“When my friends began to have babies and I came to comprehend the heroic labor it takes to keep one alive, the constant exhausting tending of a being who can do nothing and demands everything, I realized that my mother had done all of these things for me before I remembered. I was fed; I was washed; I was clothed; I was taught to speak and given a thousand other things, over and over again, hourly, daily, for years. She gave me everything before she gave me nothing.”
― Rebecca Solnit, The Faraway Nearby
320. True Mothering Extends Beyond Biology
Through personal stories and theological insights, New Testament Scholar and author Sandra Glahn challenges traditional views of motherhood and explores how maternal presence can be expressed beyond biological childbearing. Her journey through multiple pregnancy losses led to profound questions about women's purpose that ultimately expanded her understanding of female calling in both family and faith communities. In this three-part series, Sandra and I talk about:
• Sandra's story of growing up expecting motherhood to be her highest calling.
• The identity crisis caused by experiencing eight failed pregnancies.
• How the cultural ideal of stay-at-home mothering shaped women's understanding of purpose.
• The theological journey that led Sandra to seminary against conventional expectations.
• Jesus' words about Mary "choosing what is better" as validation for women's theological pursuits.
• Examination of 1 Timothy 2:15 about women being "saved through childbearing."
• The connection between the Artemis cult in Ephesus and Paul's teaching about women.
• Recognition that both men and women are given spiritual gifts to benefit the entire body of Christ.
• Expanding our understanding of "mothering" beyond biological definitions.
Join us to explore how reframing maternal influence can unleash women's power in homes, churches, and the world.
Order Sandra's new book: Nobody's Mother
Visit Sandra's website: Dr. Sandra Glahn
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Expanding the Vision of Mothering
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I’m sharing my heart over on Substack: heartliftcentral.substack.com.
