We’ve all heard stories about the twelve disciples, especially the stand-outs: Peter, James, John, Thomas, Judas. But what about the women? While not named among the twelve, they are everywhere in the gospels and Acts, once you begin to look for them.

Holly J. Carey’s bold thesis is that the women were not only there alongside the men, but that they were better examples of what it means to be a disciple. The twelve regularly misunderstood and misstepped. By contrast, the women did what Jesus asked—the mark of a true disciple.

Carey’s research on this topic began as an SBL Mark Seminar paper on female discipleship. This book expands the scope of that project to every gospel and Acts. In addition to this, there’s a very helpful introductory chapter on “A Woman’s World in the First Century.” Discussions of the role of women in the New Testament are often one-sided. The truth is, the combination of Greco-Roman and Jewish cultures created a nuanced milieu for women to operate within.

Women Who Do is an invitation to push past presuppositions and read the gospel narratives in a new light. It’s an opportunity for us to learn discipleship from the “women of action” (187) who followed Jesus faithfully.

Carey, Holly J. Women Who Do: Female Discipleship in the Gospels. William B. Eerdmans Publishing, 2023.