In this special episode of The Alabaster Jar, Dr. Lynn Cohick and co-host Dr. Josephine Stringer explore the life and work of Dorothy Sayers, a 20th‑century detective novelist, playwright, translator of Dante, and public theologian. They discuss Sayers’ celebrated Lord Peter Wimsey mysteries—especially Gaudy Night—and how her Oxford background, church upbringing, and participation in the “golden age” of detective fiction shaped her writing. Then they turn to Sayers’ theological work, including The Man Born to Be King, Creed or Chaos, and The Mind of the Maker, highlighting her conviction that the drama of redemption is the greatest story ever told. Lynn and Josephine also unpack Sayers’ provocative essays “Are Women Human?” and “Human Not Quite Human,” tracing her vision of work, creativity, and full human dignity for women and men, set against both her own complicated personal story and ongoing debates in the church today.

Resources Mentioned:

Are Women Human? Penetrating, Sensible, and Witty Essays on the Role of Women in Society by Dorothy L. Sayers

Lord Peter: The Complete Lord Peter Wimsey Stories by Dorothy L. Sayers

The Nine Tailors (The Lord Peter Wimsey Mysteries Book 11) by Dorothy L. Sayers

Human-Not-Quite-Human by Dorothy L. Sayers

The Mind of the Maker by Dorothy L. Sayers

Gaudy Night: A Lord Peter Wimsey Mystery with Harriet Vane by Dorothy L. Sayers

The Man Born to Be King by Dorothy L. Sayers

The Visual Museum of Women in Christianity

Dr. Lynn Cohick

Let Her Lead

Episode Sponsor:

The Alabaster Jar is brought to you by The Center for Women in Leadership, a 501©3 nonprofit organization whose purpose is to equip women in a context that is biblically rooted, theologically robust, and ethnically diverse to thrive as leaders in the academy and the Church. Follow them on Instagram @leadershipwithoutapology.