Faithfully Dissident Daughters by Chelsea Kim Long

 

Faithfully Dissident Daughters by Chelsea Kim Long was an interesting read for me. There was much I could relate to with author. There was also much for me to think about. According to the author, "To be faithfully dissident means accepting each part of your story and trusting that authenticity is the way to abundant life." I like that thought and I think the older I get, the more that is true for me. 

Faithfully Dissident Daughters is divided into 4 parts: Awakening, Breaking, Liberating, and Expanding. I also have gone through some changes in my faith over the past few years. I have not studied as deeply as this author so I can't verify all of her words. However, I can say that she backs them all up and speaks clearly in her work. I don't necessarily agree with everything but there is much that I do relate to. 

I enjoyed reading this book. I don't read non-fiction quickly but I like to learn. I journal, use page markers to annotate and I reflect. I received my copy right before the book released so actually received an ARC. I am a little older than the author. My faith story looks different. The birth of my son was very similar to her birth. Yet, I didn't make spiritual life changes until about 2016 when I resonated with Beth Moore and Russell Moore's politics, whom she mentions in this book. I could also relate to how she and her husband chose to grow together at one point. That worked similarly for me as my husband and I grew together away towards faith and Bible interpretation that was different than when we got married. I appreciate that this author resonates with the fruits of the spirit and that she didn't give up on her faith in Jesus, even though she changed how she saw some things.  

I could relate to the author's talk of hiding herself or making herself small as she shared parts of her story in Faithfully Dissident Daughters. That is something I had to do to survive in my family of origin. It still isn't easy for me to open up. I do think this would be a good book for discussion if you have a safe circle to discuss with. There is a book club discussion guide with ten questions in the back of the book. 

Triggers: miscarriage, misogyny, medical content, cancer, death, medical trauma, racism, religious bigotry 

I received a copy of this book from the author and publisher. All opinions are my own. 

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