Should a Christian woman engage with theology?

The shooting of 15-year-old Malala Yousafzai on a Pakistani school bus in 2012 was a shocking reminder that not everyone supports the idea of female education. While few modern Christians would oppose the general idea, some believe it should have limits.

Transformed Wife blogger Lori Alexander argues that women should not attend seminary and Christian author Aimee Byrd’s contribution to a debate over the Trinity drew significant fire from some who thought she, as a woman, should steer clear of theological judgments.

A history of bookish women

There is, in fact, a long tradition of bookish Christian women. Anna Maria van Schurman was born into a 17th century Europe where Protestantism was newly established, with its insistence on literacy as a means by which ordinary people might access God’s Word. The question of whether women should receive a theological education, and what that might entail, was far from settled.