# S6 E38 | More Than a Beauty Pageant: The Real Story of Esther and Vashti

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Podcast: [The Alabaster Jar](https://stenobird.com/podcast/the-alabaster-jar-6611285)
Published: 2026-03-23T08:00:04+00:00
Episode link: https://www.spreaker.com/episode/s6-e38-more-than-a-beauty-pageant-the-real-story-of-esther-and-vashti--70822033
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Duration seconds: 2026

## Resource

In this conversation, Dr. Lynn Cohick and Dr. Josephine Stringer explore the Book of Esther through the lives of Esther and Vashti, highlighting how both women display courage under an abusive and volatile king. They set the story in its historical context in the Persian palace at Susa, unpacking Vashti’s costly refusal and Esther’s hidden, strategic path to influencing the king. Along the way, they examine themes of power, dignity, and the isolation faced by women in the royal court. Resources Mentioned: The Visual Museum of Women in Christianity The Center for Women in Leadership Episode Sponsor: The Alabaster Jar is brought to you by The Center for Women in Leadership, a newly formed 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, the marketplace, and the Church. Follow them on Instagram @leadershipwithoutapology .

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