Bible Study: Following the Ways of the Word

A native of St. Louis, Missouri, Kathleen Nielson holds M.A. and Ph.D. degrees in literature from Vanderbilt University and a B.A. from Wheaton College (Illinois). She has taught in the English departments at Vanderbilt University, Bethel College (Minnesota), and Wheaton College. She is the author of numerous Bible studies, and the book Bible Study: Following the Ways of the Word, as well as various articles and poems. Kathleen has directed and taught womens Bible studies at several churches and speaks extensively at conferences and retreats. She serves as director of womens initiatives for The Gospel Coalition and on the board of directors of The Charles Simeon Trust. Kathleen and her husband Niel (president of Covenant College 20022012, now leading an enterprise in global Christian education) have three sons, two beautiful daughters-in-law, and a growing number of grandchildren!

"I don't know of a greater need among Christians today than better understanding and applying our Bibles. Kathleen Nielson has blessed us with a deeply profound yet thoroughly comprehensible tool to help us do that. I pray that this book will be widely distributed and diligently used by Christians all over the world."
"Kathleen’s heart is to see God’s people love his Word. Reminding us that the Bible is God’s words spoken to his people in the context of the church, she provides very practical tools to equip us to dig deep and mine the treasure of eternal truth. This is the essence of disciple making and fulfilling Christ’s “Great Commission.” Every church needs this study."
"Kathleen Nielson, who makes no claim to be a biblical scholar, is a lay woman who has sat at the feet of such scholars and through disciplined study has prepared herself as a master Bible teacher. Nielson gives her readers a fresh and innovative, yet solid and God-glorifying approach, to unlocking the truths of Scripture—not by listening to voices inside themselves in order to make its words justify personal whims and affirm their human choices but by reading God’s words in order to ask what God is saying and how one should respond to Him. According to Nielson, you “read [God’s Word] with a heart ready to listen and submit.” I am delighted to recommend this book especially to women who are seeking to develop skills in personal Bible study as a volume for their own personal libraries. This volume will move women toward the goal of unlocking the riches of God’s Word and becoming effective in woman-to-woman biblical exposition."
"Dissatisfied with leaving Bible study to the professionals while the rest of us are mere recipients of their work, Kathleen Nielson wants all Christians to be involved in thoughtful and faithful Bible study—and tells us how to do it. This is a well-written and wonderfully sane book that deserves the widest circulation."
"Kathleen Nielson’s theological precision, literary background and deep love for God’s Word, combined with the practical tools she provides, will inspire and equip the reader to rightly handle the word of truth. This skilful resource left me with a greater desire to study God’s Word."
"Kathleen Nielson has written a substantial but practical guide for those who want to do an effective job of leading Bible studies. It is written specifically to help women who are Bible study leaders, but all who teach the Bible will profit enormously from this book. She issues the challenge through thoughtful exposition of five basic truths about the Bible, but then draws out the practical implications of those truths for actual Bible study. I particularly appreciate the author’s emphasis on Bible study leaders learning to master the text for themselves before attempting to teach others. She wants us to know and teach the Bible itself. What a needed emphasis."
"Kathleen Nielson’s book belongs to a very elite circle of books: it covers all the right topics in exactly the right order! As Kathleen pursues the successive topics, a momentum builds up that is akin to the unfolding of the plot line of a novel. The subject of the book has been thoroughly researched, and the personal statements by people who teach the Bible are a welcome touch. The book cannot be better than it is. For people who teach the Bible—or who aspire to teach it--this book will be the 'gold standard' for knowing how to 'do it right.'”
"After leading us through masterful studies of several books of the Bible, Kathleen Nielson now gives us an even greater gift: teaching us how she does it! Her literary expertise and love of the Bible that we have seen time and time again are put to their fullest use here, as Dr. Nielson shows us how to view the Bible as both the crucial (and approachable) Word of God and as a literary masterpiece to be immersed in and savored. As do all good teachers, she leads by example, making us excited to dive in and study the Bible by allowing her own excitement to infuse every page. And on a personal note, my wife tells me that Kathleen's material is as trustworthy as it comes. If you want to study the Bible—and, more importantly, know how to study it—I can recommend no better teacher than Kathleen Nielson, and no better resource than this book."