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Unashamed: Drop the Baggage, Pick up Your Freedom, Fulfill Your Destiny
Bestselling author, speaker, and activist Christine Caine helps you overcome past guilt and live an unashamed life. Shame can take on many forms. It hides in the shadows of the most successful, confident and high-achieving woman who struggles with balancing her work and children, as well as in the heart of the broken, abused and downtrodden woman who has been told that she will never amount to anything. Shame hides in plain sight and can hold us back in ways we do not realize. But Christine Caine wants readers to know we can all be free. “I know. I’ve been there,” writes Christine. “I was schooled in shame. It has been my constant companion from my very earliest memories. I see shame everywhere I look in the world, including in the church. It creeps from heart to heart, growing in shadowy places, feeding on itself so that those struggling with it are too shamed to seek help from shame itself.” In Unashamed, Christine reveals the often-hidden consequences of shame—in her own life and the lives of so many Christian women—and invites you to join her in moving from a shame-filled to a shame-free life. In her passionate and candid style, Christine leads you into God’s Word where you will see for yourself how to believe that God is bigger than your mistakes, your inadequacies, your past, and your limitations. He is not only more powerful than anything you’ve done but also stronger than anything ever done to you. You can deal with your yesterday today, so that you can move on to what God has in store for you tomorrow—a powerful purpose and destiny he wants you to fulfill. Join the journey. Lay ahold of the power of Jesus Christ today and step into the future—his future for you—a beautiful, full, life-giving future, where you can even become a shame-lifter to others. Live unashamed! Dive deeper into the Unashamed message with the Unashamed video study and study guide. Available now.
224 pages, Hardcover
First published May 3, 2016
685 people are currently reading
3947 people want to read
About the author
Christine Caine
131 books944 followersChristine Caine is a speaker, author, and activist who has been serving the local church globally for over 30 years. She and her husband, Nick, founded the anti-human trafficking organization, The A21 Campaign, which works at the local, domestic, and international level to end modern-day slavery. They also founded Equip & Empower, a ministry that is mobilizing people everywhere to live on mission for Jesus. Propel Women is an initiative of the ministry dedicated to coming alongside women all over the globe to activate their God-given purpose. The ministry has also planted three life-giving Zoe Churches in Europe that are not only bringing the Gospel to the region, but also serve the most vulnerable through humanitarian outreach during times of crisis.
Christine is the best-selling author of more than a dozen books and studies and you can tune into her weekly podcast or television program to be encouraged with the hope of Jesus wherever you are.
Christine is the best-selling author of more than a dozen books and studies and you can tune into her weekly podcast or television program to be encouraged with the hope of Jesus wherever you are.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 269 reviews
April 13, 2016
My wife is a huge fan of Christine Caine and through her I have come to love Caine's wisdom and work. I picked up my wife's advanced reading copy of this book and I loved it. Yes it is geared towards women but men there is a message in their for us as well. I believe for men reading this book it can aid us in better serving the women God has placed in our lives. Caine's writing here has given me much to think about and digest with the topic of shame and not only how I have let past shames affect my life but how it could be affecting my wife as well. This books offers wonderful insight into a powerful and relatable topic. As a pastor it will help my overall ministry and I will be highly recommending this book to our congregation.
February 17, 2022
I was checking out this book because I saw it on NetGalley and then in the bookstore…come to find out it’s partially plagiarized. Stealing isn’t cool, so the book is now struck from my “maybe I should try that” list.
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July 3, 2018
She has such a tragic story, but she has allowed God to heal her and do wonderful things with her life.
September 27, 2017
Christian Living/NF. This is the first book I have read by this author. After first seeing Chris Caine at Pink Impact, I was very impressed. Her honesty and passion for Christ and helping women are obvious in this book. Any women who has dealt with shame should be encouraged to check this book out. From her Biblical references to personal stories, I enjoyed her delivery and look forward to reading more by her. Highly recommend.
June 3, 2016
The first time I heard Christine Caine speak, I was stunned by this powerhouse of a preacher, and her voice in her new book, Unashamed, is just as powerful as ever. This book tells her very personal journey of overcoming the prison of shame that could have held her back both in relationships and ministry.
When most people talk about overcoming shame, they focus on the shame of what we've done and maybe a little on shame of what's been done to us. Christine Caine's story goes even beyond that. She does talk about overcoming the shame of being a sexual abuse victim as a child. But she also talks about the shame of growing up in the marginalized Greek community in Australia, about finding out as an adult that she'd been adopted (info her adoptive parents kept secret because of their own shame over fertility issues), and she talks a great deal about overcoming the shame of being "different" as a woman. She's a leader, that's for sure. But growing up and even within the Christian community as an adult, she was taught that she had to be "less than" because she was a woman. She shouldn't lead or be too smart or too capable. She just needed to get a man and have kids. So when she talks about shame, it includes feeling shame over who we are and how God has made us!
With any Christine Caine book, she writes as she speaks. It's easy to read. It packs a lot of punch. It's not intense and in depth Bible study, but it's challenging and inspiring and can bring a lot of freedom. In Unashamed, she talks about choosing not to be a victim, finding freedom in the mercy of Jesus, controlling your thought life, and forgiving even when it's so very hard to forgive. Ultimately, her message returns to the freedom Christ gives us. She says, "God is not only more powerful than anything you've done but also stronger than anything ever done to you...God is bigger than your mistakes, your inadequacies, your past, and your limitations."
I received this book free from the publisher. I was not required to write a positive review and the opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”
When most people talk about overcoming shame, they focus on the shame of what we've done and maybe a little on shame of what's been done to us. Christine Caine's story goes even beyond that. She does talk about overcoming the shame of being a sexual abuse victim as a child. But she also talks about the shame of growing up in the marginalized Greek community in Australia, about finding out as an adult that she'd been adopted (info her adoptive parents kept secret because of their own shame over fertility issues), and she talks a great deal about overcoming the shame of being "different" as a woman. She's a leader, that's for sure. But growing up and even within the Christian community as an adult, she was taught that she had to be "less than" because she was a woman. She shouldn't lead or be too smart or too capable. She just needed to get a man and have kids. So when she talks about shame, it includes feeling shame over who we are and how God has made us!
With any Christine Caine book, she writes as she speaks. It's easy to read. It packs a lot of punch. It's not intense and in depth Bible study, but it's challenging and inspiring and can bring a lot of freedom. In Unashamed, she talks about choosing not to be a victim, finding freedom in the mercy of Jesus, controlling your thought life, and forgiving even when it's so very hard to forgive. Ultimately, her message returns to the freedom Christ gives us. She says, "God is not only more powerful than anything you've done but also stronger than anything ever done to you...God is bigger than your mistakes, your inadequacies, your past, and your limitations."
I received this book free from the publisher. I was not required to write a positive review and the opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”
March 2, 2018
I really appreciated this book and would recommend it to any Christian woman struggling with shame. Christine Caine shares her own story of how she felt shame not only because of childhood sexual abuse, but also because of prejudice against her Greek background, strict gender roles within her family, and other life situations. She specifically explores what shame is, how it affects us, and how God wants to set us free from it.
One of the parts of the book that resonated with me the most was the chapter on the wilderness. Using the Israelites journeying through the wilderness as an analogy, Caine explains how God rescues us from slavery, but sometimes that slavery mindset of shame is still inside us. Our external situation may have changed, but we still experience internal bondage. The purpose of the difficult wilderness experience is to set us free from this bondage and to heal our slavery mindset. This was really helpful to me as I can look back and kind of pin-point when I escaped from my personal Egypt in my situation, but it has taken a lot longer to get the bondage out of my heart and mind.
Another part I appreciated was Caine's description of shame like a bungee cord, that can keep coming back at us, often when we least expect it. We can have found freedom and be doing so well, when something big or small will be a "shame trigger" and we'll have to work through it again and apply all we already learned. I have definitely experienced this, as freedom from shame isn't a once-and-done process. I've also learned to recognize some shame triggers, and once I call shame what it is and stop feeling guilty (ashamed!) that I'm fighting it all over again, I can make progress toward freedom.
This book could definitely be applicable for men, too, but Caine focuses primarily on women and explores the relationship between gender and shame. This was fascinating to me. Highly recommend!
One of the parts of the book that resonated with me the most was the chapter on the wilderness. Using the Israelites journeying through the wilderness as an analogy, Caine explains how God rescues us from slavery, but sometimes that slavery mindset of shame is still inside us. Our external situation may have changed, but we still experience internal bondage. The purpose of the difficult wilderness experience is to set us free from this bondage and to heal our slavery mindset. This was really helpful to me as I can look back and kind of pin-point when I escaped from my personal Egypt in my situation, but it has taken a lot longer to get the bondage out of my heart and mind.
Another part I appreciated was Caine's description of shame like a bungee cord, that can keep coming back at us, often when we least expect it. We can have found freedom and be doing so well, when something big or small will be a "shame trigger" and we'll have to work through it again and apply all we already learned. I have definitely experienced this, as freedom from shame isn't a once-and-done process. I've also learned to recognize some shame triggers, and once I call shame what it is and stop feeling guilty (ashamed!) that I'm fighting it all over again, I can make progress toward freedom.
This book could definitely be applicable for men, too, but Caine focuses primarily on women and explores the relationship between gender and shame. This was fascinating to me. Highly recommend!
June 18, 2016
This book is a must read for everyone. It is written with a clear voice and purpose. If you have been hiding under a rock somewhere, Christine Caine is the founder of A21. The A21 campaign is an organization that rescues people from human trafficking. This book is her story, and the story of many others who were told they were not the right color, ethnicity, or sex to accomplish what God created them to do.
I had the privilege to see Christine Caine in person this past May, the week Unashamed hit store shelves. She speaks and writes with the same fiery passion. I could not help but hear her read this book to me after seeing her in person. The stories in this book are riveting and will leave you turning the pages to hear whats next. If you are wise, you will buy a copy of this book for yourself and buy one for the friend you know needs freedom to live Unashamed.
Freedom comes when we see ourselves as God see us. For when we see victory ahead, when we see the freedom that is coming, we are not only willing to endure, but are eager to press forward to pick up that freedom. -Christine Caine, Unashamed
Unashamed is by far the most honest and helpful book published in 2016. I highly recommend it! I was given a complimentary copy of this book by BookLookBloggers in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are my own and I have not been compensated in any way.
I had the privilege to see Christine Caine in person this past May, the week Unashamed hit store shelves. She speaks and writes with the same fiery passion. I could not help but hear her read this book to me after seeing her in person. The stories in this book are riveting and will leave you turning the pages to hear whats next. If you are wise, you will buy a copy of this book for yourself and buy one for the friend you know needs freedom to live Unashamed.
Freedom comes when we see ourselves as God see us. For when we see victory ahead, when we see the freedom that is coming, we are not only willing to endure, but are eager to press forward to pick up that freedom. -Christine Caine, Unashamed
Unashamed is by far the most honest and helpful book published in 2016. I highly recommend it! I was given a complimentary copy of this book by BookLookBloggers in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are my own and I have not been compensated in any way.
July 23, 2017
While fear seemed to loom larger in my field of vision than shame, I've come to recognize shame's sneaky presence. Many years ago, God began the process in me to heal me from its limiting damage. As Christine Caine says in this book, this isn't a quick fix. It's painful and time-consuming but worth it.
God didn't make us for imprisonment behind walls of fear and shame. We aren't powerless to do anything, and we don't have to be hopeless about the future. Jesus came and purchased our freedom, but we must walk into it. As the author writes, He opened our jail cell but we must choose to walk out the door.
If you truly want to walk in the freedom God holds out for you, then both courage and heart-wrenching work is necessary. I still have work to do—shame and fear are like that. But I'm making progress. You can too. The freedom on the other side is indescribably worth it.
God didn't make us for imprisonment behind walls of fear and shame. We aren't powerless to do anything, and we don't have to be hopeless about the future. Jesus came and purchased our freedom, but we must walk into it. As the author writes, He opened our jail cell but we must choose to walk out the door.
If you truly want to walk in the freedom God holds out for you, then both courage and heart-wrenching work is necessary. I still have work to do—shame and fear are like that. But I'm making progress. You can too. The freedom on the other side is indescribably worth it.
November 17, 2016
I purchased Unashamed after hearing Christine Caine speak at Elevation Church's Code Orange Revival this year. I bought the book just to read her story about moving past the shame of her broken past. Unlike the other Christian books that I've read, I had no intention of trying to learn anything from her story but I guess God had other plans because halfway through the book I began underlining some of the statements she made.
Unashamed is a really, really good book and Christine is a really, really good speaker. I enjoyed reading it so much that I'm going to gift this book to a friend for Christmas. I highly recommend it to anyone struggling with the shame of their past. It blessed my soul and I believe it will bless yours too.
Unashamed is a really, really good book and Christine is a really, really good speaker. I enjoyed reading it so much that I'm going to gift this book to a friend for Christmas. I highly recommend it to anyone struggling with the shame of their past. It blessed my soul and I believe it will bless yours too.
December 1, 2016
This is a nice mixture of her personal stories of overcoming and insights she has learned through her journey of overcoming shame to fulfill destiny. I think everyone has baggage they have picked up somewhere along the way in life that holds us back in some way or another. Sometimes we don't even realize that there are things hanging on. Unashamed does a great job of having the reader look inside to remove any residual effects of the past to move ahead into the future. Well worth the read.
July 10, 2023
I found this to be a refreshing book on helping readers to understand what shame and being shamed looks like. Christine Caine’s handling of this difficult topic is impactful not only because she herself was a victim of sexual abuse for years, but moreover, she now tells that story from a place of healing-not from a place of denial, raw pain, unprocessed anger, or revenge. This allows the reader, who perhaps is still in the middle of the abuse or the one who has never dealt with her abuse, to see the true light at the end of the tunnel. It offers constructive and specific, loving and graceful advice to someone who is camped out in their shame and pain, from someone who has unpitched her tent and squarely moved forward.
The author doesn’t make any bones whatsoever about calling out what is wrong and how messed up some people are indeed. She does not color coat abuse or shaming behavior or the sins of ourselves or others that perpetuate the vicious life cycle which results. But she does offer hope. She does this by offering practical solutions to a pervasive problem in this world. She does so by offering insight into her own hell and what it took for her to allow God to be the difference maker in her life. She does so by being brazenly honest about the pain of abuse, while also being completely counter cultural in her exhortation regarding the necessity of forgiveness as part of the healing process.
I hope this book will inspire women to love themselves better and to see themselves through the lenses of a savior, Jesus, who is more than enough. I hope it inspires women (and men) to love more and to hate less.
The author doesn’t make any bones whatsoever about calling out what is wrong and how messed up some people are indeed. She does not color coat abuse or shaming behavior or the sins of ourselves or others that perpetuate the vicious life cycle which results. But she does offer hope. She does this by offering practical solutions to a pervasive problem in this world. She does so by offering insight into her own hell and what it took for her to allow God to be the difference maker in her life. She does so by being brazenly honest about the pain of abuse, while also being completely counter cultural in her exhortation regarding the necessity of forgiveness as part of the healing process.
I hope this book will inspire women to love themselves better and to see themselves through the lenses of a savior, Jesus, who is more than enough. I hope it inspires women (and men) to love more and to hate less.
September 27, 2016
This book touched so many tender spots in my soul, I had to often stop have a good cry and get back to it the next day. I am so thankful for Christine's willingness to be raw and vulnerable.
After a succession of books from the scientific how emotions affect the literal shape of our brains"Emotional Intelligence" to the emotional researcher's Brene Brown study on Shame "The gifts of imperfection" to this book, tackling the spiritual and emotional ramifications of shame: "Unashamed" I don't believe these books have crossed my path coincidentally, but it is God who is at this time doing a work in me and slowly opening my eyes to set me free from this shame I've been carrying for many years. Shame due to emotionally and intellectually abusive relationships of one form or another: familial, romantic, and even friendships.
The language in this book is clear and easy to understand; however, it is far from an easy read, due to subject of discussion. Nonetheless, it is worth the read, because Christine does a great job at highlighting God's amazing love in these paragraphs. The book is only 200 pages but the message is one of wisdom, comfort, healing and hope.
A definite must read if you are looking to live life the way we were intended to, unashamed and to the full!
After a succession of books from the scientific how emotions affect the literal shape of our brains"Emotional Intelligence" to the emotional researcher's Brene Brown study on Shame "The gifts of imperfection" to this book, tackling the spiritual and emotional ramifications of shame: "Unashamed" I don't believe these books have crossed my path coincidentally, but it is God who is at this time doing a work in me and slowly opening my eyes to set me free from this shame I've been carrying for many years. Shame due to emotionally and intellectually abusive relationships of one form or another: familial, romantic, and even friendships.
The language in this book is clear and easy to understand; however, it is far from an easy read, due to subject of discussion. Nonetheless, it is worth the read, because Christine does a great job at highlighting God's amazing love in these paragraphs. The book is only 200 pages but the message is one of wisdom, comfort, healing and hope.
A definite must read if you are looking to live life the way we were intended to, unashamed and to the full!
July 7, 2018
This book has been so inspiring. I have read all of Christine's books and this woman is beyond on fire and shares a message that all people need to hear. Being unashamed is a common thing that people go through, and a lot of the time people define every decision, every view, every action, is based off of their shame. Christine sends the message of hope to those who feel this way, and has a call to action to those who those who are going through shame, to surrender it all to Jesus. She gives practical ways to help those go from shame to unashamed.
December 20, 2016
Wow! I thought there couldn't be a better book in this series! Christine Caine has managed to write a book that not only challenges women to drop baggage that might be holding them back but also invites, encourages and challenges women to step into their God given destiny, beyond anything they could have ever imagined. It really gave me insight and helped me look beyond my current challenges to trust God with my future. Loved this book. It's a keeper.
October 24, 2016
I like this one, but it wasn't my favorite. Like my recent review of Uninvited exposed holes in rejection, this book exposed holes of shame in my life. But I felt like it was filled with a lot of things directed at people who have suffered abuse (specifically sexual abuse). It's sweetly written and will impact many sufferers for sure.
December 16, 2016
This book by Christine Caine was not a breath of fresh air but also a life changing read! For those of you who are struggling with shame and guilt I highly recommend this book. Christine Caine writes in such a way that it captivates the reader. When I opened the book I had a hard time putting it down.
June 23, 2018
After the Bible, this book has encouraged and inspired me like no other. Her experiences in the Greek culture are similar to many of my experiences growing up female in Appalachia. One needs a reminder that we too are created in the image of God, are his beloved daughters and should never allow anyone to make us feel "less than" and hold us back from being all we were created to be.
February 8, 2017
Some things to think about. Who we become and our drive to be a better person begins at home but ultimately we, through prayer, make it happen. Word to parents- do your best to avoid shaming your children. Remember, the child is good; the action may be bad and need correcting. Big distinction.
May 29, 2017
It made me think about all the shame I live with everyday.
May 30, 2017
3.75 stars :)
October 2, 2020
Unashamed is the third book written by author and speaker Christine Caine. As the book begins Caine presents her personal experiences with feeling shame. Her memories of shame began before she had words to express her experiences. As Caine shares her story of how others actions and words caused her to look at herself differently I found myself flashing to scenarios in my life that elicited the same emotions. I wouldn't have named my wound shame, but it became clear the emotions surrounding my memories still had roots in shame.
As I began reading it seemed many others had as well. On Christine Caine's Instagram she had posted these suggestions:
"Suggestions for reading Unashamed by@christinecaine:
?? Have pens of multiple colors or highlighters. If you're like me you'll do a lot of marking, underlining, and jotting some thoughts.
?? This isn't your light bedtime novel reading. Read when you have some time to process!
?? Get ready + expect God to do some work! This book is deep and freeing, but the work begins after you put down the book! "Being set free and walking in freedom are not the same. The first was done for us by Jesus, but the second we must choose to do ourselves in His strength and by His grace." That pretty much says it all. Amen?"
I agree with these, especially the last one. The real work of identifying, addressing and eliminating shame will be a life long process. Caine writes several times throughout Unashamed that she still wrestles with shame and accepts it will be something she battles her whole life.
If you follow my blog at all you know I've been studying how and why God calls us into wilderness seasons. As Caine continues her presentation on shame she writes on the wilderness. Chapter 6 "The Beauty of the Wilderness" felt as if it was written specifically for me. It was confirmation of what I've felt God was leading me to understand these last several months.
Throughout Unashamed, Caine tells stories of other women who have overcome shame in their lives. Stories pulled straight from scripture, others of women Caine has encountered through her ministry A21. As she gives different examples of how shame enters into our lives the variety of avenues is clear. Whether we carry shame from others actions, others words, our interpretation of an experience or because we have been taught to accept shame, Caine explains why we all need to begin to move from living in shame to being unashamed.
As I began reading it seemed many others had as well. On Christine Caine's Instagram she had posted these suggestions:
"Suggestions for reading Unashamed by@christinecaine:
?? Have pens of multiple colors or highlighters. If you're like me you'll do a lot of marking, underlining, and jotting some thoughts.
?? This isn't your light bedtime novel reading. Read when you have some time to process!
?? Get ready + expect God to do some work! This book is deep and freeing, but the work begins after you put down the book! "Being set free and walking in freedom are not the same. The first was done for us by Jesus, but the second we must choose to do ourselves in His strength and by His grace." That pretty much says it all. Amen?"
I agree with these, especially the last one. The real work of identifying, addressing and eliminating shame will be a life long process. Caine writes several times throughout Unashamed that she still wrestles with shame and accepts it will be something she battles her whole life.
If you follow my blog at all you know I've been studying how and why God calls us into wilderness seasons. As Caine continues her presentation on shame she writes on the wilderness. Chapter 6 "The Beauty of the Wilderness" felt as if it was written specifically for me. It was confirmation of what I've felt God was leading me to understand these last several months.
Throughout Unashamed, Caine tells stories of other women who have overcome shame in their lives. Stories pulled straight from scripture, others of women Caine has encountered through her ministry A21. As she gives different examples of how shame enters into our lives the variety of avenues is clear. Whether we carry shame from others actions, others words, our interpretation of an experience or because we have been taught to accept shame, Caine explains why we all need to begin to move from living in shame to being unashamed.
Read
August 30, 2020‘If there’s one key to watching the walls in your life fall... to seeing the promises of God at work, then this is it: You must learn to believe the truth of God’s Word over the facts of your circumstances.’
‘... it’s not about our doing more for God; it’s about giving God more access so He can do more in us. It is only when God does more in us that He can do more through us.’
‘Hurt people hurt people, but helped people help people.
Broken people break people, but rebuilt people build people.
Shattered people shatter people, but whole people restore people.
Damaged people damage people, but loved people love people.
Wounded people wound people, but healed people bind people.
Bound people bind people, but freed people lead others to freedom. ‘
‘How many times do we shut people out of our lives because our defense mechanisms are trying to protect our hearts?’
‘... there was a disparity - a vast gap - between what I wanted to do and be and what was going on in my inner world. This, I believe, is where so many of us who suffer from shame get stuck in the wilderness! We feel that painful gap between what we know should be going on inside of us - love, forgiveness, kindness, joy, patience, peace, and so on - and what is actually going on inside of us - anger, blame, impatience, jealousy, turmoil, judgment, suspicion, and so on.’
‘When you choose to focus more on what Jesus has done for you than on what others have done or said to you, you will have the faith to stand up and start moving forward.’
‘The more we are conformed and transformed into the image of Christ, the more we shed the debilitating effects of shame that cause aspects of our lives to remain in hiding.’
‘... eventually He stood and uttered the lines that have echoed through the minds of people of conscience ever since: ‘Let any one of you who is without sin be the first to throw a stone at her.’
‘Like Adam and Eve hiding from God in the garden, I pushed God onto the back burner of my life, instead choosing destructive relationships I hoped would fill the void. I hid from Him and myself. But God didn’t give up on me. He kept turning my thoughts back to Him time and time again.’
‘Breaking free from the shackles of shame is... a grand, ongoing adventure of discovering the depths of God’s love and the huge scope of God’s power to transform us, re-create us, and continually renew us.’
‘... it’s not about our doing more for God; it’s about giving God more access so He can do more in us. It is only when God does more in us that He can do more through us.’
‘Hurt people hurt people, but helped people help people.
Broken people break people, but rebuilt people build people.
Shattered people shatter people, but whole people restore people.
Damaged people damage people, but loved people love people.
Wounded people wound people, but healed people bind people.
Bound people bind people, but freed people lead others to freedom. ‘
‘How many times do we shut people out of our lives because our defense mechanisms are trying to protect our hearts?’
‘... there was a disparity - a vast gap - between what I wanted to do and be and what was going on in my inner world. This, I believe, is where so many of us who suffer from shame get stuck in the wilderness! We feel that painful gap between what we know should be going on inside of us - love, forgiveness, kindness, joy, patience, peace, and so on - and what is actually going on inside of us - anger, blame, impatience, jealousy, turmoil, judgment, suspicion, and so on.’
‘When you choose to focus more on what Jesus has done for you than on what others have done or said to you, you will have the faith to stand up and start moving forward.’
‘The more we are conformed and transformed into the image of Christ, the more we shed the debilitating effects of shame that cause aspects of our lives to remain in hiding.’
‘... eventually He stood and uttered the lines that have echoed through the minds of people of conscience ever since: ‘Let any one of you who is without sin be the first to throw a stone at her.’
‘Like Adam and Eve hiding from God in the garden, I pushed God onto the back burner of my life, instead choosing destructive relationships I hoped would fill the void. I hid from Him and myself. But God didn’t give up on me. He kept turning my thoughts back to Him time and time again.’
‘Breaking free from the shackles of shame is... a grand, ongoing adventure of discovering the depths of God’s love and the huge scope of God’s power to transform us, re-create us, and continually renew us.’
August 18, 2021
A book mainly written for women but very enlightening for men also. Especially the part about leaving the past behind and constantly moving forward. That resonated strongly with me. I have heard Christine Caine speak twice and have been uplifted, challenged and encouraged both times.
May 11, 2022
Caine has a lot of really good thoughtful observations. The audio reading was rather monotone, but the content was valuable.
July 20, 2025
I love Christine Caine’s story. This is so good to remind us that we are children of God, and worthy to not live in shame.
February 13, 2019
Unashamed by Christine Caine was a great book from start to finish. I initially began this book because it was recommended by a friend and not because I felt as though I dealt with shame as a stronghold over my life. As I read through the book, though, it became evident that shame was part of my story although not a major part. Shame had somehow found its way into a few smaller, less prominent parts of my life and I didn't really realize it. This book helped me put a name to some emotions that I had from times in my past and brought healing that I didn't know that I needed. Her story is compelling, and her testimony is incredible. The tagline "Drop the Baggage, Pick up Your Freedom, Fulfill Your Destiny" is truly what this book helps you do. Its is a book largely about her testimony with other life experiences and stories from other people she has encountered throughout her life. She speaks with candor and she puts a name with emotions that she felt and had to spend years working through. She makes a point to say that healing doesn't happen immediately and takes time to process. She also speaks often about her ministry and how it evolved over the years and included the good aspects as well as the bad. She talked about the "growing pains" of learning to be in a leadership position. Although she had many obstacles, she kept pressing forward, claiming her healing, her freedom, and ultimately fulfilling her destiny. Her writing style is easy to read and keeps your attention. Even if you don't feel as though you struggle with shame, I believe you will still enjoy this book if you enjoy reading self-help, memoirs, motivational, and inspirational books that are Christian based.
January 9, 2022
Love Christine Caine :))
Guilt says ‘you’ve done something bad’. Shame says ‘you are bad’.
No one is created to bear shame. Jesus dealt with shame.
What we don’t reveal can’t be healed. Shame hates to be exposed, so expose it.
That’s all for tonight.
Guilt says ‘you’ve done something bad’. Shame says ‘you are bad’.
No one is created to bear shame. Jesus dealt with shame.
What we don’t reveal can’t be healed. Shame hates to be exposed, so expose it.
That’s all for tonight.
June 16, 2016
Shame-filled to Shame-free
Christine unwrapped her sandwich, completely unaware of the scornful expressions on the faces of her Kindergarten classmates. “Mmmmm . . . feta cheese and olive,” she thought, taking that first delectable bite.
“What’s that stinky stuff you’re eating,” wailed one boy, wrinkling his nose in disgust. “She’s eating Greek cheese!” someone announced. “No wonder Greeks stink!”
Surrounded by scowling faces, Christine Caine was being schooled in shame, and even though her six-year-old self did not have a word to wrap around her feelings on that day, she spent twenty-two years of her life battling the feelings of rejection that came as a result of events that followed this early memory. Ethnic bias, childhood abuse, and the perception that her Type A personality was unacceptable to her family and to her teachers taught her to hide her true self, and it became clear to her that shame had an agenda — a curriculum — that would rule her life if she allowed it to:
Shame teaches you to hide yourself, to hunker down wherever you can find a wall of protection.
Shame pushes you down and prevents you from becoming all you could be.
Shame whispers lies to your soul about the character of God and His love for you.
Overcoming these lies has been a miracle of grace in Christine’s life, and she shares her journey in Unashamed, and then challenges her readers to come out of hiding and accept the very same grace that God offered to Adam and Eve when they responded to His call and emerged from their long-ago hiding place. The fact that their Genesis 2:25 status of shame-free living came to a crashing conclusion when they disobeyed God reveals the connection between shame and guilt. Brene Brown helpfully distinguishes between the two:
Shame is “the intensely painful feeling or experience of believing that we are flawed and therefore unworthy of acceptance and belonging. . . Guilt says, ‘You’ve done something bad.’ Shame says: ‘You are bad.’ There is a big difference between ‘you made a mistake’ and ‘you are a mistake.’
Christine summarizes it this way:
“Guilt is about my do. Shame is about my who.”
Shame kept Adam and Eve hiding from God, rather than running to Him to deal with their guilt.
Enter: The Gospel.
The rescuing truth is two-fold. Romans 3:23 verifies our guilt; Psalm 139:14 testifies to our value and worth to God, and this is the truth around which we must shape our lives. Christine calls the love of our crucified Savior “the key that will unfasten the shackles of shame.”
The same voice that coaxed Adam and Eve out of hiding invites you to be found and known. The heart of compassion that brought the woman of Mark 5 out of hiding and into healing is found in the God who calls us “Daughter.” He invites those who are tired of bleeding into His family where what is hidden in the dark is brought into the healing Light and loses its power.
Joining God in His work on this earth, Christine found Mercy and began living out the Truth that God could weave her leadership skills and her outgoing personality and her passion for ministry into His implementation of the Great Commission.
This did not happen overnight.
Overcoming fear of rejection, embracing her God-given power of choice to “move past her past,” looking at her future through a “resurrection lens” instead of a “shame lens,” and taking the risk of intimacy felt like coming out of a wilderness life and learning to live in deliverance and freedom.
Skillfully straddling memoir and manifesto, Christine shares lessons learned in the cauldron of leadership and the sometimes painful realization that “wounded people wound people, but healed people bind up wounds.” In her personal journey from shattered to restored, God has set Christine’s course on the path of forgiveness and growing trust. Working to rescue victims of trafficking and to help women “internalize a leadership identity and fulfill their purpose, passion, and potential” has been Christine’s way of living out her identity in Christ and of demonstrating to the world that none of the pain she endured in her past was wasted. God has redeemed it all, and the message of Unashamed invites women to set their feet on Truth, “unwavering in purpose and unstoppable in [the journey] from shame-filled living to shame-free living.”
//
This book was provided by Zondervan, through the BookLook Bloggers program, in exchange for my review. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”
Christine unwrapped her sandwich, completely unaware of the scornful expressions on the faces of her Kindergarten classmates. “Mmmmm . . . feta cheese and olive,” she thought, taking that first delectable bite.
“What’s that stinky stuff you’re eating,” wailed one boy, wrinkling his nose in disgust. “She’s eating Greek cheese!” someone announced. “No wonder Greeks stink!”
Surrounded by scowling faces, Christine Caine was being schooled in shame, and even though her six-year-old self did not have a word to wrap around her feelings on that day, she spent twenty-two years of her life battling the feelings of rejection that came as a result of events that followed this early memory. Ethnic bias, childhood abuse, and the perception that her Type A personality was unacceptable to her family and to her teachers taught her to hide her true self, and it became clear to her that shame had an agenda — a curriculum — that would rule her life if she allowed it to:
Shame teaches you to hide yourself, to hunker down wherever you can find a wall of protection.
Shame pushes you down and prevents you from becoming all you could be.
Shame whispers lies to your soul about the character of God and His love for you.
Overcoming these lies has been a miracle of grace in Christine’s life, and she shares her journey in Unashamed, and then challenges her readers to come out of hiding and accept the very same grace that God offered to Adam and Eve when they responded to His call and emerged from their long-ago hiding place. The fact that their Genesis 2:25 status of shame-free living came to a crashing conclusion when they disobeyed God reveals the connection between shame and guilt. Brene Brown helpfully distinguishes between the two:
Shame is “the intensely painful feeling or experience of believing that we are flawed and therefore unworthy of acceptance and belonging. . . Guilt says, ‘You’ve done something bad.’ Shame says: ‘You are bad.’ There is a big difference between ‘you made a mistake’ and ‘you are a mistake.’
Christine summarizes it this way:
“Guilt is about my do. Shame is about my who.”
Shame kept Adam and Eve hiding from God, rather than running to Him to deal with their guilt.
Enter: The Gospel.
The rescuing truth is two-fold. Romans 3:23 verifies our guilt; Psalm 139:14 testifies to our value and worth to God, and this is the truth around which we must shape our lives. Christine calls the love of our crucified Savior “the key that will unfasten the shackles of shame.”
The same voice that coaxed Adam and Eve out of hiding invites you to be found and known. The heart of compassion that brought the woman of Mark 5 out of hiding and into healing is found in the God who calls us “Daughter.” He invites those who are tired of bleeding into His family where what is hidden in the dark is brought into the healing Light and loses its power.
Joining God in His work on this earth, Christine found Mercy and began living out the Truth that God could weave her leadership skills and her outgoing personality and her passion for ministry into His implementation of the Great Commission.
This did not happen overnight.
Overcoming fear of rejection, embracing her God-given power of choice to “move past her past,” looking at her future through a “resurrection lens” instead of a “shame lens,” and taking the risk of intimacy felt like coming out of a wilderness life and learning to live in deliverance and freedom.
Skillfully straddling memoir and manifesto, Christine shares lessons learned in the cauldron of leadership and the sometimes painful realization that “wounded people wound people, but healed people bind up wounds.” In her personal journey from shattered to restored, God has set Christine’s course on the path of forgiveness and growing trust. Working to rescue victims of trafficking and to help women “internalize a leadership identity and fulfill their purpose, passion, and potential” has been Christine’s way of living out her identity in Christ and of demonstrating to the world that none of the pain she endured in her past was wasted. God has redeemed it all, and the message of Unashamed invites women to set their feet on Truth, “unwavering in purpose and unstoppable in [the journey] from shame-filled living to shame-free living.”
//
This book was provided by Zondervan, through the BookLook Bloggers program, in exchange for my review. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”
June 6, 2016
Unashamed by Christine Caine helps us take a hard look at how shame hinders our lives. We've all experienced shame in some form or other. Whether it's being bullied on the playground or being told we aren't pretty enough, smart enough, or just enough. The lasting effects of shame can cripple you and cause you to hurt others. Christine opens up about her struggles with shame and in the process teaches us how to change our inner dialogue to match what Christ says about us.
I was super excited to be given the opportunity to review this book. I have been following Christine on social media. I knew the book would be good, I just didn't realize how good! She walks through step by step, how shame can have an effect on us, which effects how we relate to others. How Satan will throw up every negative thought or thing to keep us rooted in shame to keep us from achieving what God wants us to do.
Christine not only shares her stories but stories of others so we can see the full effect of what shame can do and how it plays out in our lives. I found myself relating to many pieces of the women's stories. I never realized how much shame hinders our lives. How it not only effects us but those around us as we build walls to protect ourselves from ever being shamed again. To controlling, or at least trying to control, every detail of our life.
This book is not a one stop fix all. What she is attempting to do is to make us aware of shame and it's effects and give us tools, scripture, to fight it. I'm going to be honest, I never really thought that much about shame. While reading this book though I took a long, hard look at my life and my inner dialogue and realized I'm living the majority of my life in shame. Feeling that I'm not good enough, talented enough or whatever. I've internalized the shame and the doubt and I see the effect it not only has on myself but on my family. I push for perfection, least anyone say "Look at her". I strive for an atta girl because I never, ever want to feel less than. The truth is though, we are enough. God made us enough when he gave us his life's breath. We are fearfully and wonderfully made and it is time we know that full well.
I am so glad I was able to read Unashamed. It is truly a must read for women everywhere. It's time that we stop living in shame and start breaking free. It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Galatians 5:1. Once we learn this and put this into practice, there will be NO stopping us.
I was given a copy of Unashamed by BookLook Bloggers for an honest review.
I was super excited to be given the opportunity to review this book. I have been following Christine on social media. I knew the book would be good, I just didn't realize how good! She walks through step by step, how shame can have an effect on us, which effects how we relate to others. How Satan will throw up every negative thought or thing to keep us rooted in shame to keep us from achieving what God wants us to do.
Christine not only shares her stories but stories of others so we can see the full effect of what shame can do and how it plays out in our lives. I found myself relating to many pieces of the women's stories. I never realized how much shame hinders our lives. How it not only effects us but those around us as we build walls to protect ourselves from ever being shamed again. To controlling, or at least trying to control, every detail of our life.
This book is not a one stop fix all. What she is attempting to do is to make us aware of shame and it's effects and give us tools, scripture, to fight it. I'm going to be honest, I never really thought that much about shame. While reading this book though I took a long, hard look at my life and my inner dialogue and realized I'm living the majority of my life in shame. Feeling that I'm not good enough, talented enough or whatever. I've internalized the shame and the doubt and I see the effect it not only has on myself but on my family. I push for perfection, least anyone say "Look at her". I strive for an atta girl because I never, ever want to feel less than. The truth is though, we are enough. God made us enough when he gave us his life's breath. We are fearfully and wonderfully made and it is time we know that full well.
I am so glad I was able to read Unashamed. It is truly a must read for women everywhere. It's time that we stop living in shame and start breaking free. It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Galatians 5:1. Once we learn this and put this into practice, there will be NO stopping us.
I was given a copy of Unashamed by BookLook Bloggers for an honest review.
January 20, 2021
Fiery, feisty, and faith-filled. Christine Caine is a voice who God is using to transform this world through a deep transformation of our hearts. Whether teaching live or speaking through the words of her books, this beautiful Greek lady has the ability to dig deep to unearth the goodness within all of us.
Her newest book "Unashamed" could also be known as deactivating the greatest lie the enemy tries to use to distract us. If we are all honest, shame has visited all of us at some point and for many of us sometimes still does. It tells us that we are not __________ enough, we are frauds, and that we amount to nothing.
Shame leads us to throw away the good gifts we are given.
Shame pushes us down and prevents us from becoming all that we can be.
Shame whispers lies to our soul.
BUT..."Shame loses its power when it is expressed."-Christine Caine
"Guilt is about our do. Shame is about our who."-Christine Caine
Shame, shame
GO away!
Don't ever come again
any other day.
We can often times get over the guilt of doing or not doing something but shame is a whole different struggle. It's a persistent bugger that attacks us in the dark.
"Freedom from such internal slavery is far harder to win than physical freedom."-Christine Caine
"Unashamed" is a counterattack. It is an all out expose of the tactics and tricks the devil uses to keep shame at the centre of our lives. Speaking from her own experiences (including being left unnamed and unwanted in a hospital room, being sexually abused for 12 years at the hands of four men, growing up in the poorest zip code in Australia, etc.) Christine reminds us of who we are because of whose we are. She doesn't diminish or belittle the things of our past nor offers an easy way out. Her invite is to encounter the One who is greater than anything we have, are, or will ever go through. Her invite is to unpack the unnecessary baggage we've been carrying around so that we can travel this life lighter. Her invite is to become the person God has created you and I to be.
Equip. Empower. Encourage.
"Unashamed" will equip you with God's truth and promises as well as the tools to unmask the lies of the devil.
"Unashamed" will empower you to confront the lies of shame that have held you hostage and see the walls that are standing in the way of you and your promised land.
"Unashamed" will encourage you to lean on God and His promises, let go of the things holding you hostage, and live in your new found freedom.
You and I can live life and help others live life...Unashamed.
Her newest book "Unashamed" could also be known as deactivating the greatest lie the enemy tries to use to distract us. If we are all honest, shame has visited all of us at some point and for many of us sometimes still does. It tells us that we are not __________ enough, we are frauds, and that we amount to nothing.
Shame leads us to throw away the good gifts we are given.
Shame pushes us down and prevents us from becoming all that we can be.
Shame whispers lies to our soul.
BUT..."Shame loses its power when it is expressed."-Christine Caine
"Guilt is about our do. Shame is about our who."-Christine Caine
Shame, shame
GO away!
Don't ever come again
any other day.
We can often times get over the guilt of doing or not doing something but shame is a whole different struggle. It's a persistent bugger that attacks us in the dark.
"Freedom from such internal slavery is far harder to win than physical freedom."-Christine Caine
"Unashamed" is a counterattack. It is an all out expose of the tactics and tricks the devil uses to keep shame at the centre of our lives. Speaking from her own experiences (including being left unnamed and unwanted in a hospital room, being sexually abused for 12 years at the hands of four men, growing up in the poorest zip code in Australia, etc.) Christine reminds us of who we are because of whose we are. She doesn't diminish or belittle the things of our past nor offers an easy way out. Her invite is to encounter the One who is greater than anything we have, are, or will ever go through. Her invite is to unpack the unnecessary baggage we've been carrying around so that we can travel this life lighter. Her invite is to become the person God has created you and I to be.
Equip. Empower. Encourage.
"Unashamed" will equip you with God's truth and promises as well as the tools to unmask the lies of the devil.
"Unashamed" will empower you to confront the lies of shame that have held you hostage and see the walls that are standing in the way of you and your promised land.
"Unashamed" will encourage you to lean on God and His promises, let go of the things holding you hostage, and live in your new found freedom.
You and I can live life and help others live life...Unashamed.
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