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THE FAITHFUL: WOMEN OF THE BIBLE: Episode 1.1: “The Woman Who Bowed to No One”

“The Faith of the First Great Matriarch in Genesis”

Family Content: -1 Caution advised for older children, including teenagers, and sensitive adults.

Entertainment Quality:

None Light Moderate Heavy
Language
Violence
Sex
Nudity

Credits →

What You Need To Know:

THE FAITHFUL:  THE WOMEN OF THE BIBLE is a series of movies on Fox TV. The first movie follows Sarah, the wife of Abraham, in the Book of Genesis. The TV movie details her marriage to Abraham, her struggles with infertility, her complicated relationship with her servant, Hagar, the births of Ishmael and Isaac, and her final days. The first movie, subtitled “The Woman Who Bowed to No One,” focuses on Sarah’s faith and choices. 

The first movie in THE FAITHFUL:  THE WOMEN OF THE BIBLE series is inspiring. It stays mostly true to Scripture but adds some dramatic moments. The episode does an excellent job focusing on Sarah and Abraham’s faith in God. People pray, encounter angels, hear the voice of God, and show obedience to the LORD. The first movie in THE WOMEN OF THE BIBLE series also celebrates family, one of the biggest themes in the Book of Genesis. That said, the episode also mentions false idols, a wife urging her husband to father a child with her servant and being secretive and lying. So, MOVIEGUIDE® advises caution for older children. 

Content:

(CCC, BBB, FR, V, S, N, A, M):  

Dominant Worldview and Other Worldview Content/Elements:

 Very strong Christian, biblical, pro-family worldview highlights the story of Sarah from the Book of Genesis, in which characters pray, encounter angels, hear the voice of God, and show obedience to Him, plus the episode celebrates family and features a loving couple whose dedication endures decades, but there are mentions of false idols and goddesses, a woman is accused of being a witch and an old man has a child with his wife’s servant at his old wife’s suggestion because the wife has been childless al her life;

Foul Language:

 No foul language;

Violence:

 Action violence with characters fighting, resisting arrest, slapping, and pushing each other, mutilated animals used in sacrifice are shown with body parts and blood, and a woman gives birth and screams and shouts in pain;

Sex:

 Conversations about a married man having a child with his wife’s servant, an unmarried couple kisses, married couple kiss several times, and implied sex between a man and a woman, but nothing is shown;  

Nudity:

 Upper male nudity in several scenes, a woman is naked under a blanket but only her upper chest and shoulders are shown, and women wear low cut dresses that show cleavage;

Alcohol Use:

 Characters drink wine but not to excess;

Smoking and/or Drug Use and Abuse:

 No smoking or drugs; and,

Miscellaneous Immorality:

 Characters hide secrets and lie. 

More Detail:

THE FAITHFUL: WOMEN OF THE BIBLE, on the Fox Tv Network, follows Sarah from her marriage to Abraham through her struggles with infertility, her complicated relationship with Hagar, the births of Ishmael and Isaac, and her final days. The first episode, “The Woman Who Bowed to No One,” gives an intimate look at Sarah’s faith and choices, seen through the eyes of her Egyptian servant, Hagar.

The first movie of THE WOMEN OF THE BIBLE series looks and feels authentic, with high production values and period-accurate costumes, and as Sarah and Abraham, Minnie Driver and Jeffrey Donovan bring these biblical characters to life in a believable way. The story remains mostly true to Scripture, but it also adds some dramatic moments to make Sarah and Hagar’s experiences feel personal, as well as powerful.

The movie starts in Haran, where Sarah refuses a wealthy suitor and chooses Abraham instead, following her heart over security. When famine drives them to Egypt, she claims Abraham as her brother to protect them, only to find herself taken into Pharaoh’s palace. She frees Hagar, who returns to Abraham with her, forming a complicated bond between the two women. Sarah struggles with infertility while she learns to trust God’s promise that she and Abraham will have descendants and the episode shows how her choices shape her life.

God speaks directly to Abraham, promising Abraham that he will produce a great nation through his seed while guiding Abraham and Sarah through impossible circumstances. Sarah wrestles with doubt while making difficult decisions, including allowing Hagar to serve as a surrogate. The birth of Ishmael brings some joy but also great tension between the two women,

Then, when Sarah finally gives birth to Isaac, God fulfills his promise—but it comes with pain and hard consequences. Sarah ultimately sends Hagar and Ishmael away, and the episode closes with her death and burial, showing a portrait of a woman whose courage, faith, and determination echo through generations. For a New Testament perspective on Sarah and Hagar, read Galatians 4:21-31. 

The first movie of Season One of THE FAITHFUL: WOMEN OF THE BIBLE has a strong Christian and Biblical worldview. It highlights one of the most important women in the Bible, Sarah, Abraham’s beloved wife. The heart of this episode focuses on faith and does an excellent job portraying the struggles and triumphs in Sarah’s life. In the episode, people pray, encounter angels, hear the voice of God, and obey the Lord. The first episode of THE FAITHFUL:  THE WOMEN OF THE BIBLE also celebrates family and focuses on a loving couple whose dedication endures decades.  

However, it also contains mentions of false idols, a man fathers a child with his wife’s servant, a mistress and people hiding secrets and lying. MOVIEGUIDE® advises caution for older children, including young teenagers and sensitive adults.