Beneth Peters Jones. In the Best Possible Light: Godly Femininity in the Twenty-first Century. BJU Press. 2004.

Christian woman around the world are dressing and behaving the same way that those who do not claim to serve our Lord do. Jones, in her book, In the Best Possible Light presents her views on how women can remain feminine in today's world. Many will find her ideas old fashioned, outrageous, or downright ridiculous.

She states her purpose in writing this book: "To encourage and assist a born-again Christian woman-whether she's twelve or eighty-two-to cultivate her personal feminine loveliness in order to reflect the beauty Jesus Christ has brought to her soul and heart. [Page 7.]"

Each chapter introduces a different topic related to femininity and includes scriptures to validate her statements. I appreciate this because she is clearly not just an older woman criticizing how younger women dress, act, eat, and so forth. Her ideas are clearly based on scripture.

Topics discussed include: diet (showing a food pyramid different from the one recommended by the government), exercise, and general grooming. The chapter called "Closet Lights" provides quality information on styles to select for various body types, how to tell when clothes fit well, and suggests a practical wardrobe that isn't based on keeping up with the current fashions.

Recommendation

Throughout this book, you'll find an emphasis on looking and dressing the best we can so as to reflect positively on our Savior. I've thought about it a great deal since first reading this book. Her concern that we always look our best almost seems to be in contradiction to Christ's own commandment to not worry about what we wear because God clothes the flowers of the field. I've been unable to decide if I totally buy this author's viewpoint.

I do feel this book is excellent because it moves women away from dressing to please the world's view of fashion. I'm tired of seeing bare-midriffs, provocative skirts with slits up the side, and other forms of immodest dressing even in worship services. I do think we need an approach somewhere between the author's viewpoint and the world's viewpoint.

May I suggest this book as a good discussion book for Ladies' Bible study groups, Christian families, and youth organizations for young women? Hopefully, it will serve to swing the fashions of a Christian woman back towards being modest again.