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A review by taylorfield
All My Knotted-Up Life: A Memoir by Beth Moore
reflective
medium-paced
3.5
Long Story Short: Beth Moore, evangelist and founder of Living Proof Ministries, shares her life story in this vulnerable yet triumphant memoir.
I have never read any of Beth Moore's work, though at one point I did own Get Out of That Pit (not sure where it is at the moment), but I do recall the news of her break with the Southern Baptist Church in 2021 and the disgusting commentary from people who claim to love like Jesus loves that followed. As someone who was also reprimanded (though not on the same scale) for my reaction to Donald Trump's "grab her by the p****" comment and the hypocritical response from people I knew went to church every Sunday, I have a lot of respect for her speaking up when it was easier to be quiet.
This memoir, particularly the audiobook, feels like a conversation with a friend. Beth Moore certainly has a way with words, and her descriptions of her stories, especially from her younger years, made me feel like I was in the moment. Her heartbreak, grief, and joy were palpable.
Moore writes at length about the role of the patriarchy, sexism, and a woman's place in the church, but it's clear to see the impact of the three on her life outside of the church as well. And while it's obvious that problematic behavior by men (and women, but mostly men) impacted her home life, church life, and career, Moore went very easy (too easy, in my opinion) on them. There are brief mentions of their hypocrisy, such as the atrocious behavior of her father and the response to her tweets about Trump, as well as blatant sexism in the church, like cherry-picking Scripture to silence women and downright disrespect of her career. When her husband is basically on his death bed, she worries that she is overstepping her role as a submissive wife when having to make decisions for her family while hearing nonsense from "God-fearing" and "Christian" individuals about her being too masculine in her marriage. Moore speaks about "knowing her place" in the church, so I suppose this light tap on the hand of a corrupt system is likely a symptom of being shamed for decades. All I can say is that she's certainly nicer than any of them deserve.
Enjoyment: 3/5
Craft: 4/5
Overall: 3.5/5
I have never read any of Beth Moore's work, though at one point I did own Get Out of That Pit (not sure where it is at the moment), but I do recall the news of her break with the Southern Baptist Church in 2021 and the disgusting commentary from people who claim to love like Jesus loves that followed. As someone who was also reprimanded (though not on the same scale) for my reaction to Donald Trump's "grab her by the p****" comment and the hypocritical response from people I knew went to church every Sunday, I have a lot of respect for her speaking up when it was easier to be quiet.
This memoir, particularly the audiobook, feels like a conversation with a friend. Beth Moore certainly has a way with words, and her descriptions of her stories, especially from her younger years, made me feel like I was in the moment. Her heartbreak, grief, and joy were palpable.
Moore writes at length about the role of the patriarchy, sexism, and a woman's place in the church, but it's clear to see the impact of the three on her life outside of the church as well. And while it's obvious that problematic behavior by men (and women, but mostly men) impacted her home life, church life, and career, Moore went very easy (too easy, in my opinion) on them. There are brief mentions of their hypocrisy, such as the atrocious behavior of her father and the response to her tweets about Trump, as well as blatant sexism in the church, like cherry-picking Scripture to silence women and downright disrespect of her career. When her husband is basically on his death bed, she worries that she is overstepping her role as a submissive wife when having to make decisions for her family while hearing nonsense from "God-fearing" and "Christian" individuals about her being too masculine in her marriage. Moore speaks about "knowing her place" in the church, so I suppose this light tap on the hand of a corrupt system is likely a symptom of being shamed for decades. All I can say is that she's certainly nicer than any of them deserve.
Enjoyment: 3/5
Craft: 4/5
Overall: 3.5/5
Content Warnings
Moderate: Sexual assault, Mental illness, and Child abuse