What is "Biblical Womanhood" Anyway?

The memoir of "a year doing X crazy lifestyle stunt" is a well-established book trend (gimmick?) right now,

and one I'm sure historians of the future will love trying to dissect. Personally, I think we love these stories because we're suspicious that modern life has all the keys to happiness, and it's nice to know that you can test drive other ways of living or find fulfillment by challenging yourself through some project.

Rachel Held Evans' A Year of Biblical Womanhood: How a Liberated Woman Found Herself  Sitting on Her Roof, Covering Her Head, and Calling Her Husband Master definitely fits this trend, and it's one of the best I've  read. It reminded me of Gretchen Rubin's The Happiness Project, with its reading list and monthly themes, but with the added fun of Biblical exegesis. Evens grew up in Evangelical Christianity, a church where the adjective "Biblical" serves as a stamp of approval and as a prescription for proper behavior. Through her year of exploring the women of the Bible, Evans analyzes her religious culture's expectations for women, especially how the domestic maven of Proverbs 31 often serves as an achievement checklist.

Rarely has anyone asked me if my life is "Biblical" enough, but being a Catholic woman comes with its own set of baggage. There aren't many saints who led a "regular" life - most swore off marriage and/or died grisly maiden deaths. You have to navigate modesty dress codes as well as vocation angst and the possibility that all the good men are either taken or discerning the priesthood. May crowning selection can feel like a homecoming  queen competition and then there are the debates over if and how to use things like NFP, homeschooling, and mantillas.

In her Year of Biblical Womanhood, Evans forces herself to tackle some of the feminine practices she's avoided, like learning to cook and sew. She puts coins in a swear jar of sorts every time she's "contentious" and practices silence at a monastery. Some of the more conservative habits, like head coverings and ritual impurity during menstruation, she's glad to abandon, but trying them gives her new-found respect for the more conservative women who embrace them. I loved her email friendship with an Orthodox rabbi's wife in Israel and visits with Amish women. In each new experience there are spiritual lessons and opportunities for humility and grace.

In Evans' own words, she also "subjects common assumptions regarding 'biblical womanhood' to an examination alongside the actual biblical texts and explores how hermeneutical biases are at work in our interpretation of this concept." Contextual analysis, Hebrew vocabulary, and even some goofy satire challenge buzzwords and sacred cows of Evangelical culture. For example, she turns Proverbs 31 on its head, countering that it was meant as a litany of praise for feminine genius, not a benchmark of requirements. The Bible doesn't uphold one master template of womanhood. Rather, its heroines are often outsiders, risk takers, and paradigm challengers.


There were many moments when I looked up from the page and thought, "Geez, I'm so glad I'm Catholic." The Blessed Mother's a lot to live up to, but at least we have a New Eve to balance out womankind's role in the Fall. Evans tells of preposterous sexism, like debates whether female Sunday school teachers violate Paul's order to be silent in church and wedding sermon admonitions that wives mustn't "let themselves go" lest their husbands be tempted to stray. Then there is the radical patriarchy crowd, which translates the Hebrew ezer, or helpmeet, as "personal assistant and comfort woman." Evans examines New Testament verses on marriage and realizes that Christian married sexuality is really about mutual self-giving and service. OMGJPIITOB! That's exactly it.

I'm so glad that I share my spiritual journey with courageous, outspoken women ranging from my namesake, Abraham's wife, all the way to philosopher and martyr Edith Stein.  I'm grateful for the Catholic tradition of celibacy in the religious life, which challenges the notions that women must live under a man's jurisdiction or that men are bundles of animal urges that must be properly satiated. Both scripture and the lives of the saints are packed with women who "prophesy," teach, and give witness.

Evans' book inspired me and also challenged some of my own preconceptions. Just as there is no exact Biblical woman prototype, there is no one papist female paradigm. (I like to call her "Catholic Barbie.") Fears of judgement reflect my own self-criticism, not the spiteful side-eye of ladies who love the rosary more than I. Women who wear veils to Mass or homeschool a large family aren't doing it to condemn me, just as I don't wear dresses to Mass just to spite my friend who shows up in jeans.

I was never enough of a "Little Flower" to be May Crowning material. At my First Communion, I was assigned the first reading instead - apparently my literacy trumped any appearance of delicate piety. And maybe I'm ok with that. Literacy is a gift I have to offer. I still read at Mass, and being a lector makes me feel connected to the life of our parish.

Last week I did another First Reading, this time an excerpt of the Acts Pentecost speech. When I lost myself in the words, I could feel Peter and the Psalmist moving through me. At that moment, I wasn't just my literate self; I was a vehicle for the Holy Spirit, just one of many down the line. That's what God calls all of us women to be. 

Blogiversary Quick Takes

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Today marks the two-year anniversary of this blog! I am so grateful for all of my readers and for the community I've found among fellow bloggers.Thank you for stopping by to my little corner of the internets.

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Reason # 795 why I love my temp job: yesterday on the spur of the moment I went to Mass for the Holy Day with our CEO and VP of finance. Then we went out for Mexican food. Praise the Lord.

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Tonight I got to meet up with some folks from my graduate program at The Tombs in Georgetown. It made me so nostalgic that I promptly called the remaining 6 of my classmates to leave well-wishing voicemails. I don't miss writing end-of-semester papers, but I do miss all those museum field trips.

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I'm currently reading the novel True Grit by Charles Porter, and of course it is even more fun than the movies. The written format allows readers to learn more about adult Mattie Ross as she narrates her adventures. Her deadpan humor makes her feel like a female, more responsible Huck Finn. One my favorite of her comments was about a ruthless judge who converted to Catholicism on his deathbed.

"If you had sentenced one hundred and sixty men to death, and seen around eighty of them swing, then maybe at the last minute you would feel the need of some stronger medicine than the Methodists could make."

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Burruss Hall at Virginia Tech

Please keep the Virginia Tech community in your prayers as they recover from yesterday's shooting incident. Brother #1 was a freshman Hokie on that infamous April 16, and the death of two people on campus brings back many painful memories. It's good no students were harmed, but the slain police officer left behind 5 children and stepchildren.

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I continued my recent novena addiction by praying the Immaculate Conception novena these past nine days.  One night I even made it to the Mass and Holy Hour my parish was hosting every night. There's something about going to a candlelit church at night, especially in the middle of the week, that feels, for lack of a better word, magical.
I also took the plunge and started the infamous "Hail and Blessed" novena that runs from St. Andrew's feast to Christmas. So far I have mostly remembered to say my prayers 15 times a day. Any other St. Andrew novena fans out there?

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Every Advent I get hooked on the short song "Adam Lay Ybounden." The lyrics echo the Exultet's cry of "oh happy fault!" I always reach for the repeat button when the cheery melody ends.

For more Quick Takes, visit Conversion Diary!

Book Review - Committed: A Skeptic Makes Peace With Marriage by Elizabeth Gilbert

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This book is a sequel of sorts to Eat, Pray, Love. Elizabeth Gilbert is on another odyssey, this time hanging around south Asia while waiting for US immigration to approve her marriage to a Brazilian man. She met Filipe in Bali at the end of her previous book. Both were divorced and reluctant to get hitched again, but restrictions on temporary visas made the decision for them.

If you think marriage is a profound sacrament, or even just the building block of a healthy society, you will find yourself disagreeing with Committed. To be fair, she told us upfront that she is a skeptic. She’s also quite honest about the independent individualism that modern Americans consider their birthright. How dare a government or church tell her what to do? Refreshingly, though, she admits that much of the world happily functions without this mindset, and that she's often grappled with feeling unfulfilled.

Gilbert read up on the history of marriage during her year of skepticism, but  I found myself yelling “Where are your footnotes, woman?” and grumbling about irresponsible use of anecdotes. Also "How could you not know that emotional intimacy with a person-not-your-spouse can lead to an affair???!" And "Women are the ones who have babies. Parenthood requires sacrifice. Get over it."  And finally "Just marry the guy already!"

But that’s really the appeal of Gilbert’s writing; reading her words is like hearing a friend tell you a story. You are privy to her personal life and feel like you can engage with it. I could even identify with some of her apprehensions about commitment and motherhood. Does raising children really require women to "scrape bare the walls of their own souls"? Can we change our minds all the time and still make a lifelong commitment to someone?

The stories about her relationship with Felipe were more encouraging. That’s when Committed is at its best, telling a story about two people in love trying to make a life together. Besides the whole immigration approval with nomadic lifestyle thing, they had to learn to balance different cultural backgrounds and traveling styles. Her field trip to Cambodia while he read mystery novels by a pool was a nice reminder that your relationship is not doomed if you have some different ideas of fun.

 

It was also interesting to see how Gilbert finds a solution for our modern, post-marriage society. She starts to view marriage as a form of social rebellion. Sure, governments and churches may regulate it, but that is their feeble attempt to control the coupling that would happen no matter what. Couples say vows and sign paperwork, but then, as Felipe put it “We go home and do whatever the hell we want.” Every home is its own little society, and no amount of laws can completely control what happens in those homes.Marriage (and children) implies that you value a particular relationship above the wider community.

In the end, though, Gilbert is willing to admit that her marriage is not an entirely private matter. She realizes how much her family wants to be able to witness her and Felipe’s exchange of vows. She jumps through all the US customs hoops. And when all is said and done, she finds that public commitment to the man she loves was nothing to fear. That alone could calm a few other skeptics.

Edit: Elizabeth Gilbert's personal website reveals that Committed was just released in paperback with the subtitle changed to "A love story" implying that she is still living peacefully ever after.

Winter Break Book Reviews

Here's what I've been reading for fun before classes start.

The Omnivore's Dilemma - Michael Pollan

There have been many recent exposes of the food industry, but Michael Pollan's is by far the best. It's not a polemic (although I hear he's written those too). It's a surprisingly balanced and realistic, admitting that its ideals are also difficult and impractical. Pollan takes us through "a natural history of four meals" that exemplify four means of food production. We see a McDonald's meal produced by conventional farming; organic roast chicken and vegetables from a Whole Foods; a chicken dinner dinner all grown on a sustainable small farm; and a pork/mushroom that resulted from training as a hunter/gatherer. Along the way we learn about FDA regulations, food subsidies, the evolution of the corn genome, and Peter Singer's persuasive but flawed writings on animal rights.

It's appropriate that I read this book on my epic airport adventure, being herded like cattle through security gates. While I don't always buy organic or free-range food, I feel like knowing is half the battle. We can still understand our food even if we never visit farms or slaughterhouses.My food restrictions require me to pay close attention, but that's also why I do goofy things like photograph my salads. Pausing to thank God for a meal couldn't hurt either. 

Pollan frequently invokes the natural balance evolution has determined, making his account is also an unwitting testament to the complex beauty of God's creation. Could it be that we have tried to circumvent God's wisdom with our chemical fertilizers and synthetic vitamin supplements? The book's very title points to the blessing and curse of human nature. When you can eat or do anything, how do you determine what you should? Pollan's dilemma is one that we've been struggling with even before we left Eden.

Girl Meets God - Lauren Winner

Raised by a Jewish father and lapsed Baptist mother, Lauren Winner went through two conversion processes. Her freshman year at Columbia she became an Orthodox Jew. Still, a fascination with Jesus persisted, and she entered the Anglican church while studying for her master's at Cambridge. This book reflects on the process of both conversions, and the challenges of building a meaningful life in one's new religion. Following the course of  a liturgical year, the story celebrates aspects of both Judaism and Christianity, showing how they are connected. There is some typical new convert fervor - she covers her bedroom wall with images of Christ - but there is also  family tension and continuing catechesis.

True confession - part of me wanted to hate Lauren Winner. (Self-deprecating envy is one of my congenital vices, Lord help me.) In all of our close similarities she surpassed me: more advanced degrees in America religious history, more publications, more devoted bookworm, more abundant social life, more historic Virginia hometown.  Luckily some Googling dug up video of a sermon Winner gave at Duke. Her very nerdy voice and glasses assured me that book deals do not guarantee celebrity hotttness.Just because no one is publishing my spiritual memoirs does not make me a loser (pun intended.)

Phew, now that is off my chest, I can say this was an excellent book. Winner's story was approachable and relate-able. It made me appreciate my own faith, and even inspired me to pray more! Winner's reflections on the Incarnation and scripture study were especially good. Of course, her experiences as a religious person in academia were especially encouraging to me. Go pick up this memoir if you want an intelligent discussion of faith that blends modernity and tradition.

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Book review: Two Anne Rinaldi stories about slavery

Now that I have a public library card, I figure I should start writing about the "fun" books I am reading. So, although I have been reading some thought-provoking books for class about slavery and race in American history, I'm going to post about young adult fiction instead.

Somehow I missed out on Anne Rinaldi when I was a historical-fiction loving tween. How did this happen? No matter, I am making up for lost time now. Recently I read two of her novels that deal with slave uprisings and the uneasy relationship white Americans had with their slaves. She did a good job of capturing the paternalism, friendship, rationalization, and fear that went through slave owners' minds. Her slave characters also inhabit a complex social network with conflicting ideas about loyalty, obedience, and freedom. These books offer young readers a more nuanced view of early American society than I have seen in a long time.

That being said, their plots could be better. The spunky young heroines have life-altering adventures in convoluted ways. Oh, and the use of very modern phrases startled me. (Maybe I am just a grad student snob ;-)
Here's a brief summary of each.

In The Letter Writer, young orphan Harriet Whitehead is growing up on her relatives' Virginia plantation. She spends her days writing dictated letters for her aunt and being BFFs with her maidservant. Nat Turner is an enslaved preacher in the area, and her interest in his work leads her to be an unwitting accomplice to his violent plans. The scenes of his uprising's killing spree are truly horrifying. But once the dust settles, we get a completely contrived fairy-tale ending involving some surprise paternity. BFF maidservant gets freedom, but Harriet's opinions on slavery are otherwise unchanged. At the novel's end, her staff assure her she has the makings of a fine plantation mistress. As repulsive as this arrangement might be to us readers, it is more historically probable than Harriet becoming an abolitionist.

The Color of Fire, on the other hand, is written from the view of young slave girl Phoebe. Her story is set during panics about slave rebellion in 1750s New York, events that I had never heard of. Phoebe's wealthy master trusts her, and so she has some mobility to get involved in the drama of mob violence and helping victims of the "witch hunt." The ensuing dilemmas and dangers are gripping, but there is just too much happening too fast. In a few short chapters, readers abruptly encounter secret priests, possible euthanasia, the grotesqueness of burning at the stake, and slaves seeking freedom as indentured servants to the Indians. Rinaldi drops readers into the action, leaving them without a mooring.