Power Women - by Nancy Wang Yuen & Deshonna Collier-Goubil (Paperback)

About the Book

How do Christian women navigate the call to both the academy and motherhood? In this unique resource by and for Christian academic mothers, contributors combine research with personal stories to provide wisdom, encouragement, and solidarity. Hear from women with a similar vocational journey who come from different backgrounds, academic disciplines, and stages of parenting and career.

Book Synopsis

IVP Readers' Choice Award

"The dominant narrative we hear as professor mothers is that motherhood and academia are incompatible."

Two challenging vocations, each filled with complexities and daily ups and downs. Yet more and more women are answering the call to both the academy and motherhood. A growing body of literature addresses parent-professors, but what about the particular needs of Christian women seeking to navigate both callings while living out their faith?

With Power Women, Nancy Wang Yuen and Deshonna Collier-Goubil have curated a unique resource by and for Christian academic mothers. This collection of essays includes the voices of women of different backgrounds, academic disciplines, institutions, and stages of parenting and career. Together contributors provide wisdom, encouragement, and solidarity for women who share a similar vocational journey. Combining research with personal stories, they address topics such as these:

• how parenting and teaching can be mutually enriching
• managing ambition, identity, and time
• addressing misconceptions about motherhood in the academy, church, and society
• navigating gender roles in marriage
• taking maternity leave
• flourishing as an adjunct professor
• mentoring professor moms
• resisting imposter syndrome by finding rest in God

There is no magic formula, but there are many paths to thriving in the call to motherhood and the academy. Christian academic moms will find in this book honest yet uplifting reminders that they are not alone. In addition, administrators, family members, and friends will grow in understanding and appreciation of the power women in their lives.

Review Quotes

"In Power Women you will discover real-life stories and find resonances in the wisdom of professor mothers who juggle multiple roles, learn to navigate in academia and family at the same time, and strive to be faithful to God's call along the way. The journeys of these mothers will empower both men and women to pursue our dreams, stay resilient amid challenges, and inspire others to do so."

--Chloe T. Sun, academic dean and professor of Old Testament at Logos Evangelical Seminary, California

"Like holy water for a parched soul, Power Women refreshes with a clear articulation of what had remained at the level of unspoken thoughts or ephemeral conversations. With this volume, a diverse set of voices speaks to the heart of what all Christian academic mothers hold: a deep sense of vocational calling both inside and outside the home as well as significant challenges to the flourishing of both vocations. Contemplation, conversation, and even institutional change will be the fruits of these faithfully honest words of power."

--Amy Peeler, associate professor of New Testament at Wheaton College and Graduate School

"Refreshingly honest, Power Women is an invaluable resource for women of the Christian faith who are scholar mothers and for those who hope to support them well. While candid, these essays remain hopeful in their proposals for moving forward personally, spiritually, and structurally. They insightfully explore and interrogate the tensions between being an active researcher and educator alongside being an active and present mother. The diversity of cultural perspectives adds to the depth and beauty of the volume as a holistic approach to thriving as a scholar mom. As someone who regularly has conversations with women who want to pursue further scholarship but also want to be moms, this is an especially valuable resource. Family members, colleagues, and administrators will truly benefit from reading this as well."

--Christa L. McKirland, lecturer in systematic theology at Carey Baptist College in Auckland, New Zealand, and founder and executive director of Logia International

"Too often, working moms feel the pressure to 'get it all done' and live up to unrealistic expectations. As I read this book, I felt an immediate sense of solidarity with those who hold scholarly work and motherhood in creative tension. Power Women does not offer a one-size-fits-all approach to surviving motherhood and the academy as people of faith. Instead, each contributor shares hard-earned, embodied wisdom of how she embraces her complex, God-given vocations. They do this not as martyrs or superheroes but as finite, faithful human beings. This book should be read by those in need of encouragement and those who seek to support the thriving of working mothers in the academy."

--Janette H. Ok, associate professor of New Testament at Fuller Theological Seminary

About the Author

Deshonna Collier-Goubil (PhD, Howard University) is the founding chair of the department of criminal justice and now serves as interim dean of the School of Behavioral and Applied Sciences at Azusa Pacific University. She lives in Fontana, California.

Nancy Wang Yuen (PhD, University of California) is a sociologist, a pop culture expert, and the host of The Disrupters podcast. She is the author of Reel Inequality: Hollywood Actors and Racism and serves as an associate professor of sociology at Biola University. She has appeared on PBS, NPR, MSNBC, CBS News, NBC News, BBC World, and Dr. Phil. She is a guest writer at CNN, Elle, Los Angeles Times, NBC, and Newsweek.