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This book was so much better than I thought it was going to be. I was expecting to get more feminist theory out of it than theology, and it ended up being a book about a woman's struggle to find her place as a woman in Christianity as a feminist leader. I really enjoyed it; I enjoyed her interpretation of Scripture, her struggles with Scripture, and her honesty.
Not exactly what I expected going in, but still nice. I have always had so much respect for Rachel's theology, her kindness, and her ability to engage with Christians who affirm different things than she does. This book was a funny and yet touching reminder of the integral role of love in interpreting the Bible and doing life in the church.
Again, great for what it's supposed to be. This book took a couple of chapters to win me over, but by the end I was laughing out loud; and I found that the list of 10 resolutions resonated with me, too, because of living vicariously through the author's experience. Go Team Dan and Rachel!
I've long known about Rachel Held Evans. I've read her blog posts. I've listened as conservatives are horrified at her liberal views. I myself had prejudged her years ago based on what other people said she was. And then a little while back I read her latest book, "Searching for Sunday," which really spoke to me and I related so much to the things she was saying. And now I went old-school and read her early book--the one that so many people criticized her for. This book was fabulous. Far from being heretical, or a mockery of what the Bible says--I instead found it a very genuine and insightful look at how the Bible views women. She explored hard questions and difficult contradictions, stood up to extreme criticism and judgement to seek the Lord through this project. Honest with her doubts, honest with her flaws, honest with her discoveries and feelings and victories. I can recommend this book 100% to any woman, and anyone who has questions or interest in exploring "Biblical" gender roles. A fascinating look at taking the Bible literally and studying history and context--while still valuing women. Eshet Chayil!
Exceeded my expectations in every way and my expectations were pretty high. Rachel Held Evans once spoke at my university and I've never forgotten the experience. She was smart, sharp, funny, insightful, and deeply passionate about theology. Her death in 2019 shocked and saddened me. She is someone who I believe would've continued to be a voice of reason and authenticity, deconstructing the Bible and Christianity with compassion and care.
I have to wonder if religious naysayers and dissenters of this book read any further than the title and introduction. Evans went to great lengths to investigate, understand, and explore what biblical womanhood is portrayed as, the roots of those interpretations, how things need to change, and why. I laughed, teared up, learned half a dozen new theological facts that four years of Bible college failed to impart, and talked about this book nonstop as I read it. My faith expanded and deepened. I was sad all over again that this bright, intelligent person was gone. And yet her impact continues. Eshet Chayil!
I have to wonder if religious naysayers and dissenters of this book read any further than the title and introduction. Evans went to great lengths to investigate, understand, and explore what biblical womanhood is portrayed as, the roots of those interpretations, how things need to change, and why. I laughed, teared up, learned half a dozen new theological facts that four years of Bible college failed to impart, and talked about this book nonstop as I read it. My faith expanded and deepened. I was sad all over again that this bright, intelligent person was gone. And yet her impact continues. Eshet Chayil!
Lots of really important material, and an important read for anyone. Challenges notions of the "biblical womanhood" paradigm that has been used to keep women silent, submissive, and that hasn't allowed women to be all God intends them to be. Still, parts of the book felt scattered to me, a little random and contrived: which is always the problem with schtick lit.
Rachel Evans takes the current movement of Biblical Womanhood and examines it in the culture and context of the Bible by spending a year attempting to live out the practices of the movement based on the isolated verses they are based on. This book is neither a criticism of the Bible nor a free pass to the Biblical Womanhood movement. Instead it is a humorous, intelligent and extremely well-researched look at the role of women in the Bible as a whole and how it should inform the life of the modern Christian woman. This may be my favorite book of the year. Highly recommend!
Perhaps the most helpful piece of this book to me was the way in which Held Evans reclaimed the Woman of Valor from Proverbs 31. She had become a bit of a joke to me and some of my friends, a shorthand for the church's unrealistic expectations for women. However by recognizing that we've made this ode I to a checklist, Held Evans allowed me to see the ways in which I honor my family by doing the tasks before me, from laundry, to grading, to driving the minivan all over Beaver County. Eshet chayil!