Reviews

Thrashing About with God: Finding Faith on the Other Side of Everything by Mandy Steward

brendalovesbooks's review against another edition

3.0

This wasn't bad by any means, but after awhile I just got tired of it. I got tired of it seeming like her main problem with Christianity was that it didn't mesh with her artistry. Unless I was just missing something. I did read it before bed at night and was sometimes tired.

I would have thought it would be more interesting for her to delve into why she seemed to be having a faith crisis. Instead it seemed like a lot of her talking about not knowing what she really believed, or if she believed something, and not wanting to conform or perform for other people.

Was that really all it was? That she wanted to be an artist and a rebel? Or did she struggle with certain tenets or beliefs of Christianity? That was just never really brought up that I can remember. And I feel like it would have been a much more interesting book if she had. But it was her book to write, and this was what she wanted to write. So there it is.

jewellspring's review against another edition

4.0

A gift to read. Honest. Tender. A book about a woman in process who knows it, stays open, and thrashes through being her authentic self with God, four children, her husband's church vocation, and in the depth of friendship. It only took me so long to read because I moved while reading and was able to get through about a chapter every other night or so. Great way to end my days. Thanks, Mandy.

karibaumann's review against another edition

2.0

I should start by saying that I am probably not the target audience for Thrashing About With God. Mandy Steward makes a point of saying that she knows she is not finished with this journey of grace, and I completely understand that. I hope I am never done learning about the mysteries of God either. But the sense I got from the book is that she is not settled with herself, that she still feels defensive about parts of her story like taking a break from church and not reading the Bible. This is understandable because she is a pastor’s wife, but it is also very far from the life that I live, and that made it hard to relate. I felt sorry for her a lot, because I felt like she was “thrashing about” with a confining view of Christianity more than she was “thrashing about with God” and that it’s likely that God isn’t as worried about some of her hangups with Christianity as she has been taught. In the end, I thought that the book would have benefited from further time for growth and reflection on her part: her story is worth telling but it did not feel ready yet. Some of her thoughts were beautiful, especially the ideas of light and dark that she returned to several times, but the book as a whole did not gel for me. Recommended for: people who liked the message of Grace for the Good Girl by Emily Freeman and the style of One Thousand Gifts by Ann Voskamp.

I will add that I have read her blog before and enjoyed it which is why I picked up the book.

lindsayvsmith's review

5.0

Vulnerable, funny and profound. I found so much of myself in her words, as I think many evangelicals will. What I loved about this book, though, was the grace woven throughout. It's not a church-bashing memoir- it's full of hope and God and, yes, even church (and community) done right. The author wasn't ashamed to say she didn't have all the answers, wrestling right up until the end, and I loved the transparency about that.

neyhart's review

4.0

For anyone who is struggling or has struggled with this messy thing called "faith". Read it and be blessed by gentle words of grace, and the knowledge that we are not alone.