Would You Rather Questions for Women's Bible Study: A Cross-Faith Perspective

While the phrase "Bible study" is Christian in framing, Jewish women have long engaged with the Tanakh in communal settings — a practice with deep roots. The prophet Jeremiah explicitly addressed women as recipients of divine instruction: "Hear the word of GOD... And teach your daughters wailing, and one another lamentation" Jeremiah 9:19, showing that women were expected to transmit sacred knowledge to the next generation.

Jeremiah also addressed women directly in a prophetic assembly: "Hear the word of GOD, all Judeans in the land of Egypt!" Jeremiah 44:24 — a passage that makes no distinction between male and female hearers of the divine word. This suggests women were full participants in communal religious discourse.

For a women's Torah study group, would-you-rather questions might explore themes like: Would you rather study Proverbs 31 or the book of Ruth? or Would you rather be known for wisdom or for loyalty? — both grounded in the Tanakh's rich female figures. Scholar Judith Hauptman (20th–21st century) has argued extensively that women's Talmudic learning, once discouraged, has become a vibrant modern Jewish norm.

Christianity is the tradition most directly associated with the "Bible study" format, and women's Bible study groups are among the most widespread forms of Christian community today. That said, the New Testament itself contains some tension worth acknowledging honestly. Paul writes in 1 Corinthians that women should ask questions at home rather than speak in church 1 Corinthians 14:35, and in 1 Timothy he instructs: "Let the woman learn in silence with all subjection" 1 Timothy 2:11. These passages have been interpreted very differently across denominations — some take them as universal commands, others as culturally specific instructions to first-century Corinth.

Scholars like N.T. Wright and Gordon Fee (20th–21st century) have argued that these passages must be read in their historical context and don't prohibit women's communal Bible study outside formal church leadership roles. The practice of women studying scripture together is, in fact, widely encouraged across evangelical, Catholic, and mainline Protestant traditions today.

Would-you-rather questions for a women's Bible study might include: Would you rather have the faith of Mary or the boldness of Deborah? or Would you rather study the Psalms or the Gospels this month? These questions invite personal reflection while grounding conversation in scripture. Paul also notes that propriety in prayer matters: "Is it comely that a woman pray unto God uncovered?" 1 Corinthians 11:13 — a verse that can itself spark rich discussion about cultural expectations versus timeless faith.

The term "Bible study" is Christian-specific, but the concept of women gathering to study sacred text has clear Islamic precedent. The Qur'an directly addresses believing women as moral agents capable of making pledges of faith: "O Prophet, when the believing women come to you pledging to you that they will not associate anything with Allāh...then accept their pledge and ask forgiveness for them of Allāh" Quran 60:12. This verse affirms women's direct spiritual accountability before God.

The Qur'an also instructs on justice toward women in legal and social matters: "Allah giveth you decree concerning them" Quran 4:127, indicating that divine guidance specifically addresses women's circumstances and rights. However, a hadith in Sahih al-Bukhari attributes to the Prophet a statement about "the deficiency of a woman's mind" in the context of legal testimony Sahih al Bukhari 2658 — a passage that has generated significant scholarly disagreement. Scholars like Amina Wadud and Khaled Abou El Fadl have challenged the universal application of such hadiths, arguing they reflect historical context rather than timeless doctrine.

Women's Qur'an study circles (halaqas) are a thriving global tradition. Would-you-rather questions adapted for an Islamic women's halaqa might ask: Would you rather study Surah Al-Baqarah or Surah Maryam? or Would you rather be known for patience like Asiya or devotion like Maryam?

Not applicable. Concerns a Christian Bible study format; no direct counterpart in Jewish communal study as framed here.

Women’s Bible studies seek questions that promote learning in an orderly, edifying way, attentive to apostolic counsel about how women learn and speak in the gathered church and at home 1 Corinthians 14:351 Timothy 2:11.

Some studies also discuss prayer practices and discernment, including modesty and head-covering questions raised in Corinth, which shows women did pray and thus invites wise local application 1 Corinthians 11:13.

Old Testament voices also call women to teach and lead in specific acts of faithfulness, such as lament, giving rich ground for reflective prompts Jeremiah 9:19.

Would-you-rather prompts (use as springboards into Scripture)

• Would you rather ask your hardest spiritual questions during group time or process them with your family at home first, and why?
• Would you rather remain silent during a heated study moment to preserve unity, or speak briefly to offer needed correction, and how would you decide?
• Would you rather pray aloud in the group or write a prayer and have someone else read it?
• Would you rather spend a season focusing on private prayer practices or on public intercession with the group?
• Would you rather adopt a visible practice (like a head covering) for conscience’s sake or emphasize inner modesty without a visible sign, and how do you read 1 Corinthians 11?
• Would you rather share a testimony of joy or lead the group in a biblical lament this week, and what Scriptures would shape each?
• Would you rather mentor a younger woman one-on-one or facilitate a mixed-age table discussion?
• Would you rather memorize a short passage together or study a longer chapter in depth?
• Would you rather serve behind the scenes for the group’s needs or take a visible role for a season?
• Would you rather study a Gospel next or an Old Testament prophet, and why?

How to use them

• Pair each prompt with a passage reading and 2–3 observation questions to keep Scripture central 1 Timothy 2:11.
• Invite participants to distinguish conscience, custom, and command as they answer, especially in areas Paul addresses for order in worship 1 Corinthians 14:351 Corinthians 11:13.
• Include space for lament and intercession, echoing prophetic calls that specifically address women’s ministries of teaching and mourning Jeremiah 9:19.

Not applicable. Focuses on a Christian Bible study format and does not address Islamic study practice.