Jules, I’ve been biting my tongue for many years. I hope you keep coming back to evangel and my website, http://www.womenfaithculture.org

In fact, if many women need help in their struggle with insecurity I would think misusing Scripture would more hurt than help.”

Not only that, but when I attend a video-based study on the Psalms and all I hear about is how it’s going to help my insecurity, it’s depriving me of learning what the Psalms in question are really about. So it fails to help in the way it’s purported to, and it fails to really use the scriptures constructively.

And then there’s the whole question of what happens to people whose need isn’t to have the “insecurity” dealt with, but other things, but are mistakenly lead to believe that their problem is “insecurity,” since she sees it in every passage.

Good observations on Moore’s hermeneutic.

There is a larger point that is coming to light here in fangirl’s comments. You (Sarah) are examining how Moore is using Scripture. Fangirl, as I read her, is focusing on the issue that Moore is addressing. These are two different things.

Let’s accept that “many, many women struggle with the issue of feeling deep insecurity.” If this is true, no matter how Moore arrived at her conclusion, this does not license Moore to handle Scripture the way she does.

In fact, if many women need help in their struggle with insecurity I would think misusing Scripture would more hurt than help.

Rachel:

Thanks so much for your insightful comments. I’ve long had similar sentiments regarding Beth Moore and her mega-popular books. Whenever an appropriate occasion arises for comment, people look at me like I just flew in from Mars.