What the Church Needs to Know About Forgotten Women in Church History | Jennifer Powell McNutt
What do Mary Magdalene, Julian of Norwich, and other women in church history teach us about what it means to faithfully follow Jesus today?
In this episode of Hear Women, Nijay Gupta welcomes the Rev. Dr. Jennifer Powell McNutt, Professor of Biblical and Theological Studies at Wheaton College, Litfin Divinity School. As program director of the M.A. degrees in Theology and History of Christianity, and a Wheaton faculty member since 2008, Dr. McNutt has dedicated her career to uncovering overlooked voices in church history.
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Their conversation traces Dr. McNutt’s early call to ministry, how her parents’ trailblazing roles and realism shaped her, and what it’s like to forge a path as a woman in academia. They talk honestly about what holds the church back from honoring the full scope of women’s contributions, past and present, and yet how their witness is an essential piece of church history. Dr. McNutt also shares fascinating stories of women such as Macrina the Younger and Teresa of Ávila, explaining how their faith, intellect, and leadership ultimately reveal Christ to us.
Listen in for wisdom that breaks stereotypes, inspires faithfulness, and calls us to remember the women the church too often forgets.
This episode highlights the following themes:
✅ Why many key women have been written out of the church’s story
✅ What it’s like to pursue ministry and an academic career as a woman
✅ How church history is richer, more complex, and more hopeful if we listen to women’s voices
Links from this episode:
✅ Learn more about Rev. Dr. Jennifer Powell McNutt (https://jenniferpowellmcnutt.com/)
✅ Check out all of Dr. McNutt’s books (https://jenniferpowellmcnutt.com/books)
✅ Read Paula Gooder’s book, Phoebe (https://tinyurl.com/5aac3h2t)
✅ Read Women in the Reformation (https://amzn.to/4xPhToB) by Kirstie Stjerna
✅ Learn more about Jeanne d'Albret (https://www.worldhistory.org/Jeanne_d'Albret/)
✅ Learn more about Lynn Cohick (https://tinyurl.com/25zuj6vh)
✅ Read the
