This book tells a real world story similar to the story of each of the "Bad Girls" of the Bible, then tells the actual biblical story for each. This is followed by though-provoking questions for modern-day women to think about how we can apply this to our lives.

For women who wish to stay in a walk with God, and sometimes feel weak in today's world, this book shows that we are not abnormal, but can learn from mistakes that women made in the Bible.

I would recommend that all Godly women read this book. It will touch your life in some way. I'm sure there will be many women delivered from this book.

I actually liked this book better than I liked Slightly Bad Girls...I feel as if the Biblical characters were easier to identify with than the ones in SBD. Unfortunately, I still do not enjoy Ms. Higgs writing style--I feel as if she over simplifies too many things and the whole "girlfriend talk" just isn't my cup of tea anyway. That said, I would recommend this book to someone looking for a light devotional read.

this book is misleading in its title and anti-woman. I purchased it for use at a women's church retreat I was leading. Upon opening it I was dismayed to find it was chock full of fundamentalist mysogenist dogma meant to show how women need to remain in their "place" by exemplifying the "sinful behavior" of these women. I promptly returned the book. Buyer beware before purchasing these books.

Used this in an adult Sunday School class. More attendees than normal. Very well presented and received by the class. Thank you Liz!!!

And there's plenty of it to be found in Higg's work. This book is truly unique in several ways, one being that it's practically an anthology as well as a guidebook. Also, Higgs blessedly does NOT paint unrealistically good-girl pictures of what we should be like; her brutally honest recounting of her past is part of this. I found her transformation of old stories into new absolutely brilliant and insightful and her humor and bluntness often hilarious. Inspite of her occasional gushing of Christ (can you blame her?) and her extremely affectionate terms of endearment for the reader, Higgs never came across to me as condescending or fake. In fact, she's more real than certain people I've actually met. Some female Christian authors give the impression of being either the dance-through-daisies type or the whip-in-hand type that you can't at all relate to, but Higgs is wonderfully flesh and blood as well as Godly, which not everyone can accomplish! One feminist claimed that Higgs believes in women being submissive to men, but let's give her a little more credit here! While she does make a comment about wives submitting to their husbands, she only does this once and never says that women should be submissive in general. If there's one thing Higgs is not, it's a doormat. I did take away one star because I felt like she occasionally (in both her Bad Girl books) connected personal beliefs with Christian ones a little too much(I do not agree that nudity is inherently sinful or that morning-after pills are nasty), but we all do that to a certain point and Higgs still for the most part manages to steer clear of preachiness. If you'd like a down-to-earth and entertaining Christian guide, I highly recommend both "Bad Girl" books as well as "Mad Mary" (read the latter with a bunch of tissues, though). Higgs is truly in a class by herself :) God Bless you, Liz!

And there's plenty of it to be found in Higg's work. This book is truly unique in several ways, one being that it's practically an anthology as well as a guidebook. Also, Higgs blessedly does NOT paint unrealistically good-girl pictures of what we should be like; her brutally honest recounting of her past is part of this. I found her transformation of old stories into new absolutely brilliant and insightful and her humor and bluntness often hilarious. Inspite of her occasional gushing of Christ (can you blame her?) and her extremely affectionate terms of endearment for the reader, Higgs never came across to me as condescending or fake. In fact, she's more real than certain people I've actually met. Some female Christian authors give the impression of being either the dance-through-daisies type or the whip-in-hand type that you can't at all relate to, but Higgs is wonderfully flesh and blood as well as Godly, which not everyone can accomplish! One feminist claimed that Higgs believes in women being submissive to men, but let's give her a little more credit here! While she does make a comment about wives submitting to their husbands, she only does this once and never says that women should be submissive in general. If there's one thing Higgs is not, it's a doormat. I did take away one star because I felt like she occasionally (in both her Bad Girl books) connected personal beliefs with Christian ones a little too much(I do not agree that nudity is inherently sinful or that morning-after pills are nasty), but we all do that to a certain point and Higgs still for the most part manages to steer clear of preachiness. If you'd like a down-to-earth and entertaining Christian guide, I highly recommend both "Bad Girl" books as well as "Mad Mary" (read the latter with a bunch of tissues, though). Higgs is truly in a class by herself :) God Bless you, Liz!

And there's plenty of it to be found in Higg's work. This book is truly unique in several ways, one being that it's practically an anthology as well as a guidebook. Also, Higgs blessedly does NOT paint unrealistically good-girl pictures of what we should be like; her brutally honest recounting of her past is part of this. I found her transformation of old stories into new absolutely brilliant and insightful and her humor and bluntness often hilarious. Inspite of her occasional gushing of Christ (can you blame her?) and her extremely affectionate terms of endearment for the reader, Higgs never came across to me as condescending or fake. In fact, she's more real than certain people I've actually met. Some female Christian authors give the impression of being either the dance-through-daisies type or the whip-in-hand type that you can't at all relate to, but Higgs is wonderfully flesh and blood as well as Godly, which not everyone can accomplish! One feminist claimed that Higgs believes in women being submissive to men, but let's give her a little more credit here! While she does make a comment about wives submitting to their husbands, she only does this once and never says that women should be submissive in general. If there's one thing Higgs is not, it's a doormat. I did take away one star because I felt like she occasionally (in both her Bad Girl books) connected personal beliefs with Christian ones (I do not agree that nudity is inherently sinful or that morning-after pills are nasty), but we all do that to a certain point and Higgs still for the most part manages to steer clear of preachiness. If you'd like a down-to-earth and entertaining Christian guide, I highly recommend both "Bad Girl" books as well as "Mad Mary" (read the latter with a bunch of tissues, though). Higgs is truly in a class by herself :) God Bless you, Liz!

I bought this book more than a year before I read it. It sat on my shelf gathering dust until I finally found the courage to actually read it. Once I started, I couldn't stop. I read it for two days straight, grabbing it every chance I could.

Liz has a wonderful, down-to-earth writing style which made the book very easy to read. She shares with her readers details of her own bad girl past without mincing words, as well as confessing how she still errs in her post-bad girl life. I personally enjoyed the way she opens each chapter with a modern-day tale based upon the Biblical bad girl she is about to dissect. Liz provides some excellent insight into these women, addressing many of the questions & issues I've had since I was young. She discusses the lives of these bad girls verse by verse, providing both fact & speculation (clearly defining which is which). No workbook is necessary (though one is available), as Liz includes activities & questions to consider at the end of each chapter. Don't worry about giving the "wrong" answer, b/c she includes verses in the back of the book to help with some of those questions (such as, "Find at least five verses that assure you His gifts of grace & forgiveness are the real thing").

The bad girls addressed in this book are: Eve, Potiphar's Wife, Lot's Wife, the Woman at the Well, Delilah, Sapphira, Rahab, Jezebel, Michal, & the Sinful Woman (who annointed Jesus' feet with perfume). I appreciated how she places each woman in one of three categories: Bad to the Bone, Bad for a Moment, & Bad for a Season but Not Forever (except Eve, who was the First Bad Girl).

Through it all, I was forced to re-evalute the excuses I've used so many times as a former bad girl & acknowledge the reality that, regardless of how others' choices impact me, I remain responsible for the decisions I make. This was the first of Liz's books that I've read, & it will not be the last. I have since purchased the workbook, as well as the follow-up book & workbook. As a former bad girl, with some traces still remaining, I found this book to be exactly what I was looking for. Convictions, insights, compassion, & encouragement abound. Don't miss this.

Liz Curtis Higgs is a delightful speaker. I would know because she encouraged me through a wonderful lesson while speaking at my weekly college convocation. I know that God provides the words for her to use to encourage His children. This book shares stories from women of the Bible who needed God's grace; just like we do now! And the amazing thing is that He offers grace through His Son, Jesus Christ, for all of us. You will see yourself in one of these women and perhaps more. I know I did. No matter how bad we were or are; Jesus loves us and died for our sins. Reach out to Him and He will give you His saving grace. Enjoy reading and may you gain more than you ever thought possible.

We have a small group of women meeting once a week and reading this book. I love the way Liz starts each chapter by retelling the story of the woman the way it may look if it was happening today and gives us a new insight into that life. She then goes step by step through the Bible verses and does a study on them - showing insights and ways that it relates to us today. The questions at the end of the chapter are good as well and the whole diverse group of us is learning... There are different types of women in the Bible and each of us relates to at least one of them! I like the catagories: Bad to the bone, Bad for a season and Bad for a moment. Witty, fun, real and relevant to me today.

This book is a wonderfully thought provoking analysis of some infamous biblical women. It is packed with historical content as a backdrop of Bad Girls' actions. The author vividly relates their stories to the modern woman. Her light and humerous style makes this book fun to read and yet you can still learn and grow it.

I am doing a group study on Bad Girls and bought the tape to listen to because I commute long distances each day to work. I was greatly disappointed that the audio tape is an abridged version of the book. This was not disclosed any where that I can find on amazon.com. Will still listen to the tape and use along with the book, but I was very disappointed!!

If you are a knee jerk PC, left winger, forget it. If you enjoy good stories, this works pretty well. Each story pairs a modern parable/retelling with the Biblical story. I found the modern parables pretty weak. At the end of each story is a series of questions and "truths". I usually found that 2 out of 5 were pretty decent.

I know this doesn't sound like a 4 star review, so why do I rate it so highly? Liz Higgs makes these women accessible. I've used this concept as a sermon series and got a powerful response from women in the congregaton who found a lot of joy in imperfect characters, and the permission they found to be imperfect. Also Ms. Higgs willingness to embrace her own not so positive past makes it easier for the reader to accept his/her own flaws

A good read

I read the first 6 pages of the book, in which "Ruthie" is a woman being beaten by an abusive boyfriend. The book tells Ruthie's story...she was immorally involved with a man she had met at a bar...Then the book states "Poor Ruthie. Few of us made it our ambition in life to be a Bad Girl." A few pages later, the author states "Ruthie is me. That's a small slice of my own early life as a Bad Girl, and, yes, it was very hard to write." HUH?! The question that needs to be raised is: How does Ruthie being abused make her a "Bad Girl"?! This is the very misogynistic attitude that wrongly blames the victim. Fundamentalists need educated on the issues involved in Domestic Violence so that they will quit doing more harm than good. I was married to a very violent and abusive man, who sat in the front row of church every Sunday and was the loudest man saying "Amen" during the service. We met at a Bible College - not at a bar . He claimed to be "called to preach". He was physically violent, sexually abusive and perverse.

When will a book with a theme such as "Bad Boys of the Bible" be written, giving the needed attention to the character flaws of many men that need to be preached against, such as: The Infidel (he does not work, doesn't provide for his family, nor pay child support); The Angry Man (he solves disagreements with physical confrontation and violence); The Surly Man (he is rude and mean); The Blasphemer (he makes a mockery of everything good and whole); The Foolish Man (he cannot put his hands around wisdom); The Factious Man (he is perverted and causes dissent); The Treacherous Man (he is physically and emotionally abusive to his wife, and abuses her under the blanket of Ephesians 5:22-24). Unwisely, fundamentalists create the perfect environment for those kinds of men to hide and thrive. Often it seems that there is too much focus on stories such as "Jezebel", geared towards women, and not enough of a focus on men, who (according to the Bible) ought to be held more accountable. Much of this negative overemphasis on women within fundamental circles purports a message of the subjugation of women. I feel that religious circles need to get more involved in efforts to educate and prevent violence against women. But the first steps to that would be for people in leadership positions within churches to educate themselves. The responsibility begins today.

"All that is necessary for the triumph of evil is that good men do nothing." (Edmund Burke)

I read the first 6 pages of the book, in which Ruthie is a woman being beaten by an abusive boyfriend. Then the book states "Poor Ruthie. Few of us made it our ambition in life to be a Bad Girl." A few pages later, she states "Ruthie is me. That's a small slice of my own early life as a Bad Girl, and, yes, it was very hard to write." How does Ruthie being abused make her a "Bad Girl"?! This is the very misogynistic attitude that wrongly blames the victim. Fundamentalists need educated on the issues involved in Domestic Violence so that they will quit doing more harm than good. I was married to a very violent and abusive man, who sat in the front row of church every Sunday and was the loudest man saying "Amen" during the service. We met at a Bible College. He was physically violent and sexually abusive and perverted.

Where is "Bad Boys of the Bible" and when will it be written, giving proper attention to the character flaws of men, and creating some stereotypes of men that need to be identified and exemplified, such as: The Infidel (he doesn't work, provide for his family, or pay child support); The Angry Man (solves disagreements with physical confrontation and violence); The Surly Man (he is rude and mean); The Blasphemer (he makes a mockery of everything good and whole); The Foolish Man (he cannot put his hands around wisdom); The Factious Man (he is perverted and causes dissent); The Treacherous Man (he is physically and emotionally abusive to his wife, also abuses her sexually under the blanket of Ephesians 5:22-24). Unwisely, we fundamentalists create the perfect environment for these kinds of men to hide and thrive.

This is the first in what is now a collection of books by Liz Curtis Higgs having to do with women of the Bible. Not just any women of the Bible, but the ones who have come down through history with a bad reputation. This book has become so popular that it was an Evangelical Christian Publisher's Association Gold Medallion Finalist in 2000 and resulted in a sequel: Really Bad Girls of the Bible.

Reading the original book is a great way to flesh out some of those long ago ladies with their unusual Biblical names. Higgs, who has a long list of books to her name and who has since gone on to become an author of historical novels, presents each of the women in character sketches that highlight their flaws and foibles. And she does so by creating purely fictional modern day women who have similar stores to tell.

Imaginative? Of course it is! In a series of ten chapters, we begin by meeting modern day counterparts of familiar or not-so-familiar women of the Bible. These are women who have a past, or a problem or some scandalous secret.

Each chapter has a contemporary story and then retells the Biblical story, so that we can juxtapose the two, and find ways to apply what happened long ago to what happens in our own daily lives.

So, for instance, the story of Eve ("The First Bad Girl") is introduced through a debutante from Savannah named Evelyn Whitebloom. Her father had a beautiful, you guessed it, garden. Evie's memories of the garden are colored not only by long walks enjoying its beauty, but also of the mystery surrounding the garden's central feature: a gazebo into which she was told never to enter. If the tale sounds as enticing to you as does the gazebo to Evie, you are beginning to understand this book's widespread appeal.

We meet a modern day equivalent of Potiphar's wife, who is "bored to distraction". The modern version of Lot's wife, is, of course, called a "pillar of the community" and so forth.

In a chapter called "Generous to a Fault" we meet Sophie and her husband, who are shady real estate speculators in the leafy Pittsburgh suburb, Fox Chapel. Higgs has done her research; anyone who has lived there will feel right at home. The characters plot and scheme and end up meeting a sad, similar fate to that of Sapphira and Annanias from the Book of Acts. In a comparable fashion, the author presents contemporary counterparts to The Woman at the Well, Delilah, Rahab, Jezebel, Michal and more.

Many of these are cautionary tales; in other words, we study their lives to learn how not to live. Others show us that bad choices aren't necessarily forever, especially when the grace of God intervenes.

The key to appreciating this book is learning from others how to make good or bad choices. Some of these women never learn, never change, never live up to their full potential. Other bad girls are bad for a moment, but get beyond it. And there are other bad girls who are bad for a season but not forever. The book contains its own study guide, and has proven a popular resource for women's circles and Bible study groups. There are also corresponding VHS videos and companion workbooks. But even as a stand alone resource for your own enjoyment, this book is well worth your time and effort.

If you find this review helpful you might want to read some of my other reviews, including those on subjects ranging from biography to architecture, as well as religion and fiction.

This is a must for every woman with or without a past. It allows one to look deep within and see the woman that was or is and the hope of a new life with and in Christ Jesus. It has wonderful insights into your relationships with others and more importantly with our husbands. How often we are quick to blame them when it just might be our problem and not their fault. I found this book spiritual, insightful and humorous. I encourage every woman to give it a look see.

My Sunday School Class is using it as their Bible Study, and think it is well done. Better so far for younger women, but I have read ahead and it will get better for the older woman.

I read more than 30 pages of this book only because my book group chose it. The author begins by saying that her husband (an Old Testament scholar) read (imply vetted) and corrected it for her. Help me! She believes herself too ignorant and dependent to even write her own book.

She takes a very narrow view of biblical stories, reinforcing male dominated interpretations. This is "born-again" drivel.

I, for one, think of Eve as the first heroic scientist. I hope she grabbed that fruit, relished the knowledge (even if it was unflattering knowledge) it brought her, and later reflected that while it was hard won, what she had learned was worth it. (If I am unknowingly naked, please let me find out!) Life is more difficult when we do not live in ignorance and denial - but, oh, how rich, thought provoking, and exciting it is when we embrace unflattering truths about ourselves, others and the world we live in.

The author appears to caution us against taking risks, thinking for ourselves, asking for what we want and challenging authority. If you are over the age of 20, you know enough about the complexities of life to find this book one-dimensional.

I found this book to have a very fresh, contemporary perspective on the "bad girls" of the Bible. Higgs has a way of dealing with the material in a way that is actually quite humourous.
Then why did i give the book three stars?? The reason why i gave the book three stars is while Higg's perspective is fresh, her ideas about women are not fresh.
Higgs's theology is one in which women are best being the "nurturers" of relationships and submissive to men. So in that I really do not find iMt to be theologically strong as well as potentially dangerous to women. However unfortunately this is the kind of theology that most popular Christian literature tends to promote. You can find more women empowering books if you are willing to have a more academic, scholarly read.
However I did enjoy the style that Higg's has and would still reccomend Really Bad Girls of the Bible as well as Mad Mary if you are able to get past the conservative view of women or you appriecate the more conservative view of women. I also would highly recommend The Lineage of Grace books by Francine Rivers, Sarah and Rebekah by Orson Scott Card, Red Tent by Anita Diamant and Mary Called Magdalene by Margaret George if you enjoy reading fiction inspired by stories of women of the Bible.

I have to admit I'm pretty cynical about Christian books anymore, so I picked up this book hesitantly, afraid to find another empty, feel-good message. NOT SO! What I found was a woman who wasn't afraid to talk honestly about the real challenges that we face as Christians and as women.

There's meat here--I recognized bits (and sometimes large portions!) of myself in every Bad Girl listed. But there's also love--Higgs' own testimony comes out over the pages, and her words ring with the compassion she feels for others who have struggled, stumbled, fallen... and been picked back up.

It's weighty at times, but with plenty of humor to keep your attention and keep the pages turning. I don't think readers will be disappointed with this one.

Just by reading the title and looking at the great cover photograph of Liz Curtis Higgs peering out from behind a black veil, I knew immediately this wasn't your average "Christian book." And you know what, I was right. But in my opinion, this book is more "Christian" than most other Christian books out there today. Why? Because it teaches forgiveness and redemption, no matter WHAT your background or experiences in life. After all, wasn't that Jesus' core message?

Liz Curtis Higgs isn't your average Christian author--she freely admits her sordid past filled with promiscuity, drug use, and abusive relationships. She frequently uses her own stories to illustrate the points made in her book. She used to be a radio jockey whose show was so racy it made Howard Stern tell her to "clean up her act." But then Liz found the healing and redemptive powers of God's love, and it's this message which drives "Bad Girls of the Bible." Her non-judgmental and forgiving attitude will make any "bad girl" feel welcome. Most Christian authors today often come off as "holier-than-thou" with no clue about anything outside their own Christian sphere of influence. No matter what you've done, Liz has probably been there and done that, too.

Liz uses examples of "bad girls" from the Old and New Testaments to show how bad actions can affect our lives, and how we can be healed and forgiven by God. The stories are told with Liz's trademark wit and humor, which makes the book a rather entertaining read. She breaks down the stories verse-by-verse and makes amusing and insightful commentary on each. You don't have to be a Bible scholar to enjoy the book--Liz breaks everything down into bit-sized, easy-to-swallow pieces for your reading enjoyment!

I would recommend this book to any woman out there, whether you're a "lapsed Christian" or just need a change of pace from the usual conservative Christian fodder that's out there. Liz calls herself an "encourager", and she really is.