MOST scholars and preachers do not treat the books of Ruth and Esther with much theological credibility. They are treated as stories of Biblical history, records that fill in gaps and give us information about Biblical times, without treating them as if they contain theological truth. In overlooking these two powerful books, we are overlooking an incredible repository of spiritual types and realities most relevant to us as Christians, even today. As believers, it becomes our job to dig deep into these most relevant works and recognize what God has to say to us through them.Both Ruth and Esther get sidelined because they offer us a uniquely feminine viewpoint of the way women have interacted with God throughout history. Rather than looking for obvious miracles or for a direct voice, Ruth and Esther open us up to an entire world of operating by spiritual instinct, wise counsel, and everyday spirituality that shows us types of the church, John the Baptist, and Jesus Christ, Himself. By watching the beautiful simplicity present in these works, Dr. Lee Ann B.

Marino opens us up to two very powerful feminine perspectives of God present in the Bible, and what they mean for all of us - male and female - as Christian believers.