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Having read and enjoyed A.J. Jacobs' "Year of Living Biblically", i was intrigued at Rachel Held Evans' similar but very different experience. It was a good read, forgiving and liberating even as a female pastor whois blessed to have a voice of leadership and, at times, prophecy in the church. You don't have to agree with anything she says, it is worth the time to understand the diverse world of religion, biblical interpretation, and life experience.
With good humor, Rachel Held Evans experiences all kinds of rules and laws that might be applied as "biblical womanhood". And in doing so, confronts so many of the misuses of scripture in an attempt to maintain a misogynistic patriarchy. (I don't think she uses words this strong in her book, but they are appropriate, in my opinion.) Coming from similar fundamentalist backgrounds, it is enjoyable to see her take to task so many legalistic prooftexts coming from direct experience.
A lot of people have scorned Evans for her work in this book, suggesting she is mocking scripture and God (probably in that order). But the opposite is quite true. She handles every topic with a grace, and, in looking for the biblical woman, ironically, brings to the forefront several characteristics that all Christians, even men (especially men), should be practicing every day of the year. A veritable list of fruits of the spirit.
If you believe in Jesus, read this book to see what convicted Evans through this year and see if it convicts you. If you don't believe in Jesus, it may just be a fascinating read to see another perspective on how His followers should be living.
A lot of people have scorned Evans for her work in this book, suggesting she is mocking scripture and God (probably in that order). But the opposite is quite true. She handles every topic with a grace, and, in looking for the biblical woman, ironically, brings to the forefront several characteristics that all Christians, even men (especially men), should be practicing every day of the year. A veritable list of fruits of the spirit.
If you believe in Jesus, read this book to see what convicted Evans through this year and see if it convicts you. If you don't believe in Jesus, it may just be a fascinating read to see another perspective on how His followers should be living.
I was initially reluctant to read this book. I've enjoyed Rachel's work, but this felt like a rehash of the A.J. Jacobs book and, frankly, I felt like I didn't need a primer on biblical womanhood. But I'm glad I finally read it. While I'm still not a fan of the "Year Of…" approach, she offers an approachable path to an otherwise overwhelming topic. She tackles poor biblical interpretation and male patriarchy with humor, grace and a little righteous indignation.
While I don't agree with everything she writes, Rachel Held Evans entertained me through the first half of her book then captivated me through the last half. I am a better person having read this book.
It was definitely an interesting perspective but parts seemed disingenuous and contrived. There are even a couple of places where she admits that the purpose of this or that was to get a good story for the book.
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
slow-paced
While very similar to concept of AJ Jacobs book, Year of Living Bionically. This resonated a lot more with me. Maybe it was because Evans was searching out what the Bible really had to say about women. Very good book for anyone interested in what the Bible really says about women.
Read this as part of a woman’s bible study and it was my first introduction to anything by RHE. I finished the book w tears in my eyes remembering her death within the past year and mourning her in a different way now that I felt like I “knew” her. The premise of the book was interesting, and I appreciate the way she approached controversial topics with an open mind and a desire to learn. She summed it up best in her book saying “womanhood cannot be defined by rigid roles-roles shift and change. Roles don’t define us-our character does!”....she was clearly a woman of character and I credit this book for introducing me to the idea of “Eshet chayil” (women of valor)
A lot of this hit differently after Rachel's death and was just plain sad. I did enjoy it, though.
funny
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced