DISOBEDIENT WOMEN

An exploration of the vast array of online communities “questioning some of the impacts of evangelicalism’s ascendant effects.”

In her wide-ranging debut, journalist Stankorb chronicles the many ways in which American women raised as evangelicals have used the internet as a tool to expose examples of sexual abuse and other deep-seated problems in the churches in which they grew up. Examining blogs written primarily in the 1990s, the author crafts a “snapshot in time” of how the newly powerful internet allowed people—particularly women—who were otherwise isolated and often nearly powerless to reach others who shared their experiences to unite and reveal problems within evangelical churches. Prominent in the narrative, which relies on extensive interviews with those who call themselves “exvangelicals,” are stories of abuse by youth pastors in Southern Baptist churches around the country as well as the influential Maryland megachurch the Covenant Life Church. As horrifying as the abuse are the accounts of its systematic coverup and attempts to shame those who eventually dared to report abuse. Many of Stankorb's subjects grew up in a world of purity rings, restrictive home schooling, and “stay at home daughterhood,” where they were expected to follow orders from the men in their life even after reaching adulthood. This makes their choices to speak out even more striking. Stankorb unevenly weaves in stories of her own life, growing up in a mildly religious family headed by an alcoholic and sometimes abusive father. While she effectively recounts the individual struggles within particular churches, she is less successful with broader themes. The narrative occasionally becomes mired in anecdotes about the many people she interviewed and the infighting among the members of the movements that grew up in opposition to evangelical churches. Still, the author’s message is worth hearing.

A provocative yet unfocused glimpse into resistance to predators hiding behind religion.