A Five-Volume Library
The Eshet Hayil Series
Strength · Courage · Moral Clarity
"Eshet Hayil" — often translated "a virtuous woman" — more literally means a woman of strength, valor, and substance.
This series gathers historic voices and modern reflections that challenge injustice, reject the misuse of Scripture, and recover the biblical vision of women as moral agents, economic actors, spiritual leaders, and image-bearers of God.
Frederick Douglass listened. He recognized the same moral logic at work in both causes. This series follows that same thread.
Each volume is presented in clear, accessible modern English.
The Five Volumes
I. The Chattel Principle — The Abhorrence of Jesus Christ and the Apostles — Or, No Refuge for American Slavery in the New Testament — Beriah Green, In Plain English
A blistering 19th-century theological argument dismantling the claim that the New Testament supports slavery. Green demonstrates that the spirit and structure of the Gospel are fundamentally incompatible with human ownership.
The Chattel Principle The Abhorrence of Jesus Christ And the Apostles OR No Refuge for American Slavery In the New Testament By Beriah Green In Plain English
II. Women in Ministry — Or, A Woman's Right to Preach the Gospel — Catherine Mumford Booth, In Plain English
Written by the co-founder of The Salvation Army, this bold defense of women preaching Scripture answers biblical objections directly and argues that the Gospel commission applies equally to women and men.
Women In Ministry Or, A Woman’s Right To Preach The Gospel By Catherine Mumford Booth In Plain English
III. Samantha Among the Brethren — Marietta Holley (AKA Josiah Allen's Wife), In Plain English
A sharp and humorous novel that exposes religious hypocrisy and cultural double standards. Through wit and satire, Holley demonstrates that the theological arguments used to silence women were never really arguments at all — just inherited authority that had never been required to defend itself.
Samantha Among the Brethren by Marietta Holley (AKA Josiah Allen’s Wife) In Plain English
IV. Jesus Stands Up for Women — Or, No Refuge for Sexism in the New Testament or the Old Testament — Ben Kucenski
A direct biblical argument that neither Testament provides shelter for misogyny. Examining law, narrative, and the teachings of Christ, this volume challenges the misuse of Scripture to justify domination.
Jesus Stands Up for Women Or No Refuge for Sexism in the New Testament or the Old Testament
V. She Considered a Field — The Economic Freedom Hidden in Proverbs 31 — Ben Kucenski
A close reading of Proverbs 31 that restores its original force: not a checklist for domestic perfection, but a portrait of entrepreneurial intelligence, economic agency, and covenantal strength.
She Considered a Field The Economic Freedom Hidden in Proverbs 31
Why This Series Exists
Throughout history, Scripture has been used both to liberate and to control.
The Eshet Hayil Series insists on this simple standard:
If an interpretation requires the diminishment of image-bearers, it is not faithful to the heart of Christ.