Biblical scholars Scot McKnight and Lucy Peppiatt provide a rich understanding of ancient backgrounds and current scholarship to unveil the women who followed Jesus in his ministry.

Veiled Disciples demonstrates how women have always played key roles in Jesus' mission. But their contributions have often been minimized, mistranslated, overlooked, or even covered up.

Far from passive bystanders, these women were active participants in his kingdom, funding, leading, and sharing in his work at a level that challenges long-held assumptions about women's roles in the early church. Grounded in the Jewish context of Jesus' world, this book demonstrates how God's empowerment of women is not a new idea but is built on a foundation found throughout Scripture.

Key Features of Veiled Disciples:



- Accessible scholarship on the lives of ancient women and their active participation in Jesus' ministry

- Theological depth rooted in Jesus' Jewish context, showing how God's history of empowering women shaped Jesus' own ministry

- Application for those seeking to understand what women's discipleship means for the church today

- Engagement with ancient Jewish texts and other sources such as the writings of Josephus to illuminate the world in which Jesus lived

- Original paintings and reflections by artist Karen Fletcher Smith that bring the women of the Gospels to life





This book invites readers to see the influence of the women of the Gospels clearly through a careful reading of the biblical text. Veiled Disciples gives readers the tools, context, and vision to see what has always been there.



Scot McKnight (PhD, University of Nottingham) is a New Testament scholar known for his work on the historical Jesus, early Christianity, and Christian living. He is a visiting professor at Houston Theological Seminary and Westminster Theological Centre (UK). McKnight has written over ninety books, including a translation of the New Testament called The Second Testament, The Real Mary, and The Blue Parakeet.



Karen Fletcher Smith is an artist and writer whose work explores the intersection of theology, women, and the arts. She holds a master's degree in women and theology and uses image and word to uncover beauty, tell sacred stories, and inspire wonder. You can find her preaching with a paintbrush at karenfletchersmith.com.



Lucy Peppiatt (PhD, Otago) is president of Westminster Theological Centre. She is the author of Rediscovering Scripture's Vision for Women and Women and Worship at Corinth. Peppiatt holds the post of honorary lecturer at the University of St Andrews and is a regular speaker at church events nationally and internationally and a contributor to BibleProject podcasts.



Foreword by Lynn H. Cohick



Preface



Artist's Statement by Karen Fletcher Smith



Introduction

1. Veils on Top of Veils



2. Mother Mary



3. Motherhood before Mary



4. Encounters with Women



5. Women Disciples



6. Trauma



7. Mission



8. Prophets and Protagonists

Conclusion



Afterword by Beth Allison Barr