Book Review: Becoming Elizabeth Elliot

by with No Comment Book ReviewsReviews

Convicting and inspiring, Elizabeth Elliot is a personal role model and this book cements that fact.

Synopsis:

To come.

Personal Thoughts:

For quite a while I have admired Elizabeth Elliot for her well-known work among the Waodoni and appreciated the few books of hers that I had read (Let Me Be a Woman and The Path of Loneliness).  I greatly enjoyed this biography and getting to know her more and seeing how God made her the woman he wanted her to be. I look forward to reading the second book on Being Elizabeth Elliot which discusses the latter half of her life.

Practicality and Discipleship Use:

I would highly recommend Becoming Elizabeth Elliot to anyone as an engaging, challenging, and inspiring account of a normal woman who lived a disciplined and obedient life to Christ. I think it would be especially encouraging to young women as Elizabeth Elliot is a unique individual in the modern church who young women can look up to.

Caveats:

It is important to understand that Elizabeth Elliot grew up strongly in the Keswick and Plymouth Brethren world of teaching and theology. This influences some of her ideas of sanctification and finding God’s will. She does have good beliefs on complementarianism but did become associated with Bill Gothard who takes the scope of male headship past what the scriptures lay out. She was Episcopal a denomination with many forays into liberal theology, and she also believed in eternal functional subordination which is not an orthodox belief.

Favorite Quotes:

“For Elizabeth, the central question was not, “How does this make me feel?” but simply, “Is this true?” If so, then the next question was, “What do I need to do about it to obey God?”” – p. 48

“All that grieves is but for a moment; All that pleases is but for a moment; Only the eternal is important.” – Amy Carmichael – p. 97

“Unless the Lord has definitely called a person for the mission field, we should be prepared to meet the world on it’s own grounds.” – p. 111

“Humility is perfect quietness of heart. It is to expect nothing, to wonder at nothing that is done to me, to feel nothing done against me. It is to be at rest when noobdy praises me, and when I am blamed or despised. It is to have a blessed hom in the Lord, where I can go in and shut the door, and kneel to my Father in secret, and am at peace as in a deep sea of calmess, when all around and above is trouble.” – Andrew Murray – p. 118

“It does not matter how great the pressure is. What really matters is where the pressue lies–whether it comes between you and God, or whether is presses you nearer to His heart.” – Hudson Taylor

“Waiting on God requires the willingness to bear uncertainty, to carry within oneself the unanswered question, lifiting the heart to God about it whenever it intrudes upon one’s thoughts. It is easier to talk oneself into a decision that has no permanence, than to wait patiently.” – Elizabeth Elliot – p. 185

“He [God] has not led in any spectacular way, or by steps which could be proved to another. Rather, my Father has quietly opened the way, often after much ‘sitting still’ on the part of his daughter; repeated disappointments; ‘hope deferred’; and finally, a revealing of some plan which does not at all fit my expectations.” – Elizabeth Elliot – p. 198

Podcast Review: Every Story Written

by with No Comment Podcast Reviews

Every Story Written is a blog and podcast that seeks to redeem literature through critical thinking and love of the Truth.

About

Every Story Written is a podcast and blog by Steph Simmons. Steph is (full disclosure) a friend of mine and fellow graduate of The Master’s University. She loves the Lord, stories, and language. Her podcast and blog critically analyalyzes books through a biblical lens. It is engaging and informative about books and genres that Christians may not be as familiar with.

Score Breakdown:

Treatment of Scripture:

Every Story Written holds a high view of scripture. Scripture is used every episode in an accurate way. There are many other times where she alludes to scripture with a proper interpretation.

Biblical Goals: 

Every Story Written is written for the goal to redeem literature by thinking through it biblically. This would fall into a practical application 1 Corinthians 10:5 where she is taking the thoughts of these books captive and destroying any lofty arguments against Christ.

Biblical Terminology:

Steph frequently references the heart and other similar biblical terms. She could reference scripture more when they are used, but it may be difficult in podcast form.

Biblical Hope: 

Steph presents hope in the character of God, the gospel, and the Bible as the solution to our problems.

Gospel Concepts:

Steph present gospel concepts and points listeners to the need for a savior in most episodes. She discusses sin, the affects of depravity, the need for a savior, and the sufficiency of Christ.

Practicality and Helpfulness:

Every Story Written is helpful to further understand certain genres of literature and learn discernment in reading fiction works. She also discusses themes in the work with practical and biblical perspective. Perhaps it could be more practical with some sort of reading guide to accompany the listener if they wanted to read the work she is referencing, but that would take a lot of work.

Discipleship Use:

Every Story Written could be helpful to teach teens or adults on how to read and interpret fiction literature with a biblical worldview in an informal discipleship setting. It may also be helpful for book groups as an example of how they should be reading.

Personal Use:

I personally enjoy Every Story Written and think it will edifying to me personally as I read books and seek to think through them in a way that honors God. I would recommend this for personal use and would be very helpful to help personal growth in discernment.

Other Thoughts: 

I appreciate that Steph holds to an objective standard for qualifying “good writing.” This is refreshing in a world of subjectivity.

Episodes Listened To:

  • Absurdity Here, Absurdity There, Absurdity Everywhere
  • What A Story CAN and CANNOT Do
  • Languaging with a Linguist

Check out Every Story Written: Podcast HERE and Blog HERE

Book Review: I’m Glad My Mom Died

by with No Comment Book Reviews

An engaging yet heartbreaking account of a young woman’s worship of her mother throughout childhood, acting career, and eating disorders.

Synopsis:

I’m Glad My Mom Died  was well-written and often humorous but incredibly saddening. Jennette begins with her earliest memories which involve the love and adoration of her mother and moves through her childhood recounting her mother’s control and manipulation over her life. Jennette embarks on the journey of becoming an actor at the age of 6 to fulfill her mother’s dreams. She is put under an incredible amount of pressure to be perfect in her appearance, behavior, and a variety of skills to bring her family out of debt. She quickly learned to not state her feelings or opinions and instead lie to agree with her mother’s desires. With her mother’s guidance, she learned to cry on demand by thinking of horrendous what if’s, restrict her calories to prevent puberty (to the point of anorexia), and act roles that no child should act (such as a rape victim or murderer). Her life was dominated by the worship of her mother and fear of her mother’s outbursts.

As she got older, her mother still continued to keep a tight grip on her life as they were “best friends.” Jennette had little say in what she was doing with her life, time, and body even into her twenties. Her mother’s cancer returns and she eventually dies. Then Jennette has to figure out life without her mother. While she is free of her mother’s control, she spirals into alcohol abuse, bulimia, partying, and numbness as she seeks to live out her mother’s standards. Jennette recounts this saddening spiral but is forced by her boyfriend to see a therapist. Progress is made, but the therapist implies that her mother was wrong and she falls apart. Eventually, she makes major headway after a change in acting roles, living situation, and breaking up with her now-stoner boyfriend. The book ends with Jennette finally stopping acting (something she had wanted for years), coming to grips with her mother’s harmful habits, and moving on to a writing career (something she had wanted for a long time) while still continuing to struggle with bulimia, OCD, and anxiety.

Belief Systems:

Jennette was loosely raised in the Church of the Latter-Day Saints (LDS) but the overall tone of the book is one without morality or God. Interestingly she recognizes that her family went to church because they wanted something from God (ie. the health of her mother). She also thought the Holy Spirit spoke to her to do repetitive OCD behaviors. Her LDS background most likely also increased her perfectionistic tendencies as a work and success-based religion.

Content Warnings:

There are descriptions of her eating disorder (frequent, graphic), descriptions of sexual behavior (brief, explicit, non-emotional), descriptions of alcohol abuse (descriptive, matter of fact), abuse not described in detail (emotional manipulation, forceful body exams by mother), and cursing (infrequent f-words, s-words, and b-words).

This book should not be read by a teen and should be read with caution as an adult. This book is an interesting look into the world’s perspective on manipulation, emotional abuse, parenting, and eating disorders. It’s not a book for entertainment or edification.

Biblical Perspective:

I’m Glad My Mom Died  overviews the life of a young woman whose mother seeks (and succeeds) to be her god. One of my MABC classes described that an abuser is one who seeks to reverse Romans 11:36 so that from them, through them, and to them is all things (self-worship). This is what Jennette’s mother sought. Understandably, Jennette holds onto this reality from a young age and seeks her mother’s approval in all things. Her mother’s wishes are law, right, and wrong. When she follows them, she is rewarded with affection and love. Breaking these results in shame and guilt as if she sinned. Her only salvation is being perfect or appeasing her mother through her own actions. This drives her to be perfectionistic, desirous of control, anxious, overly analytical, and fearful of man. The standards her mother had impressed upon her became her conscience.

She worshipped and feared her mother in every way. When her mother died she no longer had her god, salvation, moral standard, and purpose. This is tragic. No wonder she spiraled the way she did. Her god was gone and part of her felt like it was her fault (every year on her birthday she wished that her mother would live). She took to bulimia to cope with the shame of her real and perceived sin and gain control over her life. She abused alcohol to numb her conscience and emotions. I am truly glad that Jennette is growing less self-destructive with her eating habits, but my heart hurts for the shame that she carries that can only be cleansed by Christ’s blood. Her solutions have not changed her heart and her desire for control and to be rid of shame still drives her life. She needs the gospel. Perhaps one day, Jennette will come to know Christ as a result of her mother’s death and journey to change.

Personal Thoughts:

This book was completely engrossing but incredibly hard to read. My heart hurt for her often and I was incredibly saddened by the control her mother exerted over her. It reminded me of some of the manipulated behavior that I have experienced (minor in comparison) and some friends who have rough parental situations. This sounds very similar to what they have experienced with their parents (some who claim to be believers!). I want to make sure that I do not manipulate my children or others in such a way. I cannot and do not have the authority to exert dominance and control over their life. God is the standard and he is in control. My job is to teach them his ways and trust him. This book also reminded me of the importance of having a biblical perspective of our bodies and of food. This is something our children will learn from us. All food is clean (Mark 7:19) and should not be viewed through a moral lens. Our bodies are good and are blessings from God (1 Cor 6:19-20, 1 Tim 4:4). Our heart is what can make eating sinful, not the food or our body (Mark 7:15).