The Seed of the Woman (Paperback) by Nana Dolce

The Seed of the Woman traces the gospel storyline through the narratives of women—from the garden of Eden to the times of the matriarchs, the judges, the kings, the Exile—to the birth of Christ. In this thoroughly biblical and encouraging book, Nana Dolce opens up their lives and uncovers deep truths that shape our daily life and faith. Through the stories of these thirty women, we find our place in the fabric of redemptive history as it unfolds to show us Jesus, the promised Seed of the Woman.

What others are saying:

"Usually when we trace the line of offspring out of the promise of Genesis 3:15, it is the men who take center stage. But in this beautiful little book, Nana Dolce weaves the story of the Bible through the line of women in the Bible with simplicity and insight."
— Nancy Guthrie, Bible teacher and author of Even Better Than Eden

"All women hold within themselves the beauty and dignity of their Creator, because they are made in His image. We can't see God, but we can know about Him through His creation, women included. But it is through the specific women in the Old Testament that we can see the shape and substance of our Savior coming into focus. Though flawed and often misguided, they point ahead to Jesus and help us understand (and long for) His necessary life, death, and resurrection. That's why I'm so grateful for Nana Dolce and her beautifully descriptive reflections on the women of the Old Testament. These women and their stories set our hearts ablaze for Christ." — Christine Hoover, author of Seek First the Kingdom and How to Thrive as a Pastor's Wife

"It’s beautifully rich. It’s theologically deep. It’s a book that will help your heart to sing, as you see God’s character, his faithfulness and ultimately the Lord Jesus Christ unveiled, at the centre of women’s lives through the Bible. Read it, savour it and let Nana’s words enrich and deepen your understanding of God’s plan for all of history!"
— Sarah Dargue, podcast host and author of Bumps, Babies and the Gospel

"Nana Dolce has taken great care to present the stories of the women who played significant roles in the plan of redemption. The light she sheds on these often overlooked women is long overdue. The methodological approach is far beyond devotional. It is faithful biblical exposition with gospel-centered reflections. Her warm and pleasant spirit comes across the pages of this work. Readers will appreciate the well-written, easily read, and thought-provoking narratives of these amazing women."
— Patrick J. Walker, Senior Pastor, The New Macedonia Baptist Church, Washington DC

"Just as Miriam once burst into song after God delivered her people from slavery, Nana Dolce has now given us an overture to Jesus by tracing his melody through the women of the Old Testament. Filled with insights from her careful reading of the Bible and Dolce's own story as daughter, wife, mother, and friend, The Seed of the Woman reveals God’s loving purposes, not only in ancient history, but also in our own stories today."
— Dan Claire, Rector, The Church of the Resurrection, Capitol Hill, DC

"In The Seed of the Woman, Dolce guides us skillfully through examples of faith and faithfulness found in and toward women of the Bible. Her prose is approachable and her insights deep. She humanizes these characters and, in their stories, Dolce not only allows us to see our own doubts and weaknesses but points to the hopeful mercy of God toward both them and us. The Seed of the Woman is more than a gripping genealogy, it is reminder upon reminder of divine promises made and kept—and kept against all odds. Dolce enriches our understanding of the continuity of the Bible’s grand narrative by introducing us to less well-known and even unnamed matriarchs of our faith. The Seed of the Woman illuminates and exalts Christ and by situating these flawed but faithful women within the broad narrative of redemption we see ourselves more clearly in that narrative as well."
— Alicia Akins, author of Invitations to Abundance: How the Feasts of the Bible Nourish Us Today

"Nana Dolce’s book isn’t another character study of women of the Bible—she knows we need more than finding a woman in our Scriptures. Instead, she uniquely reveals how the stories of the known and not-so-known women lead us to the bigger story of Jesus Christ… and she does it well. Her writing made the stories come alive, and my heart delighted in the kindness and grace of God."
— Taylor Turkington, Bible teacher and director of BibleEquipping

"This is a work for everyone’s edification. As an emerging voice exploring the Bible’s ancient story, Nana Dolce brings us a fresh perspective grounded in the historic Christian faith. As she searches the records of our Scriptural ancestors, Dolce deftly brings out YHWH’s redemptive plan as it happened through our mothers and daughters, sisters and warriors, widows and wives, the barren yet hopeful, the seen and unseen - pointing us ultimately the Great Architect who has interwoven all of our lives."
— K.A. Ellis, Director, The Edmiston Center at Reformed Theological Seminary, Atlanta

"We know that the story of the gospel climaxes with the birth of the man, Jesus Christ. What is forgotten is that this narrative not only involved women but is often told by women. To ignore their voice is to neglect significant storytellers of the history of redemption. The Seed of the Woman preserves this tradition. Not only does it portray the gospel with beauty and grace, but it also reminds us that the Lord used heroic and faithful women to give birth to messianic hope, tend to its care, preserve that story, and share it with others."
— Peter Y. Lee, Professor of Old Testament, Reformed Theological Seminary, Washington, DC

Title

The Seed of the Woman
Author(s)

Nana Dolce
ISBN

9781783973309
Format

Paperback
Publisher

Evangelical Press
Pages

208
Published

01/6/2022

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Overall rating

4.8 based on 4 reviews

The Seed of the Woman

In a nutshell, this book is a devotional–type biblical theology book. As the author puts it, this is not a mere “recap” of Bible stories to inspire faithful living, but an intentional tracing of God’s story of redemption in the fabric of humanity. While this reads like a devotional, it does not contain shallow, pep talk–like entries but solid Biblical truths and narratives. You may read a chapter a day or finish the book in one sitting. I seriously love and thoroughly enjoyed how Nana Dolce presented the stories and lives of these thirty women in the Bible—their vulnerability, pain, suffering, flaws, longing—and how they needed a Saviour, Deliverer King. From Eve’s fall to Leah’s rejection, to Hannah’s barrenness, and to Mary’s lowliness—anyone who will read this book will surely relate to the brokenness of our humanity and see how Jesus Christ changes everything. He is the Seed of the woman, the serpent’s head crusher, and the soon–coming King.

Marc Daniel Rivera

Surveys suggest that men seldom read books by female authors. That may well hold true to an even greater extent among Christians, perhaps from a misplaced fear that this would mean ‘allowing a woman to teach’. One result is that men fail to profit from the biblical insights that God has given to female authors. The Seed of the Woman is a book for all Christians, male and female. Nana Dolce, who teaches at the Reformed Theological Seminary in Washington DC, skilfully traces the unfolding of the foundational covenant promise of Genesis 3:15 regarding the victory of the ‘seed of the woman’ through the biblical narratives relating to key women from Eden to the birth of the Messiah. Through accounts of women, ranging from Eve, through Sarah, Rebekah, Zipporah, Ruth, Bathsheba, Esther and Elizabeth, ending with Mary, Dolce demonstrates how they in diverse ways contributed to the fulfilling of God’s promise to provide a Saviour, and also offer lessons for the lives of God’s believing people. The Seed of the Woman is instructive, encouraging and challenging. It deserves a wide readership and should certainly not be left to female readers.

David McKay, The Covenanter Witness Magazine

Nana Dolce’s thirty narratives of Old Testament women offer a gospel–centred overview of how each of these women fit within the overarching story of the Bible. The purpose of her book isn’t to focus attention on the women, but rather to explore the myriad of ways the lives of these women reflect or point forward to Jesus. As the introduction states, this is “a book on women that is ultimately about a Man.” While slightly longer chapters would have helped flesh out the stories, it is a tremendous encouragement to see how the lives of these thirty Old Testament women point forward to our Saviour.

Rachel Horrocks–Birss

Every Bible story tells us about the greatest story. Often we read the stories of Scripture with the sole intention of understanding a moral lesson or to gain a takeaway for how we ought to live. While application is an important part of our bible reading and study, we can miss understanding the gospel unless we ask ourselves how what we’re reading fits into the grand narrative of the Bible. In The Seed of the Woman: 30 Narratives that Point to Jesus, Nana Dolce introduces us to 30 women of Scripture, not just to tell their story, but to show us how each woman’s role is a piece of the big picture of God’s salvation work. She begins with creation, the fall and Eve, highlighting the grace of God in the midst of our depravity. Then about the women of Genesis, Exodus and the times of the judges who felt abandoned, hopeless and destitute to show us how God is our Sustainer, Helper and Protector; and of others who acted in faith and courage by remembering with resolve, the One who saved them. She then introduces us to women during the time Israel was a nation who suffered injustice to remind us of God’s faithfulness and of His judgement over evil. Ending with the Elizabeth and Mary who teach us that God is working through his Word and Spirit in our times and to hold fast to hope of His return. This book has 30 short chapters with a point for reflection beginning each one. It’s great to use as a devotional. You’ll be drawn into a greater understanding of the context of each woman’s story and how it points to Jesus, encouraging you, friend, that your life is also meant to point to Jesus! I highly recommend it!

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