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How to be a secure womanPoise?HOW TO BE A SECURE WOMAN These sessions are intended to help women find emotional and spiritual security and 'sense of inner poise that comes from trusting in the word of a faithful God' (p.11). There is a lot to read in each session - but it is not heavy. There are ice-breaker or 'group game' questions and 'Bible basics' questions (usually about three). Often, there is a case-study or real-life example. The main strength of the course is its readiness to tackle real issues head on. Bible studies can become intellectual exercises where people are not really helped to handle issues such as abuse, terminal illness, disappointment, etc. These sessions, in contrast, are realistic, practical and based on wide experience. The way the Bible is used, however, concerns me greatly. The 'Bible basics' questions seem to be a tag-on at the end of each session rather than the basis for understanding how we relate to God and live effectively in his world. And, even more seriously, the way Scripture is used is often extremely man-centred. For example, here is a question from the session on our need to forgive others, from Luke 3 and Jesus's baptism: 'Can you accept Jesus saying these words to you? "You are My daughter whom I love; with You I am well pleased"' (p.51). Despite the authors' obvious good intentions, I feel unable to recommend the material. Mary Davis,
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