A Year of Biblical Womanhood

Nov 11, 2012 Crystal Starr Light rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: christian, non-fiction, so-good-it-s-awesome

Biblical womanhood is a concept that any religious woman inwardly cringes at. It's this ephemeral picture of the ideal woman that seems to change depending on whom you are talking to. From my experience, it usually consists of the following:

+ Proverbs 31 woman (of course)

+ Submitting to your husband

+ Not taking a position of leadership in the church (elders, pastor, etc.)

+ BABIES! FAMILIES! WIFEHOOD!

+ Don't show too much skin! Don't want the boys to slip and fall into the abyss of their lusts!

+...more

21 likes · like · see review

Nov 30, 2012 Kristina rated it 4 of 5 stars

I wish I could give it 3.5 stars, but I'll give it the benefit of the doubt. Let me say off the bat that her hermeneutical methods are shaky (how we apply the Old Testament after Christ and through the lens of Peter's vision regarding clean/unclean, etc.) so I am going to choose to stick with my complementarian worldview. For a good explanation of why I have trouble with her background assumptions, see Kathy Keller's review of the book (see blogosphere for that one.) However, the book itself is...more

5 likes · like · see review

Jan 02, 2013 K rated it 4 of 5 stars

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 al...more 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.(less)

1 like · like · see review

Jan 07, 2013 Ashleigh rated it 4 of 5 stars

I didn't think I would like this book because I thought it was mocking the Bible but I was pleasantly surprised. I enjoyed reading it and it challenged my thinking on a few topics. However, I read Kathy Keller's review on this book and she brought up some good points about Rachel's theology. So, book was great to read, enjoyable, funny.. but not entirely theologically accurate.

2 likes · like · see review

Nov 22, 2012 Colette added it

Great writing, easy to follow.

I love the blog, so I thought I'd support her by getting the ebook. I enjoyed her perspective on Biblical women and passages that I'm pretty familiar with, and I appreciated learning new things about Proverbs 31. I think she's brave for taking on what she does and remaining firmly committed to an evangelical expression of christianity.

I felt a little half-hearted about some of her experiments, and wished she had been more clear about why she chose to do them. For in...more

like · see review

Apr 26, 2013 Rebecca rated it 4 of 5 stars

I read this in a book club with close friends, but I highly recommend this book for every women’s bible study! Evans explores one attribute of traditional biblical womanhood each month: gentleness, domesticity, obedience, valor, beauty, modesty, purity, fertility, submission, justice, silence, and grace. She carefully and respectfully considers the different interpretations of each quality, ranging from Orthodox Jewish to conservative evangelical Christian to Amish to Quaker.

In our book club me...more I read this in a book club with close friends, but I highly recommend this book for every women’s bible study! Evans explores one attribute of traditional biblical womanhood each month: gentleness, domesticity, obedience, valor, beauty, modesty, purity, fertility, submission, justice, silence, and grace. She carefully and respectfully considers the different interpretations of each quality, ranging from Orthodox Jewish to conservative evangelical Christian to Amish to Quaker.

In our book club meeting, a friend commented that a book, especially a memoir, with a preset premise is often not as appealing as one written retroactively about a significant emotional/spiritual/intellectual experience as you can’t schedule an epiphany each month. On the one hand I whole-heartedly agree with this statement, as this kind of memoir is becoming over used and formulaic. However, as I think about it now, I also found Evans more intellectual, planned approach to this memoir very appealing and rewarding to read about actually because she does not have an epiphany in each chapter. To me, this mirrors real life. There are times when we learn and grow in leaps and bounds spiritually, and other times we walk along with our Bible studies as usual, not necessarily struggling, but also not experiencing religious revelation.

I found Evan’s lessons learned at the end of her year of biblical womanhood quite moving. She summarizes 10 “New Year’s Resolutions” based on her studies and experiences. These include (applicable biblical attribute in parenthesis added by me): cook a new recipe each month (domesticity); eat more ethically (justice); identify and praise women of valor (valor); embrace the prospect of motherhood (fertility), nurture the contemplative instinct (gentleness and silence); make room for ritual and remembrance (gentleness and obedience); champion women leaders in the church (all); work for education and empowerment of women around the world (justice); honor her husband (domesticity, obedience, and submission); and keep loving, studying, and struggling with the Bible (all).

I encourage you to read and discuss this book with the other Christian (and Jewish!) women in your life, as I believe it will broaden and strengthen your journey as well.
(less)

2 likes · like · see review

Apr 26, 2013 Shannon rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: faith, nonfiction

I read A Year of Biblical Womanhood with my book club. I was glad to see this book as one of our choices when a friend offered her suggestions for this month's read. I read Evolving in Monkey Town: How a Girl Who Knew All the Answers Learned to Ask the Questions a few months ago and have been reading Rachel Held Evans' blog since then, so I think I would have gotten around to reading this book even without our book club. I'm thankful we read and discussed this book because I think that's one thi...more I read A Year of Biblical Womanhood with my book club. I was glad to see this book as one of our choices when a friend offered her suggestions for this month's read. I read Evolving in Monkey Town: How a Girl Who Knew All the Answers Learned to Ask the Questions a few months ago and have been reading Rachel Held Evans' blog since then, so I think I would have gotten around to reading this book even without our book club. I'm thankful we read and discussed this book because I think that's one thing Evans does best - prompt discussion about difficult and/or divisive topics in the church.

There was a lot I liked about this book. Evans did a better job than I've read elsewhere of explaining some of the original context for Paul's statements in his epistles about women. She also brought engagement with the Bible alongside a willingness to struggle with the text. I think that is the middle ground I desire to walk. I want to be willing to engage in struggle with God and other believers about the texts I find troublesome and, in doing so, learn more of who God is.

What I disliked most about this book was the way Evans kept her emotions at arms length. The book was far more head than heart and while I appreciated her scholastic approach to these issues, I wanted to have a better feel for what was going on inside her. I wanted to see that she didn't just follow God because it is the right thing to do, but because she loves him. That didn't come through for me - her faith seems very rational throughout.

I also agree with one of my book club friends that a book based on a preset premise is nearly doomed to fail. As she said, "You can schedule an epiphany for every month." Had Evans decided to tackle these questions and issues in a more natural way, perhaps the resulting book would have felt more natural and heartfelt. Evolving in Monkey Town, Evans' memoir of growing up evangelical, didn't strike me as having the same head/heart disconnect, so maybe my issues with this book are intrinsically linked to the book's genesis.

All of this being said, if you are a woman of faith who struggles with ideas like submission, justice, modesty and the roles of men and women, I highly recommend this book. If you've ever felt like you aren't the right "kind" of woman to be a Christian, I recommend this book - Evans shows how God doesn't ask us each to be one type of woman - he wants us to be who we were made to be.(less)

2 likes · like · see review

Apr 22, 2013 Scarlett Sims rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: leisure, nook, real, religious

The basic premise is this: Rachel Held Evans spent a year following the Bible's commandments to women as literally as she could. She didn't do everything for the whole year, instead focusing on different aspects each month. She interviewed and researched women of different faith traditions to find out more about how they interpreted various aspects of Scripture. The point of the book wasn't to say that we need to be doing all of these things, or that we shouldn't do any of them. Rather, it was a...more

like · see review

Apr 21, 2013 Nancy rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: book-group-ideas, mom-read-2013, memoirs

I find myself jealous these days when I read excellent prose, because I find writing painfully difficult, often impossible, this week/month/year, and I'm rarely happy with the result when I do finally finish a column/project/etc.

Rachel Held Evans writes really, really well, but I'm not holding it against her because "A Year of Biblical Womanhood" is so darn interesting. She spends each month of a year trying to live out a different biblical womanly virtue--obedience, valor, etc. It's a bit arti...more

like · see review

Apr 16, 2013 Gail rated it 3 of 5 stars

In response to the “contemporary biblical womanhood movement” - largely organized around the proposition that “the only sphere in which a woman can truly bring glory to God is the home” - feminist and Evangelical Christian Rachel Held Evans set aside a year to explore and write about “biblical womanhood.” I wish she’d taken more time and done it right.

Rather than adopting the practices of any one group of women claiming to live biblically, Held Evans pulled bits and pieces of several faiths - in...more In response to the “contemporary biblical womanhood movement” - largely organized around the proposition that “the only sphere in which a woman can truly bring glory to God is the home” - feminist and Evangelical Christian Rachel Held Evans set aside a year to explore and write about “biblical womanhood.” I wish she’d taken more time and done it right.

Rather than adopting the practices of any one group of women claiming to live biblically, Held Evans pulled bits and pieces of several faiths - including Orthodox Judaism - to create a series of fairly arbitrary projects and rules for herself. Though I found the random, self-conscious, and haphazard (she admits many of her efforts have a slapdash feel) nature of the experiment irksome, I must admit that this approach dovetails nicely with her ultimate conclusion: “For those who count the Bible as sacred, interpretation is not a matter of whether to pick and choose, but how to pick and choose. We are all selective. . . . When we turn the Bible into an adjective and stick it in front of another loaded word [like womanhood] . . . we tend to ignore or downplay the parts of the Bible that don’t fit our tastes. . . . So after twelve months of ‘biblical womanhood,’ I’d arrived at the rather unconventional conclusion that[] there is no such thing. The Bible does not present us with a single model for womanhood and the notion that it contains a sort of one-size-fits-all formula for how to be a woman of faith is a myth.”

Structured around a month spent examining a particular value (like, “purity”), each chapter contains fascinating biblical anecdotes, far less interesting descriptions of the author’s process, and saccharine lessons learned (e.g., “[P]urity is found not in the body, but in the heart” and “In silence, it seemed, I had finally found my voice”). Sprinkled sparingly throughout the book are glimpses of the wit which must be what makes Held Evans such a popular blogger (my favorite: “Going into this project, I was determined to avoid the whole crumple-to-the-kitchen-floor-in-a-heap-of-sobs bit, as it’s getting a tad cliche, don’t you think? So I feel it’s important to note that I didn’t crumple to the kitchen floor in a heap of sobs; I just happened to be sitting on the kitchen floor when I started to cry.”). Perhaps if she hadn’t written the book while living it, her reflections would have been marked by greater ease and humor.

Held Evans does, however, accomplish one truly impressive feat. Thanks to her religious background and seemingly exhaustive research, she speaks the language of “the modern biblical womanhood movement” and in so doing manages to be quite critical of certain lifestyle choices without assuming an outsider’s uninformed, skeptical, condescending, and judgmental air: “Women should not have to pry equality from the grip of Christian men. It should be surrendered willingly, with the humanity and love of Jesus, or else we miss the once radical teaching that slaves and masters, parents and children, husbands and wives, rich and poor, healthy and sick, should ‘submit to one another’ (Ephesians 5:21).”

Overall, the book is interesting but not riveting. Amusing but not funny. Thought-provoking but not profound. I admire and appreciate Held Evans’s effort, but I can’t beat back the feeling that both the experiment and book could have been much more.(less)

2 likes · like · see review

Feb 23, 2013 Bethany rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: books-for-kelly

This book was exactly for me. Growing up reading the Bible, hearing what "God requires of women" being beaten over the head -so to speak- with what it means to be a woman of God for so long that I wondered if I even wanted to be whatever THAT was.

I wasn't freed from all that -- this book will not tell you to be whatever you want, with no responsibility to read the Word and find out for yourself... What it DID do for me was give me a lot of perspective.

Perspective into how I've viewed aspects of...more

like · see review

Feb 09, 2013 Amanda Mae rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: religion

When I saw this book in a catalog at work, I was more tickled at the idea. I've discovered over the last few years that I am fascinated by religion and religious culture - not just of my own faith, but of many others. I love learning how others interpret scripture, and how traditions are made and kept. I ordered this book for my library, and checked it out as soon as I saw it on the New Releases shelf. I found that the author is a liberal-leaning evangelical Christian, and was then REALLY intrig...more When I saw this book in a catalog at work, I was more tickled at the idea. I've discovered over the last few years that I am fascinated by religion and religious culture - not just of my own faith, but of many others. I love learning how others interpret scripture, and how traditions are made and kept. I ordered this book for my library, and checked it out as soon as I saw it on the New Releases shelf. I found that the author is a liberal-leaning evangelical Christian, and was then REALLY intrigued to read it!

Very quickly it is evident that this book and project were inspired by A.J. Jacobs' "Year of Living Biblically" -- another book I was fascinated by. This one, naturally, is the woman's perspective, and while there are overlaps in some ways, I gained a lot from this book simply because I am a woman, and it is a story for ME. It also reminded me a lot of Jana Reiss' "Flunking Sainthood," with a nod to Julie Powell's "Julie and Julia." And while the whole "do something in a year" idea can be a little hokey (and I think even the author of this book thought that at times), it still is an interesting approach to learning and growing and gaining.

I thoroughly enjoyed "A Year of Biblical Womanhood." Many of the questions and doubts Evans had as she approached the project I have, too, and it was comforting to see that it's not just Mormon Feminists who have some of these thoughts and crises. Each month, Evans had a different virtue to focus on and approach, like Charity, Modesty, or Silence, as well as her own "ten commandments" that she kept throughout the year for consistency, like covering her head whenever she prayed, or submitting to her husband. (BOY did that one take some interesting turns!) And I have to say, her husband is one sweet, encouraging, long-suffering man who helped make this book what it is. (Which reminded me of when my dad went to see the film Julie & Julia, and I made a crack about him seeing a chick-flick. He responded in a way that reminds me why my dad is amazing and why I love him so much, "I didn't see it so much as a chick-flick, but as a movie about husbands supporting their wives." *cue eyes welling up with tears*)

This book gained brownie points with me early on in the chapter on Domesticity, when Evans brings up the story of Mary & Martha, which tends to not get used in the best ways. She recalls carrying around her Precious Moments Bible as a kid, with a picture of the Mary & Martha scene - Mary looking pious as the Virgin Mother at the feet of Christ, and Martha looking like a harried ugly stepsister. Evans' approach to the story I found much more satisfying, and will probably be something I will refer to in future talks and lessons I give in church for awhile to come. Something clicked in me when I read it, and I really want other people to think about her interpretation.

She strikes up a lively correspondence with the wife of a rabbi, a delightful lady who offers wonderful insights to Hebrew words and phrases, and to Jewish tradition. Those gems alone are worth reading the book. Evans makes a trip to Bolivia that brough tears to my eyes, and reminds me that whatever problems I may think I have, are miniscule compared to the plight of some of the women she met. She describes stories of women from the Bible, comparing interpretations and showing that so many of these women get condemned or forgotten for no real reason other than merely being women. She demonstrates the importance of them all, and how pivotal they were to history and gospel, and how faith-building their stories are.

I think this a great book for women of religious convictions who still have questions regarding their roles in their faith. It's comforting to see a woman like that undergo a project like this that is so faith-affirming, in addition to being funny and entertaining.

Eshet chayil! Woman of valor!(less)

2 likes · like · see review

Jan 18, 2013 Colleenish rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: for-fun, god-books, women-s-issues, social-justice

Evans gave each month a theme and then tried to live out what Scriptures said about that theme. She did things like praising her husband at the city enterance and practice silence. She confronted the parts of the Bible that make me cringe. She lives in a tent while on her period. She quits talking in church. And then she comes to conclusions that don't dismiss those scriptures as b.s., but don't let them rob women of their humanity either.

I didn't mean to like this book very much. I struggle wi...more

1 like · like · see review

Jan 18, 2013 Kelly rated it 5 of 5 stars

I received a free copy of this book from the publisher.

When I just started to read A Year of Biblical Womanhood, I discovered that it had been described as putting the Bible "on trial "in the court of Rachel Held Evans, where she would be the "prosecution, judge, and jury" who would have the "final word on womanhood."

I read and read and read, but I never got to that part. I guess my copy must have excluded it (the publisher send me an actual copy and not an "Advanced Review Copy", so maybe that...more

like · see review

Jan 09, 2013 Elizabeth rated it 4 of 5 stars

Rachel Held Evans has caused quite a stir in the Christian blogosphere this past year. She caused controversy with her Week of Mutuality, and her call-out of some guys over at Gospel Coalition for plugging their ears to the complaints of their fellow Christians in regards to strong and intimidating language to describe a Christian sexual ethic. She pushes the envelop by discussing the ethical and ecclesiastical issues surrounding the LGBTQ community. So I expected her book, A Year of Biblical Wo...more Rachel Held Evans has caused quite a stir in the Christian blogosphere this past year. She caused controversy with her Week of Mutuality, and her call-out of some guys over at Gospel Coalition for plugging their ears to the complaints of their fellow Christians in regards to strong and intimidating language to describe a Christian sexual ethic. She pushes the envelop by discussing the ethical and ecclesiastical issues surrounding the LGBTQ community. So I expected her book, A Year of Biblical Womanhood: How a Liberated Woman Found Herself Sitting on Her Roof, Covering Her Head, and Calling Her Husband "Master", to provoke me, to maybe even offend me at some points.

It turns out this book is quite less offensive than some paint it to be.

Rachel uses a humor that mostly engages those who disagree, rather than pushing them away. The project, even though it is the hinge of the story, is not really the point of the book. Rather it is used by Rachel as a tool to illustrate the evangelical habit of squeezing infallible rules out of the Bible that were put there by a projection of our own bias onto the text. I thought it was an ingenious method which enabled Rachel to criticize the evangelical community without sounding like a holier-than-thou, set-apart, progressive-brand Christian. She sounded like one of us. The humor seemed not to point and laugh at others, but to laugh at herself together with us, illuminating our problem to push towards more constructive conversation.

Although the writing style is not my preference, I would not hesitate to recommend this book to anyone thinking about the role of women in marriage and church. Even if you don't agree with her, Rachel offers legitimate critiques of the strong complementarian model offered in conservative evangelical circles.

I would also recommend this to women in general. Rachel talks about the pressures of womanhood with candor, wit, and humility. Even though three chapters in, I was sure I wouldn't be saying "Me, too" to this book (after all, what does a working class, wish-i-was-a-stay-at-home-mom have in common with a career driven childless internet-famous writer?), it wasn't long before I almost cried thinking of my own fears and inadequacies as a mother, wife, and woman in a modern day context, which Rachel so eloquently addressed.

So, give it a read. It is being offered for only $1.99 on Kindle, and for that price, it is a must-have.
(less)

1 like · like · see review

Jan 08, 2013 Rebecca Manor rated it 4 of 5 stars

This book has proven to be unsurprisingly controversial in American Evangelical circles, but I enjoyed it. A Year of Biblical Womanhood is Rachel Held Evans’ attempt to understand exactly what the bible says about what it means to be a woman. For one year she concentrates on a characteristic or aspect of womanhood (ex. submission, purity, silence) and takes a very literal approach to exploring it. For example she “praises her husband at the city gates” by standing at the entrance to her town wit...more

1 like · like · see review

Jan 06, 2013 Laura rated it 4 of 5 stars

I was already familiar with the author's voice from reading her blog, and was excited to read her reflections on what might constitute godly behaviour from women. I also read A.J Jacobs' 'Year of Living Biblically', and enjoyed it, but I feel I got more out of this book because it was written from a woman's perspective, and by someone for whom religion is already a big part of life. I found the book funny, thought-provoking and, especially when she wrote about her relationship with her husband (...more

like · see review

Jan 04, 2013 Emily rated it 4 of 5 stars

I was a little skeptical about the gimmick component of this project-- RHE spends an entire year trying to follow the Bible's commands for women as literally as possible-- but pleasantly surprised at the biblical analysis and personal revelations that came from it. The book was both funnier and more poignant than I expected.

The book doesn't break any new theological ground, but presents a wide range of views on women's role in the church in a conversational, easy-to-understand manner. I apprecia...more I was a little skeptical about the gimmick component of this project-- RHE spends an entire year trying to follow the Bible's commands for women as literally as possible-- but pleasantly surprised at the biblical analysis and personal revelations that came from it. The book was both funnier and more poignant than I expected.

The book doesn't break any new theological ground, but presents a wide range of views on women's role in the church in a conversational, easy-to-understand manner. I appreciate RHE's willingness to engage in dialogue with groups that I've long given up on. This is the kind of book I would feel comfortable recommending to most Christian women I know.

I feel like some of the strongest components are her interactions with biblical texts. I appreciated her personal insights on Carolyn Curtis James' unpacking of Proverbs 31, not as a task list, but as a celebration of strong women. This is a concept that I hope continues to pervade mainstream Christian thought. Additionally, I found her interaction with the Bible's texts of terror to be reverent and important. Far too often, these incredibly violent, traumatic passages about how women were treated go overlooked.

I had a few issues with her chapter on international empowerment, but I think these stem primarily from my issues with her source materials. I appreciate Nicholas Kristof and Cheryl DuWunn's research in "Half the Sky," and their concept that globally women present an opportunity not a problem. However, I find that Kristof tends to dramatically over-simplify complex international economic problems, casting people in developing nations as either evil villains or victims in need of saving, most problematically, at times, casting himself in a savior role. This is most clear in his writing on sex work, which often denies the women he depicts any agency.

Additionally, I know RHE is not a journalist, but I question the ethics of how much she relied on a public relations trip, paid for by World Vision, as a source of anecdotes and a solution to how Americans can address women's development internationally. I recognize that World Vision does some good work, but the organization is not free from criticism. I felt this chapter needed more research, given the complexity of the statements she was trying to make about international justice and the patriarchy. These are not simple problems, and conscientious consumerism and child sponsorships, while a good start, are not adequate in addressing them.

Overall, I enjoyed the book and think it is starting wonderful conversations about the role of women in Christianity, I just felt that several portions would have been improved with additional research.

(less)

3 likes · like · see review

Jan 02, 2013 Kelly rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I really enjoyed A Year of Biblical Womanhood, for a number of reasons. As a Christian, a wife, and a mom, there are so many sources out there telling me what I "should" be doing.

The moment I read her discovery about the Proverbs 31 woman, and the concept of what "eshet chayil" truly means, I knew I would be hooked. She truly did not disappoint. From meeting with Amish and Old Quaker congregations, to her new Jewish friend in Israel, to spending time at St. Bernard's Abbey with the Benedictine...more

like · see review

Dec 14, 2012 Katharine rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: christian, nonfic

I really liked A Year of Biblical Womanhood overall.

Good things: very well-written, in an easy-to-read, personable, and relatable style, but mostly (with a few exceptions) avoiding folksiness or fakeness. There are some passages that were lightning flashes of insight for me, that I'd like to go back and reread.

Unfortunately, they were interspersed with moments that seemed out of place or, in the worst case, caused me to cringe a bit. Why is this? I think it's because RHE couldn't resist the te...more I really liked A Year of Biblical Womanhood overall.

Good things: very well-written, in an easy-to-read, personable, and relatable style, but mostly (with a few exceptions) avoiding folksiness or fakeness. There are some passages that were lightning flashes of insight for me, that I'd like to go back and reread.

Unfortunately, they were interspersed with moments that seemed out of place or, in the worst case, caused me to cringe a bit. Why is this? I think it's because RHE couldn't resist the temptation to dilute her purpose a bit. Her stated reason for writing the book was to explore everything the Bible instructs women, no matter how obscure. Along with this, she makes the point throughout the book that we need to be very careful with Biblical interpretation, especially not assuming that it jives nicely with suburban American culture. I really like this point, because it's something that's fascinated me for several years now. I like her emphasis on not judging other women by some self-righteous standard checklist.

HOWEVER, she seems to have a secondary, hidden purpose of exposing the more extremist sides of complementarianism. Or possibly, reacting to (southern?) Evangelical cultural stereotypes. That's okay, I guess, because I tend to agree with most of her conclusions, but I think it muddies the waters a bit. And this is where her sillier stunts come from, the ones that seem out of place or cringe-worthy. I really wish she'd left out the part about visiting the etiquette coach, for instance - what does that have to do with the Bible? Or what does it prove? Nothing, except that RHE sees herself as an outsider to stereotypical Southern female culture, perhaps. (But she's not writing about Southern culture, she's writing about Biblical culture.) I also dislike the sitting-on-the-roof stunt. The "Jar of Contention" was interesting and I think she teaches herself some lessons, but the sitting on the roof seems designed for nothing other than to attract attention. And those are just in the first chapter, which is one of the weaker chapters, but each section has its silly moments.

Interestingly, either she or her publisher chose to really play up these aspects of the book for marketing, perhaps hoping to ride on the controversy. What's on the cover of the book? Sitting on the roof and calling her husband master (in the subtitle) and the illustration shows the same. I think this is a huge mistake. That's not what the book is ABOUT, overall. It's about Biblical interpretation. I think RHE would have been wiser to focus in on that and leave her readers to draw their own conclusions about extremist views. I don't mind that she addresses complementarianism in the relevant chapters, and she makes some excellent points, but by focusing on extremist and silly literalism she does skirt awfully close to the edge of straw-man argument. I wish she had discussed the pros and cons of the more reasonable (and therefore potentially more attractive) points of view.

I'm not even a complementarian, as such, and I can see why some of her critics became instantaneously defensive here. Most of the critiques are unfounded and come from people who didn't actually bother to read, and I find that kind of attack reprehensible. But they were provoked by the idea that this book is oh-so-radical and irreverent, which it really isn't. I think she would have fostered more useful discussion, but perhaps sold fewer books, who knows - if she had avoided the stunts.

So again, mostly very strong, I enjoyed it and found it thought-provoking. In fact my regret at the controversy-provoking bits is mainly because I think her overall message is so important and I really want everyone to be able to hear it, whether complementarian or not. (less)

like · see review

Dec 07, 2012 Terri Lynn rated it 1 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: are-you-kidding-or-are-you-crazy, author-is-an-idiot, author-should-be-taken-out-and-shot, nonfiction

I have a close female friend who was strongly brainwashed into believing in Christian mythology. At some level she knows it is all just old myths and made up by sexist men but when the brainwashing goes on during childhood, there are fears that worm their way in.This is why I think proselytizing to children ought to be a crime punishable by prison time for child abuse. No one should mess with a child's mind in such a manner.

I love this friend like a sister and offer her lovely Atheist books t...more I have a close female friend who was strongly brainwashed into believing in Christian mythology. At some level she knows it is all just old myths and made up by sexist men but when the brainwashing goes on during childhood, there are fears that worm their way in.This is why I think proselytizing to children ought to be a crime punishable by prison time for child abuse. No one should mess with a child's mind in such a manner.

I love this friend like a sister and offer her lovely Atheist books to help her in her struggle but unfortunately she is still given crap like this from alarmed friends and family who fear she will stop drinking the kool-aid. Even she flinched at reading this and was so aghast, she asked me to read it and discuss it with her, offering my own opinions.Since I love her, I did so.

What do I think of this book? Well, Goodreads won't let me use the language this deserves so I will try to be more delicate. This book isn't fit to be read by anyone. Rachel Evans is an idiot who wasted a whole year of her life becoming her husband's dog and denigrating herself to the level of a muddy door mat many dirty feet have stamped upon. She covered her head while praying to the Big Penis in the Sky who is her boss. Funny how men can convince gullible women that a penis was what gave birth to all life. She camped outside during her period because it made her unclean. Of course biblical mythology sees women as dirty, nasty creatures only fit to be obedient dogs, so why not. This essentially means she buys into the idea that women are inferior and unclean and need to be obedient dogs.

She panted like a dog at her husband, called him "Master" the way any good slave would, and stood around in public holding signs praising her husband by name. She forced herself to sit on the roof to punish herself for imperfections (according to the bible, that is).

Women, rise up and free yourselves. The bible was written by sexist men. There is no god. There was no Jesus. It's all fairy tales and the joke is on you. Quit bowing to big penises in the sky and little ones in your bedroom. You are not a dog nor a doormat. Your period is not unclean. You deserve no penance for thinking. Get that damned rag off of your head and be an adult woman, calling no one master. Slave days are past.

I recommend this only for fools and idiots who have no self-respect for themselves and no respect for women in general. (less)

2 likes · like · see review

Dec 01, 2012 Beth rated it 4 of 5 stars

Generally, I enjoyed this book and how it challenged my thinking. Rachel shared her experiences in a humorous, touching, and easily accessible way. Some of my frustrations had more to do with the choices she made of her experiment, and not with the writing or story telling.

The title led me to make the assumption that the changes she would make to live "a year of biblical womanhood" would be changes she would maintain for the entire year. I was a bit dismayed, and maybe even frustrated, to learn...more

like · see review

Nov 23, 2012 Rachel Rosenthal rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

If I were to believe the content of many Christian books on womanhood when they say that my "highest calling" as a woman is to be an excellent wife and mother, I would essentially be forced to conclude that, at (almost) 27 and unmarried, my life doesn't have any purpose yet. In addition to this, I would also be forced to conclude that I had been categorically wrong for the 20-something years that I have been going around thinking that my highest calling is to follow Jesus and aim to please Him i...more If I were to believe the content of many Christian books on womanhood when they say that my "highest calling" as a woman is to be an excellent wife and mother, I would essentially be forced to conclude that, at (almost) 27 and unmarried, my life doesn't have any purpose yet. In addition to this, I would also be forced to conclude that I had been categorically wrong for the 20-something years that I have been going around thinking that my highest calling is to follow Jesus and aim to please Him in EVERYTHING I do, whether single or married, parent or childless. This, to be blunt, makes no sense, and the dissemination of such ideas has been perpetuating the subjugation and degradation of women in the church for far too long, in my opinion.

I've long been frustrated with this and other gaping holes left in the doctrine of church traditions that subscribe to complementarianism and other such beliefs that, in essence, boil down to gender hierarchy. As I get older, I become more comforted in knowing that I am not the only one who notices and is boggled by the selective theology of groups which claim that their interpretation of what the Bible says about "womanhood" is the ONLY way to interpret Scripture (and, by extension, live one's life). Rachel does a fantastic job at highlighting some of these holes and raises the same questions that I've been asking for years. She restates what should be obvious, that in order to glean wisdom from the counsel of the Word of God, we have to consume the WHOLE Word of God to see what it actually says. And when we do, specifically with a view toward embodying Biblical womanhood, what we see is that even in the presence of sundry groups which would say that their prescription has the corner market on what the Bible says women should or should not be, there is no single, solitary picture presented like this in Scripture. The women we find in Scripture who are presented to us as "women of valor" (eshet chayil!) are at times as different from each other as they could possibly be. Some were leaders, some were (at times) liars; some were mothers, some were barren; some are acclaimed for their unwavering belief in God, some went down in Biblical history for doubt and even for idol worship. It's tough to pull one vision of ideal "Biblical womanhood" from the actual women of the Bible. In the end, it seems like we're best off with loving the Lord our God with all our hearts, minds, souls, and strength...oh wait, that's true for men too.

I'm very thankful to be planted in a church culture where women are seen as legitimately equal in every arena, and just as likely to be called of God for service in ANY capacity in His kingdom. I realize this isn't the case everywhere; and thus, I'm also thankful for Rachel's voice in the cacophony of opinions on this subject, as well as others like her who raise the sometimes daring and controversial idea that women are no less gifted, capable, equipped for leadership, called, visionary, and prophetic than men. Especially in the church. (less)

2 likes · like · see review

Nov 20, 2012 Meg86 rated it 5 of 5 stars

I find that I relate to Rachel a lot, as I'm sure many women who picked up this book do. I love my Lord with all my heart, soul, mind, and strength, but I struggle with the Bible. Not in a "throw it away, it's oppressing me!" way, but in the way that I frequently come across a chapter or verse that pricks at my soul and honestly confuses me and scares me. Rachel Held Evans has beautifully demonstrated how the Bible continues to morph itself to serve us and allow us to serve our God. Each challen...more

2 likes · like · see review

Nov 20, 2012 Erin Thomas rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: favorites

I had been waiting for this book for months. Yep, I was one of those book nerds purchasing a copy in advance and one of those "feminazis" undermining biblical family structures with a single career (who the heck assigns these power structures anyway???). With tongue firmly planted in cheek, Rachel sets out to live a full year literally as a biblical woman -- well, as close to as possible. Yet with the humour and easy relationship with the reader, there is a depth of research that undergirds Rach...more

like · see review

Nov 18, 2012 Karen Zacharias rated it 4 of 5 stars

C’mon into the confession booth with me.
I suffer from a little-known disorder: Berryism.
No. That doesn’t mean I’m allergic to berries of any sort. I like them all. Rasberries. Blueberries. Strawberries.
It has nothing to do with those kind of berries at all.
This disorder is defined by my great aversion to all things gadgetry & gimmicky. I haven’t played a video game since Mario was running the tops of sky-scrapers. I haven’t wasted a moment of my life playing Angry Birds. I’d much rather sit...more

4 likes · like · see review

Nov 16, 2012 Jessica Harmon rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I expected to like this book. I have loved Rachel Held Evans' blog for years. Her posts during her "Year of Biblical Womanhood" were entertaining as Rachel stumbled through learning to cook and sew. They were thought provoking as she struggled through difficult Bible passages. Her blog posts were inspiring as she campaigned for women of valor throughout the world.

And the book was more than twice as good.

There were several times when Rachel wrote something that echoed my thoughts so exactly it wa...more

1 like · like · see review

Nov 16, 2012 Crystal rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2012

I'm a huge fan of Rachel Held Evans and this book does not disappoint. Well-written and humorous, she takes tough passages in the Bible, related to women, and explores what modern life might look like if we lived those passages literally. I know there's been a lot of hoopla about how she misconstrues the Bible, but I didn't find that to be the case at all. She has done solid research and simply lays out a different way to view Biblical passages.

This book would be a fantastic small group study fo...more

1 like · like · see review

Nov 13, 2012 Cheryl rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: quest

When first opening the book I think everyone will be justified in wondering if it will be gimmicky. To those of us in the liberal churches, Rachel's quest is pretty much unnecessary and the fierce reactions it has garnered are incomprehensible. So, does the book hold up as a piece of "spiritual quest" literature on its own?

I would say, "Yes."

The weak point in the author's quest is that she has so many many tasks to fit into each month that she bounces from one to the next without some of them b...more

1 like · like · see review

Nov 07, 2012 Anna rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: non-fiction, religion, christianity, evangelical, self-challenge

Well, I never expected to pick up a book like this because, let's face it, I have roughly as much religion in me as a rock, and possibly even less. However, the book came both highly praised and reviled by people whose other writing I greatly respect, so I figured the best way to form an opinion was to actually read it, so here we are. (Although why you're here I cannot fathom.)

To summarize the novel, it's a story of a real woman (Evans) who spends one entire year living the various parts of the...more

3 likes · like · see review

title link	preview: A Year of Biblical Womanhood
avg rating	preview: A Year of Biblical Womanhood Goodreads rating: 3.99 (1647 ratings)
small image	preview: click here [close]
med image	preview: click here [close]
BBCode	[url=https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13544022-a-year-of-biblical-womanhood?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_book][img]https://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/books/1357164660l/13544022.jpg[/img][/url] [url=https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13544022-a-year-of-biblical-womanhood?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_book]A Year of Biblical Womanhood by Rachel Held Evans[/url]

A Year of Biblical Womanhood

Friend Reviews

Lists with This Book

Community Reviews

new topic
Discuss This Book

combine
Other Editions (11)

Genres

Readers also enjoyed similar books

Books by Rachel Held Evans

Share This Book

Share This Book on Your Website

Trivia About A Year of Biblica...

Quotes from A Year of Biblical Wom...