Book Club Questions for Every Woman a Theologian

1.Masonheimer opens with the provocative claim that every woman is already a theologian — she just may not know it. What is your initial reaction to being called a theologian? Does the word feel empowering, intimidating, or something else, and why?

2.She argues that all of us hold guiding beliefs about God, the world, and ourselves, even if we've never consciously chosen them. Can you identify one belief you hold today that you think came primarily from your family or upbringing, and one that came primarily from the broader culture around you?

3.Masonheimer distinguishes between inherited belief and examined belief. What's the difference, and why does she think the distinction matters for how we live?

1.Masonheimer introduces the concept of 'theology proper' — the formal study of God's nature and character. Before reading this chapter, how would you have described God in three to five words? After reading, would you change any of those words?

2.She discusses God's communicable attributes (those He shares with us in some measure, like love and justice) and His incommunicable attributes (those unique to Him alone, like omniscience and eternality). Which incommunicable attribute do you find most awe-inspiring, and which do you find most personally comforting? Why?

3.Masonheimer is careful to address the tension many women feel between a God who is both sovereign and loving — especially in seasons of suffering. How does she navigate that tension, and how does her answer compare to how you've personally wrestled with it?

1.Masonheimer covers key terms related to Scripture: inspiration, inerrancy, and authority. In your own words, what does each of these terms mean, and why does the distinction between them matter?

2.She addresses a common objection: 'The Bible was written by men, so it's just a human book.' How does she respond to this, and how would you personally respond if a friend raised this challenge?

3.Masonheimer emphasizes that the Bible is not merely a rule book or a devotional journal — it is God's self-revelation in written form. How does that understanding change the way you approach your personal Bible reading?

1.The chapter covers the doctrine of anthropology — what theology says about human beings. Masonheimer roots human dignity and identity in the imago Dei (image of God). What does it mean to bear God's image, and how does that truth apply to people whose beliefs, behavior, or politics you find deeply wrong?

2.She explains the doctrine of original sin and total depravity — not that humans are as evil as they could possibly be, but that sin has affected every part of us. How is 'total depravity' different from the popular idea that humans are 'basically good'? Which view do you find more convincing, and why?

3.Masonheimer addresses the tension between human dignity (we are image-bearers) and human fallenness (we are sinners). How do you hold both of those truths together, especially when you're looking at yourself?

1.Masonheimer covers several key terms in soteriology: justification, sanctification, and glorification. In your own words, how do these three relate to each other as stages or aspects of salvation? Which of the three do you think about most in your daily life, and which do you neglect?

2.She explains the concept of grace — that salvation is entirely God's gift, not earned by human effort. How does she distinguish between grace that is 'cheap' (requiring nothing of us) and grace that is 'costly' (requiring everything of Christ on our behalf)? Why does the distinction matter?

3.The chapter addresses atonement — how Christ's death deals with our sin. Masonheimer explains concepts like substitution and propitiation. How would you explain, in plain language, what it means that Jesus died 'for' us? What difference does it make whether this is understood correctly?

1.Masonheimer draws a distinction between positional sanctification (we are declared holy in Christ at salvation) and progressive sanctification (we are being made holy over time). How does understanding the first protect us from despair, and how does understanding the second protect us from complacency?

2.She emphasizes that sanctification requires both divine empowerment (the Holy Spirit working in us) and human effort ('work out your salvation,' Philippians 2:12). How do you personally balance those two? Do you tend more toward passivity ('just let go and let God') or self-reliance ('try harder')?

3.Masonheimer addresses the spiritual disciplines — prayer, Scripture reading, fasting, community, and others — as the means God uses to grow us. Which discipline is most consistent in your life right now? Which is most neglected, and what is the honest reason for that neglect?

1.Many Christians would say they believe in the Holy Spirit but struggle to describe who He is or how He works. Before reading this chapter, how would you have described your relationship with the Holy Spirit — and has that description changed?

2.Masonheimer establishes the Holy Spirit's full personhood and deity — He is not a force, a feeling, or a power, but the third person of the Trinity. What are the practical implications of relating to Him as a person rather than as a power we channel?

3.She covers the Spirit's roles: comforter, counselor, convicter, teacher, and seal of our salvation. Which of these roles has been most evident to you in your own spiritual experience? Which do you find hardest to recognize in practice?

1.Masonheimer defines ecclesiology as the study of the church — its nature, purpose, and structure. In your own experience, what has the local church been to you? A family, a service provider, a disappointment, a lifeline? How has that experience shaped your theology of the church?

2.She makes a distinction between the universal church (all believers everywhere) and the local church (a specific gathered community). Why does she insist that belonging to the universal church is not a substitute for commitment to a local one?

3.Masonheimer addresses the rising trend of 'deconstruction' — Christians stepping away from organized church, often because of real wounds. How does she hold pastoral compassion for the hurt with a firm conviction about the church's necessity? Do you find her balance convincing?

1.Masonheimer introduces eschatology as the study of 'last things' — death, resurrection, judgment, and the new creation. What has your exposure to end-times teaching looked like? Have you found it fearful, irrelevant, fascinating, or confusing? How did this chapter address your existing experience?

2.She acknowledges that Christians hold different views on the timing and nature of Christ's return (premillennialism, amillennialism, postmillennialism). How does she encourage theological humility on secondary questions while maintaining firm conviction on the core hope — that Christ will return and make all things new?

3.Masonheimer anchors Christian hope not in escaping this world, but in the renewal of it — the new heavens and new earth (Revelation 21). How does the promise of new creation (rather than annihilation of creation) change the way you think about caring for your body, your work, your relationships, and the physical world?

1.Masonheimer describes the goal of cultural engagement not as defeating opponents but as 'speaking truth in love' (Ephesians 4:15). In your experience, what does it look like when a Christian engages culture well? What does it look like when it goes badly? What's the difference?

2.She uses the Apostle Paul's speech at the Areopagus (Acts 17) as a model — he began with common ground, quoted their own poets, and then moved to the gospel. How might you find common ground with someone whose worldview is very different from yours before moving to distinctly Christian claims?

3.Masonheimer addresses the temptation to either over-engage (becoming combative and argumentative) or under-engage (staying silent to avoid conflict). Which temptation do you face more personally? What does a healthy middle look like for you specifically?

1.At the beginning of this study, you wrote down the one theological question you most hoped this book would help you think through. Return to that question now. Has it been answered, reframed, or deepened? What do you now know that you didn't before?

2.Which chapter or theological category was most impactful for you — theology proper, bibliology, anthropology, soteriology, sanctification, pneumatology, ecclesiology, eschatology, or cultural engagement — and why? What specifically shifted in your thinking?

3.Masonheimer's central argument is that you are already a theologian, and the only question is whether your theology is formed by Scripture or by something else. Looking back over the course of this study, where did you discover that culture, experience, or emotion had shaped your beliefs more than you realized? What does Scripture say instead?