Manual for Women is the perfect read for women who seek to discover (or rediscover) what it means to be a woman after God’s own heart.
In Part I, noted Catholic author Danielle Bean, using examples from Scripture, the lives of the saints, and modern life, reminds women of today to embrace and cultivate their distinctive gifts:
- Receptivity, or an openness and welcoming spirit toward others.
- Sensitivity, or an ability to see and understand the needs and feelings of others.
- Compassion, or an instinct to suffer with and alleviate the suffering of others.
- Beauty, or the recognition that the female body is a reflection of her great capacity for nurturing, whether she ever becomes a mother physically or not.
- Generosity, or an extraordinary capacity for self-giving love.
She reminds readers that they will embrace those gifts most perfectly if they imitate that most immaculate of women, Mary of Nazareth. Bean concludes with practical advice which every woman, whatever her state in life, will benefit from.
Part II features the depth and richness of the Catholic tradition’s teaching on women by including Church documents, relevant passages from Scripture, and the wisdom the wisdom of the saints and today’s Catholic women. It also includes prayers and hymns will inspire, delight, and edify women, no matter their age or vocation.
Manual for Women serves as a reminder to women that authentic femininity (and, yes, authentic feminism) springs from an embrace, rather than a spurning, of the great and unique gifts God has bestowed on them.