A Summary of Section 2: Chapters 3-5

January, February, and March prove to be full of as many laughs, epiphanies, and battles with the concept of biblical as October, November, and December. Evans continues to research, question, and reflect on biblical womanhood and, more specifically, Proverbs 31, beauty, and modesty.

Evans dedicates January to understanding the Proverbs 31 woman. She begins the chapter by acknowledging the widely held belief that Proverbs 31 is a task list for women to fulfill. In reality, Proverbs 31 is a poem intended for men to memorize and use to bless their wives. Somehow Proverbs 31 has been repositioned towards women and has generated an immense amount of products designed to teach women to fulfill the Proverbs 31 ideal. Evans’ research leads her to develop a daily task list including the assignments “Get up before dawn- ‘She gets up while it is still dark’ (v. 15), Make every meal and keep the house clean- ‘She provides food for her family’ (v.15); ‘She watches over the affairs of the home’ (v. 27), Avoid TV, Facebook and Twitter- ‘[She] does not eat the bread of idleness’ (v.27)” (Evans 77). Evans also creates a to-do list for the month, which, among other tasks, requires that she learn to sew, make a purple dress, invest in real estate, and “praise Dan at the city gate” (Evans 78). In the midst of her battles with her sister-in-law’s sewing machine, her new early schedule, and balancing the sheer amount of tasks she set herself, Evans quickly reports shame and insecurity at her inability to even partially achieve the Proverbs 31 woman characterization. She turns to her new friend Ahava, a rabbi’s wife from Israel, for clarification on the passage. Ahava’s response discusses a different interpretation of Proverbs 31, one that praises women for their work in the home as opposed to strict requirements for every woman’s success. Ahava’s husband sings her the Proverbs 31 poem each Sabbath as a blessing and a praise “ ‘for blessing the family with [her] energy and creativity. All women can do that in their own way. I bet you do it as well’ ” (Evans 88). The Proverbs 31 poem praises women of valor and not women of accomplished checklists, a fact that Evans finds liberating as she continues to battle with her sister-in-law’s sewing machine through the end of the month.

February emphasizes beauty in Evans’ year of biblical womanhood. Evans’ to do list includes “Find out what the Bible really says about beauty and sex; Interview a couple who practiced ‘biblical courtship;’ and Give Dan a ‘Sex Anytime’ coupon (1Corinthians 7:4-5)” (Evans 99). Evans dedicates the first section of the chapter to discussing the “Christian” beauty-related expectations for wives she has heard over the years. These expectations are summed up in two sentences: “The notion that buried somewhere in the sacred texts of Scripture is a verse directed at women that says ‘Thou shalt not let thyself go’ has gained considerable traction within the Christian community in recent years” and, “Upon reaching her wedding night, a Christian woman is expected to transform from the model of chastity into a veritable sex goddess, ready to honor God by satisfying her husband’s sexual needs without fail” (Evans 101,103). Evans researches the Bible for herself and concludes “for all of its complexity and incongruity, its mysteries and its dark stories, the Bible consistently presents us with a realistic and affirming view of female beauty” that does not expect eternal external beauty and assigns both husbands and wives the “sweet responsibility of seeking beauty in one another at all stages of life” (Evans 105, 106). Evans also determines that 1 Corinthians 7:4-5, a passage often used to declare that women are required to say yes whenever and to “whatever a husband initiates in the bedroom,” is more about sexual mutuality and equality than masculine dominance (Evans 108). In the final section of the chapter, Evans argues that Christians should be wary of placing biblical sex into a box “when sex- like beauty and like God- remains shaded with mystery” (Evans 114).

Evans emphasizes modesty during the month of March, adding “Dress modestly (1 Timothy 2:9); Wear a head covering (1 Corinthians 11:6); Wear only dresses and skirts (Deuteronomy 22:5); Abstain from wearing jewelry (1 Timothy 2:9); Hang out with the Amish” to her to-do list (Evans 120). She learns that modesty is a multi-faceted concept, encompassing apparel, action, and character. Evans also, after implementing her new wardrobe, experiences judgment from strangers who assume she is a religious fundamentalist based on her appearance. Later in the chapter, Evans describes her interactions with two Amish women, musing that the modest culture associated with the Amish does not necessarily mean that each Amish person is modest. Evans concludes that modesty is difficult to understand and in an effort to comprehend the concept people are quick to codify and legislate. Evans concludes this chapter with the phrase, “it’s not what we wear but how we wear it. And like clothing, modestly fits each woman a little differently” (Evans 140).

Rachel Evans makes some profound statements in chapters 3-5 of her book A Year of Biblical Womanhood. She continues to write in an authentic, down to earth nature, bringing her mind and love for God to the immense task of discovering the nature of biblical womanhood.