This is the sort of book about Christianity, and spirituality, that I enjoy reading. I love me some liberal Protestants, and this author is a prime example. Ms. Evans was raised in a very conservative Christian tradition, and living in Tennessee, spent much of her youth immersed in Evangelical culture an churches. As she got a bit older, she had a crisis of 'church': her questions about the truth-claims of her faith tradition were not being answered, and the act of asking them left her on the outs with her family and friends. So she started reading: Shane Clairborne, Brian McClaren, Donald Miller, Barbara Taylor Brown, and a host of others. What struck me the hardest about her story is how it mirrors my own. I read all those books, too!

The author uses the seven sacraments of the (liturgical) church as a way of writing and thinking about her faith journey. Much of what she said resonated with me, and I enjoyed her theological musings about the radical inclusivity of faith. I have reached those same conclusions myself: if everyone isn't invited, warts, wrinkles, failure, triumphs, abilities, disabilities, errors, mistakes, demons, angels, and everything that makes us human included, then it is not the Gospel. Period.

The author (she is a very competent writer) ended up becoming an Episcopalian, which I totally get, but with one caveat: the Episcopal church, like every other denomination that is radically inclusive and willing to entertain the myriad of questions a thoughtful person brings to Christianity, is dying. Hard and fast. It is sad. I would love to be an Episcopalian since I do like the bells and smells of tradition. The reality is, the Episcopal church in the town where I live is empty(ish), as are the Episcopal churches in the surrounding towns. There is no pulse. Perhaps it's different in larger cities, but here in the 'burbs of Boston? Not much happening.

So hats off to this thoughtful young woman, who writes the sort of books I like to read about Jesus. I wish her well. Being a science minded fellow, I find religion to be odious, for the most part, but I like Jesus, and his lesson guide my life. I guess it's just me and him again.

I really enjoyed Rachel Held Evans' style of writing and her honest approach to finding a faith that isn't necessarily bound to church. She opened up about her vulnerabilities and the struggle with faith and doubt in a sensitive way.