Monica A. Coleman's book Making a Way Out of No Way presents what the author calls “womanist theology,” which tries to combine Black theology without its sexism and feminist theology without its racism. The theology explores “the social construction of black womanhood in relation to the African American community and religious concepts,” trying to bring African American women's voices and experiences to the forefront.

In the first chapter or part, Coleman focuses in on the ideas of womanist theologians with regard to salvation. The author begins by explaining that womanist theologies blend “goals of liberation and justice” with “goals of survival, quality of life, and wholeness.” These goals represent the womanist concept of salvation, which focuses primarily on life in this world.

The author then presents the ideas of five womanist theologians who explore this definition of salvation and how it applies to Black women. Along the way, these theologians also examine Jesus Christ and Black women's relationships with God. The author herself adds the idea of “making a way out of no way” as a “theory of salvation” that shows what God does for people who are experiencing oppression. He makes a way out of no way.

The five womanist theologians the author emphasizes are Jacquelyn Grant, Kelly Brown Douglas, Delores S. Williams, JoAnne Marie Terrell, and Karen Baker-Fletcher. The author presents a summary of each of their views and theories of salvation, sin, the role of Jesus, relationship with Jesus, oppression, justice, and death.

Toward the end of the chapter, the author explores some ideas about African traditional religions and their continuing influence; postmodernism; and philosophical metaphysics as a framework for understanding the world.