Mary, Martha and Me: Seeking the One Thing That Is Needful

by Camille Fronk Olson

Overview

When someone says, "She is a Martha-type," we know just what that means: a woman who is practical, competent, down-to-earth. We understand that Marthas are certainly useful and necessary, but it's usually Mary that gets the halo. Author Camille Fronk Olson brings unique insights and perspectives to the biblical story of two sisters, Mary and Martha, who serve Jesus in different ways. Exploring the mixed messages in daily life, she discusses the motives and focus that determine our choices and the problem of comparing our gifts and contributions to others. In her warm, engaging style, the author brings to light the lessons Mary and Martha learn from each other and the "one thing [that] is needful" for both.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781606417164
Publisher:	Deseret Book Company
Publication date:	11/12/2009
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
File size:	413 KB

About the Author

Camille Fronk Olson, professor of ancient scripture, serves as chair of the Department of Ancient Scripture at Brigham Young University. She earned an MA in Ancient Near Eastern Studies and a PhD in the sociology of the Middle East from BYU. Formerly dean of students at LDS Business College, she has served on the Young Women General Board and on the Church's Teacher Development Curriculum Committee. She is a popular speaker and writer whose published books include Women of the Old Testament; In the Hands of the Potter; Mary, Martha and Me; and Too Much to Carry Alone. She and her husband, Paul, reside in Provo, Utah.

Editorial Reviews

In this brief and engaging work on Jesus' interactions with Mary and Martha of Bethany, Olson shows her chops as a professor of biblical studies (she teaches at Brigham Young University), paying very close attention to the gospel texts. She begins with the famous story of Mary of Bethany sitting at Jesus' feet, listening to him teach, while her sister Martha bustled about and was "cumbered about much serving." But Mary, Olson cautions, did not choose the "better" part by eschewing housework for study, but rather "that good part." Neither path is better than the other, Olson says; for both women, one thing was needed: to fully embrace truth and serve Christ. Olson contextualizes the story with first-century customs and religious observations, relating it to other narratives about Lazarus's death and resurrection as well as Mary's controversial anointing of Jesus with spikenard. Olson mixes the biblical explorations with stories from her own life, including her relationship with her grandmother (who comes across as at once tender and formidable). Although this book is intended for an audience of Mormon women and draws occasionally on the Book of Mormon and the teachings of LDS leaders, it deserves a wider readership for its fresh and thoughtful rendering of familiar New Testament stories. (Apr.) Copyright 2006 Reed Business Information.

Publishers Weekly

Sister Olson (ancient Scripture, Brigham Young Univ.; In the Hands of the Potter) is a popular speaker on BYU Television's Book of Mormon series. This work is a sensitive treatment of the vexed issue of Martha vs. Mary in the book of Luke. Which is better to labor with one's hands or to listen in thoughtful silence to the word of God? Olson finds validity and valor in each approach to religious life; what's more, her method seems sure to include as many non-Mormon readers as Mormon readers a gesture that Deseret Books does not always make. For most collections. Copyright 2006 Reed Business Information.

Library Journal