Reviews

Abuelita Faith: What Women on the Margins Teach Us about Wisdom, Persistence, and Strength by Kat Armas

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hilaryannbrown's review

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3.0

Recognizes the importance of unnamed women in the formation of spiritual culture.

gw7's review

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challenging emotional hopeful informative inspiring medium-paced

4.5

Not the full 5 only because there were a few key theological points we disagree on, and I, in my personality, have always found the way to truth best through trusting all of God's words are uttered from within his goodness, and then working out what he meant in the midst of the human depravity he was speaking to- not working from, 'ok, what's the very real human justice that needs to be worked out in this story', to then 'what do God's words now necessarily mean?' May seem a small difference, but a very key one, and makes me glad I didn't read this earlier on in my faith as it may have hindered me personally slightly (but that's literally because of my personality and issues).

BUT- SO glad I've been able to read it now. Such an incredible book. Such wisdom in these pages. As Armas states very early on, this is not a theology book, but that does not mean that each and every point is not formidably theologically backed, and every point put forward argued directly from scripture. As mentioned above, I don't agree with every point she makes, in some cases quite severely so, but unlike in some texts, this book is so grounded in truth that it is very easy to pick it apart, take what I find necessary, and leave behind what doesn't resonate quite so much, theologically speaking.

Armas is a very engaging writer. I think the very fact of this not being a theology book, and yet being so rich in it, speaks of the fact so very much. Because nor is it a memoir. It is a Christian book at its very heart: she writes with joy and love and an exceptionally keen, well trained eye, from the very depths of suffering and injustice. It is inspiring, it is transforming. It has given me many, many texts to read off the back of it, a few quotes to remember, but mainly it has imbued me with a profound soul shift further in the direction of our Saviour. This is not the first text I have read outside what could be considered a 'classic' or 'cannon' of Christian interpretative readings, so I've definitely read some of these thoughts before, but I definitely think that even for a seasoned reader of these types of similar works- you will get something from this. It's an easy, short read as well, so you may as well! Readers used to more 'traditional' readings I feels may be tempted to throw out a lot of her teachings because of difference of theological opinion, but I would urge them not to. She is wise, learned, well read- she knows what she's talking about- they are perfectly respectable interpretations, even if I myself do not agree with them. I urge you to read this book, anyone and everyone.

alibbatir's review

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5.0

I won a copy of this book in a giveaway. It was one of three books and, truthfully, it was the one I was least excited about. I had never heard of Kat or her successful podcast (The Protaganistas). After watching In The Heights and being inspired by Abuela Claudia’s ‘paciencia y fe’, I remembered that Abuelita Faith was on my bookshelf and I decided to give it a read. I’m so glad I did. This book is beautiful. Kat Armas does an exceptional job walking the reader through her life, her culture, and the overlooked women of the Bible in a way that is inviting, humble, and brave. As someone who has been on a journey the last year to discover and learn from marginal voices of faith, Abuelita Faith was so life giving. Kat doesn’t shy away from the uncomfortable. Instead, she takes the reader’s hand and lovingly shows them how the Bible is full of the uncomfortable and how God uses the uncomfortable to grow us all.