—across the page, from the platform, online, in person. Unpacking Scripture. Traveling wherever God leads. Listening to His heart. Leaning into His embrace.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 562 reviews
August 9, 2010
I remember picking this up at the grocery store -- I think it was the cover, intrigued me.
In any case -- I am NOT a Christian, not even close, however, with that stated, here are my thoughts on this excellent book:
She has the chapters (a prologue, a chapter devoted to each "Bad Girl", and an epilogue) separated into the fiction story -- the Bible's version (with amusing comments ala Elvira or perhaps Mystery Science Theater provided by her) -- the lessons learned from the fable -- and questions for discussion. Nice. I didn't read the questions for discussion -- but the other stuff was nice.
The book is sprinkled with quotes, both from the Bible and from without -- I had a few I particularly liked (even one from the Bible, go figure)
"Heaven has no rage like love to hatred turned,
Nor hell a fury like a woman scorned." -- William Congreve
"That money talks I'll not deny,
I heard it once: It said 'Goodbye'" -- Richard Armour
"The rooster may crow, but the hen delivers the goods." -- Ann Richards
"Your beauty should not come from outward adornment....Instead, it should be that of your inner self, the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is of great worth in God's sight." 1 Peter 3:3-4
And the lessons I took from the "Bad Girls" (I keep putting them in quotes because she includes Michal in that category, and she was not bad -- misguided. Loved her father. Infatuated young thing? not bad)
From Eve: Avoid the blame game (always good advice, and something people really need to pay more attention to -- just because your child listens to Rock, or watches TV or plays video games does not excuse his/her actions -- or yours for that matter...take some responsibility already! geeesh)
From Potiphar's Wife (is it odd that the Bible doesn't give some of these women names?): Surround ourselves with support
and Confession beats a cover-up (just ask Nixon)
From Lot's Wife: Stuff is temporary (now while I do love my stuff, and would have a very hard time letting it go - it is stuff...my life and the lives of my loved ones is much more important)
From the Woman at the Well: Never be afraid to ask questions (how many teachers have said this very thing??)
From Delilah: The love of a man is to be treasured
(I will add...the love of anyone is to be treasured -- it is a rare gift for anyone to give you their love)
From Sapphira: Learn to give when nobody's looking (anonymous charity is a special thing --)
From Rahab: Our past does not determine our future
From Jezebel: No one wants to work for a witch (my addition is, a bitch really not a witch per say, if you treat those who serve you poorly, they will remember -- and I don't just mean those who are lucky enough to afford SERVANTS -- the waitress you were mean to, remember she sees your food before you do...)
From "The Sinful Woman" (the one who anointed Jesus' feet with her tears and dried them with her hair): People will talk, no matter what we do
I would also like to commend the author, not only is she a really good story teller, and able to make the Bible interesting and understandable, but she is a former Bad Girl, and isn't afraid to say that sometimes she still missteps. She is honest and human, and a "religious freak" by her own admission. Refreshing that.
In any case -- I am NOT a Christian, not even close, however, with that stated, here are my thoughts on this excellent book:
She has the chapters (a prologue, a chapter devoted to each "Bad Girl", and an epilogue) separated into the fiction story -- the Bible's version (with amusing comments ala Elvira or perhaps Mystery Science Theater provided by her) -- the lessons learned from the fable -- and questions for discussion. Nice. I didn't read the questions for discussion -- but the other stuff was nice.
The book is sprinkled with quotes, both from the Bible and from without -- I had a few I particularly liked (even one from the Bible, go figure)
"Heaven has no rage like love to hatred turned,
Nor hell a fury like a woman scorned." -- William Congreve
"That money talks I'll not deny,
I heard it once: It said 'Goodbye'" -- Richard Armour
"The rooster may crow, but the hen delivers the goods." -- Ann Richards
"Your beauty should not come from outward adornment....Instead, it should be that of your inner self, the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is of great worth in God's sight." 1 Peter 3:3-4
And the lessons I took from the "Bad Girls" (I keep putting them in quotes because she includes Michal in that category, and she was not bad -- misguided. Loved her father. Infatuated young thing? not bad)
From Eve: Avoid the blame game (always good advice, and something people really need to pay more attention to -- just because your child listens to Rock, or watches TV or plays video games does not excuse his/her actions -- or yours for that matter...take some responsibility already! geeesh)
From Potiphar's Wife (is it odd that the Bible doesn't give some of these women names?): Surround ourselves with support
and Confession beats a cover-up (just ask Nixon)
From Lot's Wife: Stuff is temporary (now while I do love my stuff, and would have a very hard time letting it go - it is stuff...my life and the lives of my loved ones is much more important)
From the Woman at the Well: Never be afraid to ask questions (how many teachers have said this very thing??)
From Delilah: The love of a man is to be treasured
(I will add...the love of anyone is to be treasured -- it is a rare gift for anyone to give you their love)
From Sapphira: Learn to give when nobody's looking (anonymous charity is a special thing --)
From Rahab: Our past does not determine our future
From Jezebel: No one wants to work for a witch (my addition is, a bitch really not a witch per say, if you treat those who serve you poorly, they will remember -- and I don't just mean those who are lucky enough to afford SERVANTS -- the waitress you were mean to, remember she sees your food before you do...)
From "The Sinful Woman" (the one who anointed Jesus' feet with her tears and dried them with her hair): People will talk, no matter what we do
I would also like to commend the author, not only is she a really good story teller, and able to make the Bible interesting and understandable, but she is a former Bad Girl, and isn't afraid to say that sometimes she still missteps. She is honest and human, and a "religious freak" by her own admission. Refreshing that.
August 20, 2016
Allow me to preface the following comments by saying that if someone enjoyed reading this and it taught them something about God or brought them closer to God, that’s great and I don’t want to take away from their experience but….
This book is AWFUL, terribly written.
The idea is fantastic, looking at the worst women in the bible and finding out why they are in there, genius. The only problem is that instead of telling these women’s stories the author comes up with fiction stories, no more like fictionalized versions of the biblical stories but with different names and writing equivalent to a BAD romance novel.
The author should have done one of two things: presented the actual stories from the bible just written in a more palatable style or, created completely different stories that can be used as parables or modern metaphors for these biblical stories.
This author took Shakespeare and made it into a Lifetime movie…for shame.
HUGE LETDOWN
This book is AWFUL, terribly written.
The idea is fantastic, looking at the worst women in the bible and finding out why they are in there, genius. The only problem is that instead of telling these women’s stories the author comes up with fiction stories, no more like fictionalized versions of the biblical stories but with different names and writing equivalent to a BAD romance novel.
The author should have done one of two things: presented the actual stories from the bible just written in a more palatable style or, created completely different stories that can be used as parables or modern metaphors for these biblical stories.
This author took Shakespeare and made it into a Lifetime movie…for shame.
HUGE LETDOWN
June 19, 2014
I was excited to read the book hoping that it passed along lessons of how being "bad" was okay because these girls from the bible were bad too.
I had been taking a feminist biblical interpretation course and without reading the reviews for this book, expected it to continue along that same line of thinking. That we can consider the women of the bible in a sex-positive, pro-women, anti-shame way. Unfortunately the first chapter starts off with a stab to the heart. The author tells a fictional story of a girl who is abused and then, after noting that the story is her own, victim blames the girl for essentially choosing the wrong guy. Ouch.
Each chapter starts with a soap opera retelling of a story from the bible. As someone who isn't super well read in the bible, I found this helpful. Granted, the stories are very lifetime-y as another reviewer noted. They too continue the theme of shame (women are bad because they choose to be bad not because their circumstances make them do things they don't want to do.)
I also noted throughout the book a very odd reoccurrence of women putting other women down. Like - Oh, she was that typical pretty type, thin and beautiful, the ones all the men like, oh I'd never be like her. I was way smarter than that! That sort of thing. The language idealized this "perfect women" that the author seemed to create herself, and then immediately put that type of women down. Why why why? Whyyyyy?
While the book does its duty in making a case for its beliefs, it does so in a way that is very oddly women-hating. You don't need a new book to tell us how horrible the women of the bible were. It does that pretty well itself. I was hoping for something very different.
While there were some redeeming points to this book, I feel sore about it, and expect that they were not put there intentionally. I hope that the women who do read this book know that a mistakes, bad choices, and violations happen, and that it does not stain their character to experience life through living it. I also hope they realize that being bad by anothers standards does not necessarily make her less of a woman, in her own eyes. I'll keep looking for the book that reminds me why all the nameless women deserved to be named.
I had been taking a feminist biblical interpretation course and without reading the reviews for this book, expected it to continue along that same line of thinking. That we can consider the women of the bible in a sex-positive, pro-women, anti-shame way. Unfortunately the first chapter starts off with a stab to the heart. The author tells a fictional story of a girl who is abused and then, after noting that the story is her own, victim blames the girl for essentially choosing the wrong guy. Ouch.
Each chapter starts with a soap opera retelling of a story from the bible. As someone who isn't super well read in the bible, I found this helpful. Granted, the stories are very lifetime-y as another reviewer noted. They too continue the theme of shame (women are bad because they choose to be bad not because their circumstances make them do things they don't want to do.)
I also noted throughout the book a very odd reoccurrence of women putting other women down. Like - Oh, she was that typical pretty type, thin and beautiful, the ones all the men like, oh I'd never be like her. I was way smarter than that! That sort of thing. The language idealized this "perfect women" that the author seemed to create herself, and then immediately put that type of women down. Why why why? Whyyyyy?
While the book does its duty in making a case for its beliefs, it does so in a way that is very oddly women-hating. You don't need a new book to tell us how horrible the women of the bible were. It does that pretty well itself. I was hoping for something very different.
While there were some redeeming points to this book, I feel sore about it, and expect that they were not put there intentionally. I hope that the women who do read this book know that a mistakes, bad choices, and violations happen, and that it does not stain their character to experience life through living it. I also hope they realize that being bad by anothers standards does not necessarily make her less of a woman, in her own eyes. I'll keep looking for the book that reminds me why all the nameless women deserved to be named.
April 4, 2009
You might think, given the format of this book (short fictional stories of modern women followed by short character studies of BIble women) that it's a light read or a shallow Bible study with no more depth than the latest novel. But in reality, Liz Curtis Higgs, the author, has studied these Bible women extensively, and her study is evident in the lessons found in this book. The fictional stories add a dimension to the women in the Bible that we thought we knew. The Bible studies offer insights and useful information about the times and cultures in which the women lived. She also asks probing questions that allow you to apply the lessons learned to your own life.
January 15, 2022
Very well told lessons from the Bible and how they relate to us today.
February 27, 2020
I read this quite some time ago and remember thinking that it was a book for those without Biblical teachings. Something I would give to a new Christian or someone who hadn't been exposed to the teachings of the Bible but had heard of one of the women mentioned without any reference points to understand the woman's significance in the historical events.
I have done a lot of study and have written similar accounts so maybe I am more than a tad biased. I think it is a good source of information and fairly accurate. It is directed at the lay person and certainly not a scholarly work (nor does it claim to be). I wouldn't hesitate to recommend it.
I have done a lot of study and have written similar accounts so maybe I am more than a tad biased. I think it is a good source of information and fairly accurate. It is directed at the lay person and certainly not a scholarly work (nor does it claim to be). I wouldn't hesitate to recommend it.
January 22, 2013
I'm barely 10 pages into this book and I can tell how painful of a read this is going to be, but I promised myself I'd get through it.
To start off with, the author clearly states the *four* groups of readers she is targeting, and all four are WOMEN. So as a man, I already feel like the author has nothing to tell me, and doesn't WANT to speak to me.
Also, the bible-thumping evangelical nature of the author is gross and irritating. I have no problem when people have a personal relationship with God for the improvement of their lives or the lives of those around them. But to attach meaning between every event in ones life and some memorized bible verse is creepy.
More later as I get through this thing...
============================================================
- And now that I'm done let me say how awful this book was. It's only redeeming quality was that I learned a few obscure bible stories. Here are the notes I jotted down to myself as I went through:
- Presumptive of Potiphar without justification.
- She says "You know the rest", at one point, implying that we all must have memorized the bible the way she has. This effectively loses me as I have no idea what point she's making.
- Although she says " we can't know" she still frequently fills in her favorite theory, such as putting blame on Potiphar. She takes the interpreted scripture far too literally.
- She both accepts and complains about her role as a wife.
- Only goes to alternate translations when it suits her, otherwise latches onto a word as translated and makes hay with it
- Hates Lot for offering up his daughters and questions God for finding good in him, but offers no explanation for how God can approve of Lot's actions. How can she make this a story about Lot's WIFE, when Lot is given a "pass" by God for offering his daughters up to gang rape??
- Offers 10 rational reasons why Lot's wife looked back, then dismisses them all, calls her disobedient, and labels her " bad"
- Explains how the woman at the well lived in a time when a woman needed a man to survive, then calls her a fornicator and a bad girl
- I am enjoying learning stories I either didn't know or only knew very sketchily
- She says the bible lacks any mention of Delilah having a good personality, but (to me) that doesn't mean she didn't have one and was just a pretty face which she used to snare Samson, but the author decides (without any evidence) that lack of mention of a personality must mean she was pretty only
- Why not some hate for Samson for not asking why Delilah tied him up three times already. The man is a moron!
- No mention of the fact that Samson's hair was taken from him (not voluntarily given.) Yet she calls the crime against him a sin HE COMMITTED and blows past it. By her logic, a married woman, who promises to be faithful to her husband, but who is then raped is the one committing a sin! This author would make a FINE militant Islamist!
- In the story of Sapphira and Ananias she blows past god killing two people for nothing more than a lie
- With nothing but attitude and no evidence she dismisses the possibility that the two spies who visited Rahab partook of her 'services'
- There is no evidence that Rahab's red cord was a harlot flag yet the author states it is
- She believes a husband is "head of the household"
- Blows right past king David having a man killed for lusting after his wife
- Michal's only sin was not to worship God with David after he left her and got more wives. For this, and this ALONE, she is labeled "bad"
- The sinful woman is called a prostitute with no evidence
To start off with, the author clearly states the *four* groups of readers she is targeting, and all four are WOMEN. So as a man, I already feel like the author has nothing to tell me, and doesn't WANT to speak to me.
Also, the bible-thumping evangelical nature of the author is gross and irritating. I have no problem when people have a personal relationship with God for the improvement of their lives or the lives of those around them. But to attach meaning between every event in ones life and some memorized bible verse is creepy.
More later as I get through this thing...
============================================================
- And now that I'm done let me say how awful this book was. It's only redeeming quality was that I learned a few obscure bible stories. Here are the notes I jotted down to myself as I went through:
- Presumptive of Potiphar without justification.
- She says "You know the rest", at one point, implying that we all must have memorized the bible the way she has. This effectively loses me as I have no idea what point she's making.
- Although she says " we can't know" she still frequently fills in her favorite theory, such as putting blame on Potiphar. She takes the interpreted scripture far too literally.
- She both accepts and complains about her role as a wife.
- Only goes to alternate translations when it suits her, otherwise latches onto a word as translated and makes hay with it
- Hates Lot for offering up his daughters and questions God for finding good in him, but offers no explanation for how God can approve of Lot's actions. How can she make this a story about Lot's WIFE, when Lot is given a "pass" by God for offering his daughters up to gang rape??
- Offers 10 rational reasons why Lot's wife looked back, then dismisses them all, calls her disobedient, and labels her " bad"
- Explains how the woman at the well lived in a time when a woman needed a man to survive, then calls her a fornicator and a bad girl
- I am enjoying learning stories I either didn't know or only knew very sketchily
- She says the bible lacks any mention of Delilah having a good personality, but (to me) that doesn't mean she didn't have one and was just a pretty face which she used to snare Samson, but the author decides (without any evidence) that lack of mention of a personality must mean she was pretty only
- Why not some hate for Samson for not asking why Delilah tied him up three times already. The man is a moron!
- No mention of the fact that Samson's hair was taken from him (not voluntarily given.) Yet she calls the crime against him a sin HE COMMITTED and blows past it. By her logic, a married woman, who promises to be faithful to her husband, but who is then raped is the one committing a sin! This author would make a FINE militant Islamist!
- In the story of Sapphira and Ananias she blows past god killing two people for nothing more than a lie
- With nothing but attitude and no evidence she dismisses the possibility that the two spies who visited Rahab partook of her 'services'
- There is no evidence that Rahab's red cord was a harlot flag yet the author states it is
- She believes a husband is "head of the household"
- Blows right past king David having a man killed for lusting after his wife
- Michal's only sin was not to worship God with David after he left her and got more wives. For this, and this ALONE, she is labeled "bad"
- The sinful woman is called a prostitute with no evidence
November 10, 2011
if you dumbed the bible down much further it would come with a crayon. the narrative voice is annoying. liz higgs, i'm not your "girlfriend."
July 22, 2022
A proactive, yet graceful book written with contemporary stories and biblical reflections to bring these women to our world and our own doorsteps. Forcing us to view them in a new light, exposing the characters and having an honest look at their personalities so we can learn from them in our own lives!
I have to admit this book has been on my tbr for a very, very long time. And to be honest, I avoided it based on the title and my pride. I didn't want to associate with anything like a 'bad' girl, as I was trying so hard after I became a Christian to get away from that title. But, oh, how refreshing this book was. And painfully true on how we can relate, learn, and grow from their lives.
Afterall, the Bible is to be used to teach us among other things. And boy, how I needed a reminder of where I came from and how sadly, similar I can be to some of these women I want to mark with a big red X.
This book was written with the storytelling talent of Liz's playful, quirky and honest voice. She litters it with her own humour and I love that about her. She makes the hard stuff seem much more bearable to read. And scatters grace through the pages.
My favourite is the last chapters. I've always felt similar to that women (no spoilers) and my heart grew as it reminded me of the days I gave my life to Jesus. Where I came from and all I've been saved from by the grace of God. He is good and wonderful.
Thank you Liz for daring to write a book that is both full of grace and mercy and the scandalous truth.
I have to admit this book has been on my tbr for a very, very long time. And to be honest, I avoided it based on the title and my pride. I didn't want to associate with anything like a 'bad' girl, as I was trying so hard after I became a Christian to get away from that title. But, oh, how refreshing this book was. And painfully true on how we can relate, learn, and grow from their lives.
Afterall, the Bible is to be used to teach us among other things. And boy, how I needed a reminder of where I came from and how sadly, similar I can be to some of these women I want to mark with a big red X.
This book was written with the storytelling talent of Liz's playful, quirky and honest voice. She litters it with her own humour and I love that about her. She makes the hard stuff seem much more bearable to read. And scatters grace through the pages.
My favourite is the last chapters. I've always felt similar to that women (no spoilers) and my heart grew as it reminded me of the days I gave my life to Jesus. Where I came from and all I've been saved from by the grace of God. He is good and wonderful.
Thank you Liz for daring to write a book that is both full of grace and mercy and the scandalous truth.
September 23, 2011
I tried to stick with this... I really did. In fact, I made it to about page 200 before I gave up.
I think there are definitely people this book will appeal to, but I guess I'm not one of them. The contemporary retellings of biblical stories seemed to be reaching a lot to make the connection between the two worlds. In addition, while the author says she used many different commentaries and did lots of research, it's pretty obvious she picked and chose which to use by picking sources that agreed with her preconceived ideas.
If you're the typical evangelical Christian woman, this book will probably appeal to you. If you're a little... left of center, shall we say, it's probably not for you.
I think there are definitely people this book will appeal to, but I guess I'm not one of them. The contemporary retellings of biblical stories seemed to be reaching a lot to make the connection between the two worlds. In addition, while the author says she used many different commentaries and did lots of research, it's pretty obvious she picked and chose which to use by picking sources that agreed with her preconceived ideas.
If you're the typical evangelical Christian woman, this book will probably appeal to you. If you're a little... left of center, shall we say, it's probably not for you.
September 21, 2020
I spent twelve years in biblical study, another four years helping my errant ex-husband study for the seminary so I know thing or two about evangelical religious beliefs. When I got this book from my local library, I thought it was going to be similar to the book about "bad" princesses where the women are actually amazingly wonderful. Instead I got a pile of horse manure. These accounts are told from a MALE writer's perspective, namely the man called Paul. He vilified women in order to make the males in the bible seem more "holy" than they actually were. The entire concept of this book is misogynistic . Apparently one does not have to be male to slam women. No wonder we have so many problems as women when you have writers like this!
October 22, 2007
This book was really great and a definite must read for all Christian women. I love how Liz tells a modern story that is similar to the bible story before she discusses the events in the bible. It helped me relate to the women in the bible so that I can understand where they were coming from. It teaches Chrisian women that although we may have backslidden in the past that we are not defined by our misdeeds. Jesus loves us and has washed those sins away. In fact, those sins have made us better, stronger people. We can really appreciate God's love and be better witnesses since we too can understand that everyone is human and falters. God is a forgiving God. I will read Really Bad Girls now and Slightly Bad Girls as well. Highly recommended.
June 19, 2013
This book made me miserable. I suggested it to my bible study based on the title. I thought it would actually provide some contextual information about females in the bible. Wrong. It was basically a diatribe against female strength and independence.
November 3, 2014
At first I was excited for this book. I like complex characters and I like Scripture, so for those two to be presented together pleased me.
Then I read the book and it was terrible.
The author simplifies the stories of these women to the point that they lose their integrity. She villanizes the women, even in situations where it's not appropriate. She can't decide if the women are being used by their culture and fulfilling their duties as women in their cultural setting or if they were masters of their own fate and fully responsible for what happened to them. (I saw this especially with the story of Michal and it was irritating.)
The biggest issue I had though was that in her attempt to relate the stories to present day situations, she created mini-fictions at the start of each chapter that often missed the point of the Biblical story. Some of them were so far from what Scripture actually teaches, I was confused as to how a Christian publisher allowed this to be printed.
Basically, it was exhausting.
Then I read the book and it was terrible.
The author simplifies the stories of these women to the point that they lose their integrity. She villanizes the women, even in situations where it's not appropriate. She can't decide if the women are being used by their culture and fulfilling their duties as women in their cultural setting or if they were masters of their own fate and fully responsible for what happened to them. (I saw this especially with the story of Michal and it was irritating.)
The biggest issue I had though was that in her attempt to relate the stories to present day situations, she created mini-fictions at the start of each chapter that often missed the point of the Biblical story. Some of them were so far from what Scripture actually teaches, I was confused as to how a Christian publisher allowed this to be printed.
Basically, it was exhausting.
February 8, 2016
I didn't like this book. I didn't like the writing style, which was flippant and not something I want in a Bible study book. I'm not the author's girlfriend, so I didn't like being addressed as that. So many of her comments were sarcastic and immature. It seemed like a teenager wrote this instead of a mature adult. I didn't care for the stories the author created to parallel the Bible stories. They sometimes did a poor job of it, and none of them added anything good or helpful to the book. The author sometimes jumped to conclusions and presented them as truth instead of her opinion -- e.g. "Lot, with his glib tongue and clever speech, was undoubtedly a storyteller, prone to exaggeration, which may explain why his sons-in-law thought Lot was pulling their legs." Was Noah a storyteller prone to exaggeration, since people didn't believe him? There was no meat to this book. Baby Christians possibly would be able to get some useful things out of it, but I doubt many mature Christians would.
June 30, 2011
I was excited to read another Liz Curtis Higgs book. However, I am experiencing trouble in reviewing this book. I like some insights Liz has about bible characters: Potiphar’s Wife, Jezbel, Delilah, Lot’s Wife, the Sinful Woman and the Woman at the well, I learned more about Sapphira and Michah. I guess I saw them as minor female characters and they are not.
I do have some concerns about this book. Yes Higgs admits that she is not a bible scholar and it does show in her writing. I find some of the colloquial and casual language about the bible off-putting at times, such as the girlfriend references throughout the book. I do not find the introduction of each chapter with a fake and modern character similar to the biblical ones helpful, but confusing or distracting.
I dislike Higgs categorizing each woman as Bad to the Bone, Bad for a Moment, and Bad for a Season but not forever. Liz is correct in her criticism of older (possibly male) scholars for blaming biblical women for everything that goes wrong, while exhorting men as heroes. Yet Higgs labeling of these biblical women is not much different than the scholars she abhors. As a reader I would prefer to decide for myself and not have the author make that judgment for me.
Also, I disagree with Higgs portrayal of Eve as the first bad girl because Eve was innocent until she partook of the forbidden fruit so, she would not understand that getting into a debate with Satan was wrong or that Eve’s choice led her to make the choice to disobey God. I feel Eve did not stop listening to God or her husband. She did repent of her sin of disobedience. If Adam and Eve did not eat of the fruit of the knowledge of Good and Evil we and all our ancestors would not exist.
In spite of my caveats of Bad Girls of the Bible, Higgs does provide biblical references and helpful insights at the end of each chapter. The author has a study guide in each chapter and discussion questions. Also the reader does not need to read the book in chronological order but can pick which biblical woman to study instead. Higgs does write in an engaging manner for the most part. I would recommend reading this book with a bible in hand. I am sure that there are woman’s bible study groups that may want to use this book and I suggest caution because this book would be better for personal study instead due to the nature of questions to consider for the reader may be too personal in nature. I received a complimentary copy of Bad Girls of the Bible from WaterBrook Publishers and am not required to give a positive review.
I do have some concerns about this book. Yes Higgs admits that she is not a bible scholar and it does show in her writing. I find some of the colloquial and casual language about the bible off-putting at times, such as the girlfriend references throughout the book. I do not find the introduction of each chapter with a fake and modern character similar to the biblical ones helpful, but confusing or distracting.
I dislike Higgs categorizing each woman as Bad to the Bone, Bad for a Moment, and Bad for a Season but not forever. Liz is correct in her criticism of older (possibly male) scholars for blaming biblical women for everything that goes wrong, while exhorting men as heroes. Yet Higgs labeling of these biblical women is not much different than the scholars she abhors. As a reader I would prefer to decide for myself and not have the author make that judgment for me.
Also, I disagree with Higgs portrayal of Eve as the first bad girl because Eve was innocent until she partook of the forbidden fruit so, she would not understand that getting into a debate with Satan was wrong or that Eve’s choice led her to make the choice to disobey God. I feel Eve did not stop listening to God or her husband. She did repent of her sin of disobedience. If Adam and Eve did not eat of the fruit of the knowledge of Good and Evil we and all our ancestors would not exist.
In spite of my caveats of Bad Girls of the Bible, Higgs does provide biblical references and helpful insights at the end of each chapter. The author has a study guide in each chapter and discussion questions. Also the reader does not need to read the book in chronological order but can pick which biblical woman to study instead. Higgs does write in an engaging manner for the most part. I would recommend reading this book with a bible in hand. I am sure that there are woman’s bible study groups that may want to use this book and I suggest caution because this book would be better for personal study instead due to the nature of questions to consider for the reader may be too personal in nature. I received a complimentary copy of Bad Girls of the Bible from WaterBrook Publishers and am not required to give a positive review.
May 14, 2014
After being impressed by my re-read of 'Slightly Bad Girls of the Bible', I was originally excited to read this. Too bad it begins with an entire chapter of victim blaming (of the author's own experiences, which hurts my heart) in which the first 'bad girl' is cast as such through being in an abusive relationship. The relationship itself is fairly outright contextualized as being the 'bad girls' fault for being promiscuous and being a general 'sinner'. This sends the message that a) it is the abused's fault that the abuser is hurting her b) sinners deserve to be in abusive relationships and c) that good, God-fearing Christian women are not the ones who end up in abusive relationships. This is horrendous theology, this is atrocious advice, and this is NOT how God wishes us to envision ourselves in relationship to the evil committed against the most vulnerable of our communities. I was willing to overlook this (with the understanding that I would tell my future daughters not to read that chapter), but the Eve chapter doesn't start out any better. In the modern re-telling, Eve's sin is re-imagined as being that of the sin of sexual awakening- the understanding that kissing is good. This is also horrible theology and a disgrace to the beauty of sexual intimacy and the sexual element of the human body and experience that borders on fear-mongering and suppression. I'm not even going to finish reading this book- it is my hope that the other books of this series are more along the thoughtful lines of 'Slightly Bad Girls of the Bible'- as the idea of what consitutes as a 'bad' girl in this installment is woefully unhealthy and offbalance.
February 26, 2015
I loved how Liz retold stories of "bad girls" to make them more contemporary and reader-friendly...for instance, Delilah became a hairdresser named "Lila." Rahab - or, "Rae" - had a heart that burned for God just as she yearned to have her family escape from a coming earthquake. The nameless woman who anointed Jesus' feet with oil became a woman named "Anita" who kissed the feet of a governor's son who had vile, open sores and was repulsed by almost everyone he came in contact with. These were beautiful stories of a merciful and loving God who loves "Bad Girls" and "Good Girls" alike, and so many brilliant and shining truths poured from Liz's pen onto the page. I can't tell you how much I love her writing. This is an amazing book, perfect for evening devotions or a personal Bible study.
August 5, 2012
The first chapter is all about Eve. We are able to walk in Eve’s shoes in a modern day setting and experience her thoughts and feelings as we journey through her story. Later in the chapter we are given a personalised commentary of the Biblical story of Eve, including lessons we can learn.
I gained new insights into each of the women who were brought to life in these chapters. The author explores their possible thoughts and emotions in a very real way. The chapters are easy to read and I enjoyed Liz’s light and humorous tone. I recommend this book to those looking to gain a deeper understanding of the Biblical stories of ‘bad girls’ like Eve.
I gained new insights into each of the women who were brought to life in these chapters. The author explores their possible thoughts and emotions in a very real way. The chapters are easy to read and I enjoyed Liz’s light and humorous tone. I recommend this book to those looking to gain a deeper understanding of the Biblical stories of ‘bad girls’ like Eve.
July 2, 2016
I confess that I picked this book because the title was so intriguing. Higgs profiled ten women in the book and started each section with a modern fictionalized version of the highlighted bad girl. She then told the story of the Biblical bad girl and went over what we could learn from her.
This book was a Bible study this summer at our church that I didn't do because of prior commitments, but if it were offered again, I would do it. There was a lot of good material covered and I learned something from each section.
This book was a Bible study this summer at our church that I didn't do because of prior commitments, but if it were offered again, I would do it. There was a lot of good material covered and I learned something from each section.
June 30, 2010
In Bad Girls of the Bible, Curtis Higgs makes the case that often the “bad girls” of the bible are easier to relate too than the good girls (such as Mary). She then presents different bad girls from both the Old and New Testaments. Each story is first told as a modern day story, then a discussion of the Biblical context, and then lessons that can be learned from each story. While the modern story sometimes allowed one to really understand the story in terms of today (such as Lot’s Wife and the Sinful Woman who washes Jesus’ feet with her hair), others fell flat (Eve and Saphhira). My favorite part was actually the discussion of the Biblical context. I thought each story had a very interesting discussion in biblical terms and made me think about some of these Bible stories in a new way.
I did have problems with the characterization of some of these bad girls, especially Micah. Micah had a rough life as a pawn of King Saul and King David. I don’t know why she would be characterized as a “bad girl” for telling King David that she thought he shouldn’t be dancing in the streets and showing his jiggly bits. If I were her, I would probably have more words than that for him, especially a heart to heart about his treatment of women in general. The discussion for this part was that she should have honored her husband and not said anything. I think this is a bit of a stretch. You should honor your husband, but I think you should also have honest discussions and be able to tell him when you think he is being foolish. I would fully expect my husband to tell me I looked like a fool if I were dancing about town with my jiggly bits exposed!
I think my favorite and most enlightening reading of the book was about Lot’s wife. I had always really thought before about it being a story of someone who did not follow God’s directions and was therefore turned into a pillar of salt. In this book, it talks more about the fact that perhaps Lot’s wife couldn’t let go her possessions and that we shouldn’t become so attached to things. It was a good discussion and gave me a lot to think about.
Overall, it was a very interesting book. I think it would have been even more interesting to read it with a church group of ladies. It would be a great book to use for a women’s bible study and discussion.
I did have problems with the characterization of some of these bad girls, especially Micah. Micah had a rough life as a pawn of King Saul and King David. I don’t know why she would be characterized as a “bad girl” for telling King David that she thought he shouldn’t be dancing in the streets and showing his jiggly bits. If I were her, I would probably have more words than that for him, especially a heart to heart about his treatment of women in general. The discussion for this part was that she should have honored her husband and not said anything. I think this is a bit of a stretch. You should honor your husband, but I think you should also have honest discussions and be able to tell him when you think he is being foolish. I would fully expect my husband to tell me I looked like a fool if I were dancing about town with my jiggly bits exposed!
I think my favorite and most enlightening reading of the book was about Lot’s wife. I had always really thought before about it being a story of someone who did not follow God’s directions and was therefore turned into a pillar of salt. In this book, it talks more about the fact that perhaps Lot’s wife couldn’t let go her possessions and that we shouldn’t become so attached to things. It was a good discussion and gave me a lot to think about.
Overall, it was a very interesting book. I think it would have been even more interesting to read it with a church group of ladies. It would be a great book to use for a women’s bible study and discussion.
July 26, 2010
In her first book on “Bad Girls of the Bible,” Liz Curtis Higgs encourages her readers to take a new look at these women who had a problem with sin. It may have been for a moment, for a season, or they may have been “bad to the bone,” but each has something to teach us. As each chapter opens, Ms. Higgs gives us a real time story based on the life of the woman she is discussing before introducing us to her. Tying the past to the present, each story shows how Satan continues to tempt in the same manner year after year. Each chapter also offers us hope and steps for change, along with questions to ponder alone or in a group. Come take a new look at Eve, Potipher’s Wife, Lot’s Wife, the Woman at the Well, Delilah, Sapphira, Rahab, Jezebel, Michal, and the Sinful Woman. Come glean wisdom from their lives.
I found this book to be full of wonderful suggestions on how to combat the devil; how to win the daily struggle with sin. It gave me new insights into the lives of these women, and how I can grow from studying them. I now want to read the rest of her books!
I found this book to be full of wonderful suggestions on how to combat the devil; how to win the daily struggle with sin. It gave me new insights into the lives of these women, and how I can grow from studying them. I now want to read the rest of her books!
December 19, 2016
Very good read! It's so nice to read stories about women in the Bible who were imperfect. Some of them received their justice in the end, while others realized the error of their ways and opened their hearts to God to receive forgiveness and life.
I like the Liz Curtis really gives a voice to the inner commentary going on in my head while I read. For example, I've always thought David did some pretty dumb things (I mean, we're human so we ALL do dumb things), but I love how Liz points that out. Hey, David's not perfect. He screwed up AND he screwed OVER his first wife Michal. But she helps to explain the purpose behind every Bible story, and the mention of every woman in the Word who was, indeed, "bad."
My favorite stories are the tales of Rahab the prostitute in Jericho and the weeping woman who cried on Jesus' feet. Lovely stories of forgiveness, and illustrations that Jesus offers His love freely to all who first have faith. Our relationship with Him is really the most important thing!
I like the Liz Curtis really gives a voice to the inner commentary going on in my head while I read. For example, I've always thought David did some pretty dumb things (I mean, we're human so we ALL do dumb things), but I love how Liz points that out. Hey, David's not perfect. He screwed up AND he screwed OVER his first wife Michal. But she helps to explain the purpose behind every Bible story, and the mention of every woman in the Word who was, indeed, "bad."
My favorite stories are the tales of Rahab the prostitute in Jericho and the weeping woman who cried on Jesus' feet. Lovely stories of forgiveness, and illustrations that Jesus offers His love freely to all who first have faith. Our relationship with Him is really the most important thing!
October 11, 2017
I remember hearing Liz Curtis Higgs speak years ago at some women's event, and really enjoyed her. She has a good sense of fun and wit, and with a "bad girl" past isn't quite so "goody goody" in her approach to the study of classic Bible stories.
Her review of some of the more well-known "bad girls" of biblical fame isn't as deep as some, but it's fun, honest, and practical. She retells each story in a modern context and puts faces and stories to the names, making the characters sympathetic, someone to relate to, but also deeply personal. We get to the core of their choices, despite whatever circumstances in which they found themselves, and analyze the heart of their motives, and the consequences of their choices, both the good, and the bad. It's a thought-provoking, fun selection that would be good for a small or larger group study.
Her review of some of the more well-known "bad girls" of biblical fame isn't as deep as some, but it's fun, honest, and practical. She retells each story in a modern context and puts faces and stories to the names, making the characters sympathetic, someone to relate to, but also deeply personal. We get to the core of their choices, despite whatever circumstances in which they found themselves, and analyze the heart of their motives, and the consequences of their choices, both the good, and the bad. It's a thought-provoking, fun selection that would be good for a small or larger group study.
July 31, 2011
Read this as part of a church book group. Good discussions, but some chapters were boring. This author writes very sarcastically and many in the book club did not care for her writing style. The author also takes license with interpretating the Bible the way she wants to see things and our Pastor who is a graduate of Princeton Theological Seminary said there was no Biblical basis for some of her assumptions.
December 1, 2013
Liz Higgs took on the subject of Bad Girls in the Bible in an insightful way. She would introduce each woman with a fictional version of the Bible Story, put in today's time, then she would discuss the woman that the story referred to. Eve began as Evelyn who was to be engaged to Adam Mann. The fictional story helped the reader to relate to the character even more. She covered many women from Eve to Delilah to Jezebel and many more. Great book!!!
December 6, 2019
We used this DVD in a small group bible study class. I found it hard to work with this DVD with the workbook. They didn't seem to go together. I think it would work better to watch the full DVD, then go to the workbook. I never had a chance to watch this DVD all at once in one setting, which would probably have been the better method.
August 13, 2025
Liz is funny and I think it was fun to have more books about women in the Bible.
However, there were misogynistic and patriarchal undertones I caught a few times throughout the book that made me uncomfortable. Especially the Jezebel chapter. I brought this up in an update, but Jezebel’s story is not about how women need to submit to their husbands, it’s a story about corrupt leaders that can happen with men too. So you can bring up Jezebel to prove a point but not Deborah? It’s one thing to hear this kind of language from another man. It’s another to hear it from another woman.
Pairing reading about Jezebel to reading about the other religions of the region makes a lot of sense. Yeah she was bad, but I would have gone about it in a different way.
However, there were misogynistic and patriarchal undertones I caught a few times throughout the book that made me uncomfortable. Especially the Jezebel chapter. I brought this up in an update, but Jezebel’s story is not about how women need to submit to their husbands, it’s a story about corrupt leaders that can happen with men too. So you can bring up Jezebel to prove a point but not Deborah? It’s one thing to hear this kind of language from another man. It’s another to hear it from another woman.
Pairing reading about Jezebel to reading about the other religions of the region makes a lot of sense. Yeah she was bad, but I would have gone about it in a different way.
October 31, 2021
An average non-fiction read. I loved chapter 10. Will stick to her fiction books for the future as I didn't really connect with this one.
June 25, 2020
It's a little cheesy and you can definitely tell that it's from the early 2000s, but overall it's a great read! It was amazing to learn the stories from these women's perspectives. And I learned that I can have the same struggles and sins these women had.
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