Lead Like Jael

History and literature are rife with stories of great men–but what about the women? From girlboss feminism to the tradwife movement, culture has tried to offer a meaningful vision of what it means to be a great woman. The answer, however, lies in the example of Lady Wisdom and the seven principles biblical women embody.

The girl-boss is dead. Long live the tradwife! The pandemic delivered the final blow to the normative expectations of girl-boss feminism. Forced isolation ignited a long-dormant appreciation within women for domestic life. The work grind and nights out were replaced with homemaking projects from sourdough bread to creative home improvements nearly overnight. Formal, often masculine, clothing was replaced with athleisure and bright floral sundresses. For many women, as pandemic restrictions were lifted and many offices went back to business as usual, they found that they did not want to leave the home or their children to return to life as it was. Many left the workforce altogether, while others pursued flexible at-home arrangements.

Such trends have overcorrected, going too far in the opposite direction, too. For example, Generation Z (many of whom came of age in high school and college during the pandemic) are disproportionately “soft quitting” their jobs, social lives, and ambition for a relaxed lifestyle.

At the same time, the online tradwife movement has seen an unprecedented rise in popularity, especially since 2020, with millions of followers flocking to these accounts. While many provide wholesome, albeit superficial and limited depictions of femininity, such trends point to a much deeper need that this book aims to fill.

Neither girl-boss feminism nor the so-called femininity of the tradwife movement are quite right when it comes to the depiction of womanhood that they offer. Instead of relying on revised forms of first-wave feminism or secular role models, women deserve to encounter the fullness of the biblical narrative. Women in the Old and New Testament played decisive roles in the political and social leadership of their nation, offered wise counsel to leaders, played indispensable roles in battle, extolled their femininity in marriage and childbearing, and practiced righteous deception. Notably, they did it all without ever picking up a sword. This book will offer women a deeper and truer vision of what it means to be a strong, intelligent, and proactive woman through her unique identity as a woman, wife, and mother.