Paul DeBaufer
August 26th, 2011, 07:14 PM
Subtitle: How a girl who knew all the answers learned to ask the questions.
I can't remember how, but a month or two ago I stumbled upon Rachel's blog (http://rachelheldevans.com/blog). Many of her posts are on the journey out of fundamentalism. I enjoy her writing, she is very talented.
Her Book Evolving in Monkey Town: How a Girl Who Knew All the Answers Learned to Ask the Questions was mentioned in a couple of her posts and comments. When I came into a few dollars, which is rare with my "job", I bought the book.
The title takes its name from the town where she grew-up and currently lives, Dayton, Tennessee-home of the 1925 Scopes Monkey Trial (the subject of the play and movie Inherit the Wind.)
Rachel grew up in a fundamentalist world. She went to Christian elementary schools, Christian High Schools, and Bryan College named for the famous prosecutor from the famous trial, William Jennings Bryan, that great evangelist who made a couple of unsuccessful bids at the presidency. All throughout Christian schooling she was taught that there is a biblical world view. Was well versed in apologetics and could answer all the questions agnostics and secular humanists would never ask. Rachel readily accepted the boxed faith that was handed her.
A couple experiences while in school led to her asking questions. By the time she was done with college she learned that the biblical world view wasn't. That no one was asking the questions she was so well trained to answer. the attacks she was told to expect never materialized.
An experience caused her to begin questioning the boxed faith that she so readily accepted. Her questions put her on a journey, a journey she is still on today.
It may seem odd that a woman not quite 30 has written her memoirs, but they describe where she was and how she comes to be on the journey she is on.
This is a very good book. I enjoyed it. It is very well written.
I can't remember how, but a month or two ago I stumbled upon Rachel's blog (http://rachelheldevans.com/blog). Many of her posts are on the journey out of fundamentalism. I enjoy her writing, she is very talented.
Her Book Evolving in Monkey Town: How a Girl Who Knew All the Answers Learned to Ask the Questions was mentioned in a couple of her posts and comments. When I came into a few dollars, which is rare with my "job", I bought the book.
The title takes its name from the town where she grew-up and currently lives, Dayton, Tennessee-home of the 1925 Scopes Monkey Trial (the subject of the play and movie Inherit the Wind.)
Rachel grew up in a fundamentalist world. She went to Christian elementary schools, Christian High Schools, and Bryan College named for the famous prosecutor from the famous trial, William Jennings Bryan, that great evangelist who made a couple of unsuccessful bids at the presidency. All throughout Christian schooling she was taught that there is a biblical world view. Was well versed in apologetics and could answer all the questions agnostics and secular humanists would never ask. Rachel readily accepted the boxed faith that was handed her.
A couple experiences while in school led to her asking questions. By the time she was done with college she learned that the biblical world view wasn't. That no one was asking the questions she was so well trained to answer. the attacks she was told to expect never materialized.
An experience caused her to begin questioning the boxed faith that she so readily accepted. Her questions put her on a journey, a journey she is still on today.
It may seem odd that a woman not quite 30 has written her memoirs, but they describe where she was and how she comes to be on the journey she is on.
This is a very good book. I enjoyed it. It is very well written.