Description
Book SynopsisThe Struggle to Stay is an intimate and insightful portrait of single women's experiences in evangelical churches. Drawing on unprecedented access to churches in the United States and the United Kingdom, Katie Gaddini relates the struggles of four women, interwoven with her own story of leaving behind a devout faith.
Trade ReviewThe author’s insider perspective provides essential insight into fractures within the evangelical movement, and the focus on the experiences of individuals puts a human face on larger trends. This moving and incisive account will resonate with anyone who has struggled with their faith. * Publishers Weekly *
The Struggle to Stay offers a vivid, enlightening glimpse into the complex contradictions of Christian life. These women want to stay in the church. But they also want to be sexually active and respected as equals—and that is hard. This book gives a rich, nuanced account of why and how it is hard that respects the complexities of the religious experience. A beautifully written, vivid, insightful book about being a bright Christian woman. -- T. M. Luhrmann, author of
How God Becomes Real: Kindling the Presence of Invisible OthersIn
The Struggle to Stay, Gaddini does what is rare in a work of scholarship—she marshals deep research while also humanizing her subjects and topic. This book will be an indispensable part of the growing scholarship that reevaluates modern evangelicalism in relation to gender. Gaddini is analytical without being aloof, empathetic without being saccharine. Many readers of this book will feel both seen and informed along the way. In the end,
The Struggle to Stay, accomplishes what it set out to do—it describes the conundrum of single evangelical women in churches and the price they pay to remain there. -- Jemar Tisby, author of
The Color of Compromise: The Truth About the American Church's Complicity in RacismDrawing on the author's own experience as well as research with evangelical women in Britain and America, this book takes a long and searching look at what makes women stay in churches that treat them with ambivalence—and why, even when they decide to go, they leave a part of themselves behind. Emotionally and intellectually compelling. -- Linda Woodhead, coauthor of
That Was the Church That Was: How the Church of England Lost the English PeopleVivid descriptions and thoughtful analysis. . . . Gaddini models great care and empathy in her treatment of evangelical women. * Reading Religion *
A beautifully written book that evocatively draws the reader into the lives of single, evangelical women as they negotiate what it means to thrive on community while also experiencing a keen sense of separation for being outside the norm. * Gender & Society *
For anyone who studies evangelical Christianity, this book adds important, detailed insights to the existing body of research on women and evangelicalism. For those concerned about and committed to building inclusive church communities, this book is essential reading. * Review of Religious Research *
Masterfully narrates the stories of evangelical women. . . . Gaddini’s writing and argument shine in chapters that directly confront gendered double standards within evangelical churches. * Sociology of Religion *
Written in an accessible and engaging manner, deftly weaving four captivating stories together with a rigorous analysis of Christianity, gender and politics, it is a fascinating read. * Marginalia Review of Books *
Table of ContentsPreface
1. Homecoming
2. Without You, I Am Nothing
3. In the World
4. Purity Culture
5. The Ideal Woman
6. Wounds That Never Heal
7. Reprisals
8. The Struggle to Stay
Acknowledgments
Methodological Note
Notes
Bibliography
Index
