You need to sign in or sign up before continuing.
Take a photo of a barcode or cover
This is an excellent book! I was shocked at the amount of Bible references and study that went into this book, and I really think anyone at all would benefit from reading it.
This is a must read for every woman (and man). I found myself not only entertained but inspired as well.
I really liked this book and was so sad to learn that the author passed away last year.
I can see why this offends conservative Christian sensibilities. But it is hardly extreme. She sets out to point out that conservative Christians cherry pick verses and interpretations as much as they accuse those of us who have more moderate viewpoints. And she succeeds admirably, all the while, also learning to understand various standards of womanhood with less judgment.
Her chapter on parenting was the most refreshing for me. Most women without children don't have any reason to notice, let alone, engage in the "mommy wars." So it was refreshing to hear her struggles within the "war" without having the emotional baggage of children to skew her. It reminded me that these "wars" are made up and don't determine our fitness as a mother or a woman. This chapter alone made the book worth reading. As a moderate in so much of my life, including parenthood, I am often abused by women on all sides who take my lack of enthusiasm toward their "cause" as a sign of disapproval and therefore I am worthy of harsh judgment.
The other chapter that touched me was on social justice. Being a libertarian, social justice is something important to me. Creating fair playing grounds for people to grow and achieve is close to my heart. But so are free markets, and this chapter made me squirm a bit with the abuse by big corporations towards the poor. There is no excuse for slavery, but yet our consumerist lifestyle breeds the need for more for less. We, the consumer, are the problem. And that is a hard pill to swallow but one that needs to be. I have been purchasing fair trade coffee for about two years now but I can't ignore that I am part of the problem. She also gives a good road map for starting. You don't need to switch your lifestyle all at once, but rather pick a few things at a time.
The chapter on submission was thoughtful but using Debi Pearl's book, "Created to Be His Helpmeet," is a little unfair. This book is wildly out there even for many conservatives.
Ultimately, she concludes that most people looking for a Biblical standard of womanhood are trying to shortcut faith by creating rules as a substitute. Her use of scripture and various commentaries to support her arguments gives her message strength, which seems to be why so many Christian reviews have to attack her for how she argues and not her argument in and of itself. I found the book both humorous and endearing.
Her chapter on parenting was the most refreshing for me. Most women without children don't have any reason to notice, let alone, engage in the "mommy wars." So it was refreshing to hear her struggles within the "war" without having the emotional baggage of children to skew her. It reminded me that these "wars" are made up and don't determine our fitness as a mother or a woman. This chapter alone made the book worth reading. As a moderate in so much of my life, including parenthood, I am often abused by women on all sides who take my lack of enthusiasm toward their "cause" as a sign of disapproval and therefore I am worthy of harsh judgment.
The other chapter that touched me was on social justice. Being a libertarian, social justice is something important to me. Creating fair playing grounds for people to grow and achieve is close to my heart. But so are free markets, and this chapter made me squirm a bit with the abuse by big corporations towards the poor. There is no excuse for slavery, but yet our consumerist lifestyle breeds the need for more for less. We, the consumer, are the problem. And that is a hard pill to swallow but one that needs to be. I have been purchasing fair trade coffee for about two years now but I can't ignore that I am part of the problem. She also gives a good road map for starting. You don't need to switch your lifestyle all at once, but rather pick a few things at a time.
The chapter on submission was thoughtful but using Debi Pearl's book, "Created to Be His Helpmeet," is a little unfair. This book is wildly out there even for many conservatives.
Ultimately, she concludes that most people looking for a Biblical standard of womanhood are trying to shortcut faith by creating rules as a substitute. Her use of scripture and various commentaries to support her arguments gives her message strength, which seems to be why so many Christian reviews have to attack her for how she argues and not her argument in and of itself. I found the book both humorous and endearing.
This book was entertaining, but overall more lightweight than what I expected from the author's excellent blog.
As the title implies, the author, Rachel Held Evans, spent a year exploring what biblical womanhood means. She took the Bible as her primary source, but also consulted with women from various faith traditions to see how they interpreted Biblical womanhood.
"Interpreted" is a key term. When it comes to defining what it means to live life according to a Biblical ideal of womanhood, all faith traditions use a lot of interpretation. Most of the Biblical texts about women are descriptive, not prescriptive, and they often describe a particular woman, not a generic ideal. Those parts which are prescriptive tend to be low on detail, so much of what passes for Biblical womanhood in a particular faith tradition extrapolates a lot from just a few words.
Evans approached this project with sincerity and with humor. She combined research (reading the Bible, reading commentaries, interviewing women from other faith traditions) with integrating practices into her life. She describes her experiences with honesty that sometimes surfaces as sincere reflection and sometimes as humorous acknowledgement of her own shortcomings. Although some of her initial resolutions were taken with an intention to drop them at the end of the project -- not cutting her hair, for example -- others left a lasting impression on her life, from the practical (cooking) to the spiritual (contemplative prayer).
Overall, this is a fun read for anyone who is a fan of Evans writing. For those who think that the Bible presents a simple image of biblical womanhood, it is a warm and welcoming invitation to explore the complex interaction between what the Bible says and what culture teaches.
As the title implies, the author, Rachel Held Evans, spent a year exploring what biblical womanhood means. She took the Bible as her primary source, but also consulted with women from various faith traditions to see how they interpreted Biblical womanhood.
"Interpreted" is a key term. When it comes to defining what it means to live life according to a Biblical ideal of womanhood, all faith traditions use a lot of interpretation. Most of the Biblical texts about women are descriptive, not prescriptive, and they often describe a particular woman, not a generic ideal. Those parts which are prescriptive tend to be low on detail, so much of what passes for Biblical womanhood in a particular faith tradition extrapolates a lot from just a few words.
Evans approached this project with sincerity and with humor. She combined research (reading the Bible, reading commentaries, interviewing women from other faith traditions) with integrating practices into her life. She describes her experiences with honesty that sometimes surfaces as sincere reflection and sometimes as humorous acknowledgement of her own shortcomings. Although some of her initial resolutions were taken with an intention to drop them at the end of the project -- not cutting her hair, for example -- others left a lasting impression on her life, from the practical (cooking) to the spiritual (contemplative prayer).
Overall, this is a fun read for anyone who is a fan of Evans writing. For those who think that the Bible presents a simple image of biblical womanhood, it is a warm and welcoming invitation to explore the complex interaction between what the Bible says and what culture teaches.
This book continually reflected on the complexities of “living biblically”, and spoke truth that in believing the Bible there are many examples of the violence and misogyny experienced by women, but also the strength, power, and courage of women. Too often one community or another within Christian traditions tries to utilize individual passages without context to rationalize what is good or bad, rather than looking at the complexity of experience. This book captures the human spirit and provides insight into doubt, soul searching, and honest reflection. It is such a powerful narrative because of Rachel’s humility, honesty, and willingness to learn about the Bible and experience the Bible in new and challenging ways.
I really enjoyed this book. It stands in stark contrast to the American expectations to Christian womanhood but in agreement with what I have known Jesus to say about being a woman. I was super skeptical when I received this book as a gift. I think this fad of people trying something for a year and writing about it is a money making, mocking, scheme that lacks genuineness. SO I really enjoyed reading about her authentic quest to delve into questions that have haunted my faith. I was also worried that reading this book would leave me feeling more guilty and with more baggage than I already have being a female Christian in the US. But, instead I found a well researched approach to some standards and teachings that are used to further hold women back in the church. This book was liberating and authentic. The author was genuine, curious, and able to approach assumptions, and teachings that have held women back.
informative
reflective
medium-paced