Scan barcode
bookwormmelissa's review
5.0
Thank you to Netgalley and HarperCollins for the opportunity to read and review this book. I've read most of Rachel Held Evans' books and was devastated when she died. I was delighted to hear that Jeff Chu was going to finish her latest book in progress, and I am so glad he did. Even though I was able to read this early on Netgalley, I preordered the book and am so thankful to be able to share it with my family. This book was such a beautiful capstone to Rachel's scholarship. I think my favorite chapter was her description of her Lenten practice of printing out the hateful emails she received and folding them into origami while praying for each person, or making blackout poetry out of their words. I'm going to be thinking about this book for a long time, and I am glad I will be able to dip in and out of it to read her words and think on Jesus just a bit more. Very bittersweet.
its_gia_pasqua's review
2.0
Not going to lie, I disagree with a lot of the beliefs Rachel had. But she is a gifted writer and orator. This book had me deeply thinking and analyzing what I believe, and I think I’m the better because when I disagreed with something I thought about the Word and solidified my own beliefs.
Rachel is a Christian because she was raised in the church, had a biblical name, was baptized, and was inspired by the people before her. I am not. I am a Christian because the Lord called me to his own. My background was helpful, but did not save me. My biblical name Giovanna, from Giovanni, from John, meaning God’s gift certainly inspires me but is not the reason I cling to Christ.
Read books that challenge what you believe. The Lord can use it, whether he corrects false beliefs or reminds you of the truth.
Rachel is a Christian because she was raised in the church, had a biblical name, was baptized, and was inspired by the people before her. I am not. I am a Christian because the Lord called me to his own. My background was helpful, but did not save me. My biblical name Giovanna, from Giovanni, from John, meaning God’s gift certainly inspires me but is not the reason I cling to Christ.
Read books that challenge what you believe. The Lord can use it, whether he corrects false beliefs or reminds you of the truth.
booksonthefloor's review
5.0
Holy cow this book. I began reading this as a spiritual practice after accepting a position as a youth director at my church. And at the time, I felt like, "I'm working at a church, telling kids about God... I should probably remind myself about some things about God." But this book became much more than that for me. I am so sad THIS was my first Rachel Held Evans book and I will be starting another one immediately. She is incredible.
slflorence99's review
5.0
I may have sobbed through the last bit of this book. The loss of Rachel's voice is a big one. I love how bold she was to stand for faith, for women, for love, for each person's journey despite being ridiculed and ostracized by the religion of her youth. So with that, I encourage you to read this book and allow yourself to ask all the questions.
“Acknowledging uncertainty doesn't make a person less faithful; it just makes her more honest. Admitting how much we don't know doesn't make a person less faithful; it just makes him more candid - and perhaps more curious. Anne Lamott has chronicled the meanderings of the heart as well as anyone, and as she famously puts it, " The opposite of faith is not doubt, but certainty.”
― Rachel Held Evans, Wholehearted Faith
“Acknowledging uncertainty doesn't make a person less faithful; it just makes her more honest. Admitting how much we don't know doesn't make a person less faithful; it just makes him more candid - and perhaps more curious. Anne Lamott has chronicled the meanderings of the heart as well as anyone, and as she famously puts it, " The opposite of faith is not doubt, but certainty.”
― Rachel Held Evans, Wholehearted Faith