Leading Ladies: Transformative Biblical Images for Women's Leadership.

Leading Ladies: Transformative Biblical Images for Women's Leadership. By Jeanne Porter. Philadelphia: Innisfree Press, 2000. 158 pages. Paper. $13.95.

Jeanne Porter, a professor in the area of leadership at North Park University and in the African American Leadership program at McCormick Theological Seminary, offers fresh new views of biblical leadership, especially for women. The premise of this book, which grew out of a series of workshops and lectures offered in several denominations and various settings, is that "many women are leaders whether they are named as leaders or not" (p. 13). To assist women in naming and claiming their leadership style she uses biblical examples of women who exhibit some of the essential leadership characteristics necessary for this new millennium. In doing so, she does not discard male leadership or male language but rather "elevates female language to the same level to empower a broader understanding of the leadership phenomenon" (p. 26).

The next eight chapters are divided into four sections, with two chapters devoted to each leadership example. The first chapter in each section is a study of a biblical character; the second chapter has implications for leadership in the twenty-first century. Each chapter also has a reflection/discussion guide. Each section also contains examples of current effective, multicultural church leadership.

The first image of leader that Porter uses is of Puah and Shiphrah, the midwives in Exodus, as archetypes of those leaders who nurture others and give help give birth to new ideas and dreams. Midwives have the skills of recognizing "pregnant possibilities, timing, process, pushing through pain and, at times, offering resistance to the dominant culture." The second image is of leader as choreographer. The reader is reminded that leaders need to be part of a team and remain ever vigilant for opportunities to step forth and lead, as Miriam did when she stepped out in front of Pharaoh's daughter and offered her services to find a nurse. Additionally, the choreographer image reminds leaders that to sustain visions people need routines, a knowledge of the significance of each step, and the freedom and encouragement to dance, or step out. The ability to plan the dance unifies people and gives them a way to move forward.

Deborah, the judge and weaver, a relational leader, is Porter's third example. Deborah not only provides a safe place for people to tell their story, but she is an able listener who understands the people's deepest needs. As a leader she is an example of one who can sort out issues, gather the people, and remain clear about the direction. That is, she can take the deepest, most vibrant threads of various materials and weave them together as a tapestry. The weaver as leader gives concreteness to a new way of being, or vision. The fourth leadership image is based on Esther, the intercessor. In particular, this image challenges those in current leadership positions to continued growth. The reader is reminded that "The intercessor cannot tell another's story until she gets in touch with her own story and sees the interconnections" (p. 125) and that "The intercessor must be able to speak across cultural and political boundaries ... [in order to] tell the story in language which the powers that be can understand" (p. 130). Being an intercessory leader takes the courage to speak and act even in the face of death. Such a leader must be ever mindful that intercession is done only so that others can gain their own voice.

The gift of this book is that it takes less familiar women leaders from Scripture and uses their witness to remind us of examples of effective styles of leadership for our time. Although not an in-depth Bible study, the author very effectively names, blesses, and calls forth those leaders who have "never been named." This is a very effective initial study book on leadership especially for those who understand themselves as powerless or without gifts and abilities.

Connie Kleingartner

Lutheran School of Theology at Chicago