This volume gathers the writings of 31 nineteenth century women on the stories of women in the Gospels. Recovering and analysing neglected works by Christina Rossetti, Harriet Beecher Stowe, Elizabeth Wordsworth, and many others, Women in the Story of Jesus illuminates the biblical text, recovers an overlooked chapter of reception history, and helps us understand and apply Scripture in our present context. Each chapter focuses on a different biblical woman and includes the various genres that nineteenth-century women used to write about women in the Gospels - commentaries, Scripture biographies, essays, travel diaries, children's lessons, and sermons. Editors Marion Ann Taylor and Heather E. Weir provide both a general introduction to each chapter and a short introduction to each individual excerpt that discusses the author and the larger work from which the excerpt is taken.

The women of Genesis - Eve, Sarah, Hagar, Rebekah, Leah, and Rachel - intrigued and informed the lives of nineteenth-century women. These women read the biblical stories for themselves and looked for ways to expand, reinforce, or challenge the traditional understanding of women's lives. They communicated their readings of Genesis using diverse genres ranging from poetry to commentary.