Dating Jesus: A Story of Fundamentalism, Feminism, and the American Girl by Susan CampbellJournalist Campbell's funny, sweet, and yet biting memoir recounts growing up in a fundamentalist church and "dating Jesus." She offers a look into a world that many will find alien; her explanatory footnotes will help readers who may not have grown up in the Bible belt or be as scripturally literate. Campbell writes of trying to be good and gain heaven, but even as a young girl she revels in small acts of subversiveness and continually asks questions that are never answered satisfactorily. She feels about her childhood and youth that, "like a sword, fundamentalism was plunged into [my body] and then it got broken off in [me] so that [it] will never heal." Campbell knows her subject well and hopes through this book to keep a dialog open about such issues as the role of women in the church and in the world and to refocus attention upon the teachings of Christ-unfiltered. She notes that Christ's teachings are truly egalitarian in their attitude and "downright revolutionary."-Nancy Richie/Library Journal
Read Susan Campbell's blog here.
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3 comments:
...a lovingly told tale of how one born-and-bred fundamentalist matured into a feminist while holding onto her sanity and sense of humor.
...Simultaneously wisecracking and scholarly, both heartfelt and hilarious, Campbell's story gives testament to a 'Christ-haunted' life that rejects the chauvinistic dictates of religious dogma and insists on fairness and equal footing for all. Amen to that. I loved this book!
...Her writing cuts to the quick and slices to the bone, thereby cleaning and healing old wounds for every woman who's struggled to find acceptance within, and without, conventional religion. Leaving no commonplace unexamined concerning family, faith, or truth unexamined, Campbell nevertheless--amazingly and paradoxically--manages to delight the reader on every page. Driven by anger and longing, but sustained by grace and joy, she offers the gift of her own journey to faith without sentimentality and with unmatched honesty and wit...
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