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Braving the Truth: Essential Essays for Reckoning with and Reimagining Faith
Braving the Truth has descriptive copy which is not yet available from the Publisher.
416 pages, Hardcover
First published February 24, 2026
415 people are currently reading
1606 people want to read
About the author
Rachel Held Evans
24 books1,745 followersRachel Held Evans was a New York Times best-selling author whose books include Faith Unraveled (2010), A Year of Biblical Womanhood (2012), and Searching for Sunday (2015). Hailing from Dayton, Tennessee—home of the famous Scopes Monkey Trial of 1925—she wrote about faith, doubt and life in the Bible Belt.
Rachel was featured in The Washington Post, The Guardian, Christianity Today, Slate, The Huffington Post, The CNN Belief Blog, and on NPR, The BBC, The Today Show, and The View. She kept a busy schedule speaking at churches, conferences, and colleges and universities around the country.
Rachel was featured in The Washington Post, The Guardian, Christianity Today, Slate, The Huffington Post, The CNN Belief Blog, and on NPR, The BBC, The Today Show, and The View. She kept a busy schedule speaking at churches, conferences, and colleges and universities around the country.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 79 reviews
February 25, 2026
5 stars! Rachel Held Evans is probably one of my most favorite writers of all time. She died on May 4, 2019 way too soon and left a hole in the world … a hole in my heart! I have been anxiously awaiting the publication of this book! Sarah Bessey, Rachel’s husband and a bunch of contributors put this masterpiece together- a collection of Rachel’s blog posts. I knew I would love rereading her words and remembering the crisp freshness of her honest faith that helped shape my own. But I wondered how it hang together- would this volume of blog post seem disjointed as a whole? No it absolutely did not! Sarah Bessey is one hell of an editor- or should I say quilt master seaming it all together! What I didn’t know I would experience is the words of so many other wonderful thinkers peppered throughout sharing brief reflections of how RHE’s work impacted them! Wow what a treasure this volume is! Thank you Daniel for sharing her with us again! Thank you Sarah Bessey for your amazing work bringing RHE and her dynamic, life giving, hopeful words to us again! I am forever grateful!
April 25, 2026
Read for book club. A beautiful collection of RHE's blog posts with thoughtful (and sniffle-inducing) commentary from friends and family. I've met many of the contributors, making it hard to separate these extremely personal words from what I know of the people writing them. Depending on your relationship to the material and people involved, your experience might not be as moving as mine was. But if these are your people, you will appreciate this book as the special gift it is.
April 10, 2026
This was a surprisingly wonderful and emotional read for me. I never followed Rachel in her blog days nor had I read any of her books up until this one. I had heard whispers of her but somehow got the vibe that her ideas were a "slippery slope" back in my early hardcore evangelical days. When I began my own deconstruction within the last 2 years, I had her book "Searching for Sunday" (and still do) in my Kindle wishlist. When I saw this book was to come out, I immediately preordered it. And I'm so glad that this was my first real exposure to Rachel - revisiting and journeying through where she started as a blogger and hearing others reflect on the impact her writing had on them in real time as they read her regularly released blog posts. It felt like I was reliving and almost reprocessing some of those years of my life and she referenced and talked about the events occuring in the church, our country and the world.
I am very grateful to Sarah Bessey for collecting and organizing these special writings of Rachel for this book. I'm so glad this was my first Rachel Held Evans exposure and I look forward to reading the rest of her books!
I am very grateful to Sarah Bessey for collecting and organizing these special writings of Rachel for this book. I'm so glad this was my first Rachel Held Evans exposure and I look forward to reading the rest of her books!
April 7, 2026
"I am a Christian, because the story of Jesus is still the story I'm willing to risk being wrong about."
So many feelings reading this posthumous collection of essays by Evans and reflections/contributions by friends and family (edited by Sarah Bessey). This is my 5th book by Evans and I don't think I've ever felt more grateful for her work and life, and deeply saddened that she is no longer with us.
Her writing is honest and brave and insightful. It is filled with wisdom and humility and humour. It is relatable and inspiring and generous. She built a bigger table and invited all to partake.
"I'm not telling you not to be angry. I'm telling you not to give up hope."
Audiobook: 11h 31m
So many feelings reading this posthumous collection of essays by Evans and reflections/contributions by friends and family (edited by Sarah Bessey). This is my 5th book by Evans and I don't think I've ever felt more grateful for her work and life, and deeply saddened that she is no longer with us.
Her writing is honest and brave and insightful. It is filled with wisdom and humility and humour. It is relatable and inspiring and generous. She built a bigger table and invited all to partake.
"I'm not telling you not to be angry. I'm telling you not to give up hope."
Audiobook: 11h 31m
February 28, 2026
We all miss RHE. God knows we do. It’s a light to have a “new” book out with her name on the cover.
As described, this is a collection of her blog posts. It also includes a lot—a lot—of “reflections” by her friends and peers. Honestly, and I hate to say this, it’s too many and most of them lack any substance. A few are worth your while. I can’t imagine the task Sarah Bessey had ahead of her when she began this collection; she has selected a strong sample of RHE’s writing, but the reflections are enough to take off a star—a note for readers to manage your expectations when it comes to that half (!!!) of the book.
Overall, it’s worth your time—it is RHE—but it’s okay to skim most of the reflections.
*ARC via NetGalley
As described, this is a collection of her blog posts. It also includes a lot—a lot—of “reflections” by her friends and peers. Honestly, and I hate to say this, it’s too many and most of them lack any substance. A few are worth your while. I can’t imagine the task Sarah Bessey had ahead of her when she began this collection; she has selected a strong sample of RHE’s writing, but the reflections are enough to take off a star—a note for readers to manage your expectations when it comes to that half (!!!) of the book.
Overall, it’s worth your time—it is RHE—but it’s okay to skim most of the reflections.
*ARC via NetGalley
May 3, 2026
God I miss her.
Want to Read
February 12, 2026this book isn't MAGA, right? .....right???
March 5, 2026
Rachel Held Evans has had a tremendous impact on me through her books and blog posts. Her untimely death at age 37 left the world without an important voice in the progressive Christian community. Her belief that Christianity is less about correct belief and interpretations and more about living a life of love and inclusion while grappling with doubt resonated with me and helped clarify my own beliefs. How lucky we are to have this book, edited by her friend and fellow Christian writer Sarah Bessey, that compiles many of her most influential blog posts, as well as reflections from her friends and other progressive Christian writers. How RHE is missed, but through her books (Searching for Sunday and Faith Unraveled are my favorites) and writings, her inspiration and message lives on. Well done, good and faithful servant.
February 25, 2026
RHE was such an inspiration to me from the earliest days of unraveling my faith. This book is a masterpiece and I'm thankful for the work Sarah Bessey put into making sure the best of her blog was put into book form. Time and again I thought how timeless Rachel's words were/are. My hope would be for church going persons to pick this book up, read it, and let the words change you for good.
*Side note: I would recommend the physical book for this one as the editor notes are narrated by Sarah, but the asides provided by Sarah are narrated by the same narrator as the rest of the book which makes it hard to differentiate between the two.
*Side note: I would recommend the physical book for this one as the editor notes are narrated by Sarah, but the asides provided by Sarah are narrated by the same narrator as the rest of the book which makes it hard to differentiate between the two.
April 8, 2026
I often wonder what it would have been like to stumble upon RHE's writing while she was alive - to be a part of her online community. While I missed out, I am so grateful to have found her wisdom later in life. No matter the form of her writing, there is always something that challenges me (for the better of my community) or makes me say, "oh wow, I now have language to describe [an experience I went through]" ... to feel empowered to doubt, question, debate and find joy in my faith. Loved this collection of her blog writings - makes me want to read " Searching for Sunday" again.
April 21, 2026
Rachel Held Evans was the voice that made me feel like it was okay to be who I was even when my real life spaces insisted I should be less curious, have a different definition of love, or see my doubt as failure. I needed this most during the time she was working on her blog. Her blog led me to Searching for Sunday, and then to each of her other books. However, it was these initial posts that started my journey back to myself. To have them compiled here, to see the way her work resonated with others, it continues to remind me of all the people out there who are invested in the expansiveness of what it means to be human.
March 28, 2026
Beautiful!
March 28, 2026
A touching collection of blogs, written by a young woman (who has since died tragically and suddenly) as she wrestles with what she has been taught in church and what she has read in the Bible. Each blog is brutally honest. They are full of empathy, love and questions as she stuggles to reconcile the world we live in with her Bible teaching. She clearly loves the Word, loves the Lord and loves her family and friends.
March 31, 2026
I enjoyed rereading some of RHE’s original blogs, but the 30+ reflections on her became a little much.
April 8, 2026
I enjoyed every essay. And the contributors’ essays were sweet to read too.
March 10, 2026
This book felt like a visit from an old friend. I am so thankful we had Rachel Held Evans with us on this earth, even though she was taken far too soon. It was so wonderful to sit with her words again for a bit.
February 13, 2026
Yes this is essentially just a collection of Rachel Held Evan’s blog posts. If you followed her online, you may not have much reason to check this out. But while I loved all of her books, I only occasionally read her blog, and so this collection was much appreciated. No matter the topic, Rachel’s compassion, honesty, and humility shines through.
Braving the Truth is an interesting time capsule of what we’d now call the deconstruction movement from 2010-2019 (with the majority of the essays being from the earlier part of the decade). It was occasionally hard to read how hard she tried to maintain connection with the evangelical community of her youth, knowing now how much more intensely conservatives would lean into nationalism and patriarchy in the 2020s. I would love to read her thoughts on the current state of the American church even though I know it would’ve broken her heart even more.
This collection also includes numerous (perhaps too many) reflections from other writers and thought leaders who were impacted by Rachel’s writing. Many are moving but eventually the praise becomes redundant. But then I would be more than willing to share my thoughts of my brief encounters with her and the impact she has had on my theology so I understand why so many want to share.
Braving the Truth releases 2/24/26. Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC.
Braving the Truth is an interesting time capsule of what we’d now call the deconstruction movement from 2010-2019 (with the majority of the essays being from the earlier part of the decade). It was occasionally hard to read how hard she tried to maintain connection with the evangelical community of her youth, knowing now how much more intensely conservatives would lean into nationalism and patriarchy in the 2020s. I would love to read her thoughts on the current state of the American church even though I know it would’ve broken her heart even more.
This collection also includes numerous (perhaps too many) reflections from other writers and thought leaders who were impacted by Rachel’s writing. Many are moving but eventually the praise becomes redundant. But then I would be more than willing to share my thoughts of my brief encounters with her and the impact she has had on my theology so I understand why so many want to share.
Braving the Truth releases 2/24/26. Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
Rachel Held Evans died on May 4, 2019, following a sudden and severe illness. Evans was an “exvangelical” pioneer. Her first book, Faith Unraveled (then called Evolving in Monkey Town), detailed her deconstruction (was anyone calling it that back then?) from white conservative evangelicalism to a more progressive, more inclusive faith. She wrote a blog that became immensely popular as she worked through her new faith and gathered together a community of similar folks to walk the difficult journey with her. She had marshalled a movement that was progressing into a more loving Christianity and challenging evangelical power structures.
And then she was gone. A voice silenced way too soon. Three years into a first Trump presidency. One year before a global pandemic. Gone at a time we needed her the most. There was an unfinished manuscript—picked up and completed by Jeff Chu—published as Wholehearted Faith in 2021. But then…silence.
Braving the Truth breaks the silence. A collection of Rachel’s blog posts interspersed with commentary and reflections by friends, this posthumous compilation is a loving tribute to Rachel Held Evans and a beautiful reminder of her life, her work, and—I’m sure she’d say most importantly—her message. This book is a testament to Evans’ enduring legacy and the timelessly prophetic words she penned.
In some ways, this book is a time capsule into a much-different world. Many of the essays here predate the rise of Trumpism and confront a more genteel and less nationalistic evangelical conservatism. It’s a stark reminder for us, living in the throes of American Christofascism, that our current struggles did not begin and will not end with Donald Trump. To read words that are still powerful and prophetic today amid what feels like a much different socio-political context is jarring in a good way. Sometimes you read the Prophets and wonder “What if the people had listened?” I had the same thoughts when reading Braving the Truth.
Editor Sarah Bessey does a great job selecting essays that are evergreen, with those tied to specific events having an appropriate amount of context for readers who are coming to the essay a decade or so later. There’s also a bountiful selection of reflections and remembrances from friends and family that speak to how Rachel’s presence lives on through them and how their lives were affected by her person.
My worry going into Braving the Truth was that a book that is basically a series of blog posts was going to read like a series of blog posts and feel out of place in printed form. Whether it’s Bessey’s editing abilities or Evans’ writing style (it’s both, definitely both), I didn’t feel that it all. The movement through the book felt natural, the contributor sections showed that they had read and interacted with the section on which they were commenting. The whole thing radiates love. It radiates love from RHE; it radiates love for her. That a book curated from her writings almost seven years after her death can generate so much interest, attract so many contributors, and feel so powerful and personal is an incredible testament to who Rachel Held Evans is.
And then she was gone. A voice silenced way too soon. Three years into a first Trump presidency. One year before a global pandemic. Gone at a time we needed her the most. There was an unfinished manuscript—picked up and completed by Jeff Chu—published as Wholehearted Faith in 2021. But then…silence.
Braving the Truth breaks the silence. A collection of Rachel’s blog posts interspersed with commentary and reflections by friends, this posthumous compilation is a loving tribute to Rachel Held Evans and a beautiful reminder of her life, her work, and—I’m sure she’d say most importantly—her message. This book is a testament to Evans’ enduring legacy and the timelessly prophetic words she penned.
In some ways, this book is a time capsule into a much-different world. Many of the essays here predate the rise of Trumpism and confront a more genteel and less nationalistic evangelical conservatism. It’s a stark reminder for us, living in the throes of American Christofascism, that our current struggles did not begin and will not end with Donald Trump. To read words that are still powerful and prophetic today amid what feels like a much different socio-political context is jarring in a good way. Sometimes you read the Prophets and wonder “What if the people had listened?” I had the same thoughts when reading Braving the Truth.
Editor Sarah Bessey does a great job selecting essays that are evergreen, with those tied to specific events having an appropriate amount of context for readers who are coming to the essay a decade or so later. There’s also a bountiful selection of reflections and remembrances from friends and family that speak to how Rachel’s presence lives on through them and how their lives were affected by her person.
My worry going into Braving the Truth was that a book that is basically a series of blog posts was going to read like a series of blog posts and feel out of place in printed form. Whether it’s Bessey’s editing abilities or Evans’ writing style (it’s both, definitely both), I didn’t feel that it all. The movement through the book felt natural, the contributor sections showed that they had read and interacted with the section on which they were commenting. The whole thing radiates love. It radiates love from RHE; it radiates love for her. That a book curated from her writings almost seven years after her death can generate so much interest, attract so many contributors, and feel so powerful and personal is an incredible testament to who Rachel Held Evans is.
April 12, 2026
Braving the Truth by Rachel Held Evans is a collection of her most impactful essays (they’re essentially her previous blog posts) in print for the first time, collected by Sarah Bessey, Rachel’s close friend and an author in her own right. And interspersed with Rachel’s writings are reflections from her friends, fellow writers, teachers, and colleagues.
This book serves as both memorialization of Rachel’s previous online writings as well as a tribute to her legacy with guest essays. It really doesn’t read like a book because, well, it really isn’t a book in the traditional sense.
Rachel Held Evans was a Christian author and blogger. She passed away suddenly in 2019. She is known for being raised evangelical, wrestling with her faith (a lot of it publicly both online and in books), and emerging as a “progressive” Christian. Her books are some of my favorite Christian nonfiction, most of them written as part theological discussion and part memoir. At times it feels like Rachel wrote down the exact words I needed to hear and they resonate with me so much.
Is this my favorite book of hers? No, not at all. But—I love that I can read more of Rachel’s words. I love that I have more of her words to hold in my hands. I love that I can sit with her writing for just a little bit longer.
I do wish the dates were listed at the start of each essay. It’s hard to know what current event it was referring to sometimes. I found myself flipping to the date at the end when starting each one just to get a bit more context.
Most of these essays had me nodding along, made me feel seen, or just struck a chord with me. And other essays had me vehemently disagreeing with her to point of wanting to slam the book shut and walk away. But regardless of my level of agreement with each essay, they all had me thinking, questioning, and reflecting. Which I think is, quite literally, the entire goal. Rachel tended to write out a lot of her own thoughts and questions and reflections, which encourages us to do the same.
I didn’t enjoy very many of the guest posts. But I appreciate the insight they all gave of just how big of an impact Rachel had on so many people, besides just me, during her relatively short life. If you’re a fan of Rachel Held Evans, then this book is definitely worth getting, if for no other reason than to get a bit of closure. If you’ve never read anything by her before then I’d recommend you start with one of her traditional books before this one.
This book serves as both memorialization of Rachel’s previous online writings as well as a tribute to her legacy with guest essays. It really doesn’t read like a book because, well, it really isn’t a book in the traditional sense.
Rachel Held Evans was a Christian author and blogger. She passed away suddenly in 2019. She is known for being raised evangelical, wrestling with her faith (a lot of it publicly both online and in books), and emerging as a “progressive” Christian. Her books are some of my favorite Christian nonfiction, most of them written as part theological discussion and part memoir. At times it feels like Rachel wrote down the exact words I needed to hear and they resonate with me so much.
Is this my favorite book of hers? No, not at all. But—I love that I can read more of Rachel’s words. I love that I have more of her words to hold in my hands. I love that I can sit with her writing for just a little bit longer.
I do wish the dates were listed at the start of each essay. It’s hard to know what current event it was referring to sometimes. I found myself flipping to the date at the end when starting each one just to get a bit more context.
Most of these essays had me nodding along, made me feel seen, or just struck a chord with me. And other essays had me vehemently disagreeing with her to point of wanting to slam the book shut and walk away. But regardless of my level of agreement with each essay, they all had me thinking, questioning, and reflecting. Which I think is, quite literally, the entire goal. Rachel tended to write out a lot of her own thoughts and questions and reflections, which encourages us to do the same.
I didn’t enjoy very many of the guest posts. But I appreciate the insight they all gave of just how big of an impact Rachel had on so many people, besides just me, during her relatively short life. If you’re a fan of Rachel Held Evans, then this book is definitely worth getting, if for no other reason than to get a bit of closure. If you’ve never read anything by her before then I’d recommend you start with one of her traditional books before this one.
February 25, 2026
By Rachel Held Evans; Sarah Bessey
What I appreciated about Rachel Held Evans is that when she found herself face to face with something that didn’t fit with her understanding of the Bible, she asked questions. I have learned from her commitment to ask questions, to research, to study, to discernment, and to allowing her faith to be continually reimagined. Rather than pretend that everything made sense and fit into a neat little box with a bow, Rachel explored topics that had been taught and accepted by her culture but that did not sit well with her. At great risk to her social standing, her position in community, and her acceptance in evangelical academia, she pursued the Lord while pursuing answers that were consistent with who she knew the Lord to be.
A frontrunner in the Christian blogging community, she lived her life with an academic generosity. Currently, in some circles, there exists the term “girl’s girl” which is someone who defends and supports the women around her. Rachel did not limit her interaction to women, but in a similar style created a space that was safe for many different wonderers – supporting, resourcing, and championing them. She normalized wondering, healthy discourse, and a removing of the mask of certainty.
She supported a gracious dialogue in her community and fostered an allyship among those who wonder, those who journey, those who had lost community by their wondering, and those who had never found welcome.
This posthumous collection of some of Rachel’s most widely known writings, was curated by her good friend Sarah Bessey. Different excerpts are followed by essays and reflections from other friends or family members. I have appreciated reading through these pages, remembering when I read them the first time and reflecting on how the words have shaped my own journey. I have appreciated the charity she extended towards those with whom she did not agree. I have also been encouraged by the courage with which she asked questions. This book is a gift to all who wander, to those who are curious about the Faith, to those who want to know the Truth, and to those who want to live in the love of the Father who causes us to wonder.
Thank you to #netgalley for the advanced reader copy
#Rachelheldevans
#bravingthetruth
What I appreciated about Rachel Held Evans is that when she found herself face to face with something that didn’t fit with her understanding of the Bible, she asked questions. I have learned from her commitment to ask questions, to research, to study, to discernment, and to allowing her faith to be continually reimagined. Rather than pretend that everything made sense and fit into a neat little box with a bow, Rachel explored topics that had been taught and accepted by her culture but that did not sit well with her. At great risk to her social standing, her position in community, and her acceptance in evangelical academia, she pursued the Lord while pursuing answers that were consistent with who she knew the Lord to be.
A frontrunner in the Christian blogging community, she lived her life with an academic generosity. Currently, in some circles, there exists the term “girl’s girl” which is someone who defends and supports the women around her. Rachel did not limit her interaction to women, but in a similar style created a space that was safe for many different wonderers – supporting, resourcing, and championing them. She normalized wondering, healthy discourse, and a removing of the mask of certainty.
She supported a gracious dialogue in her community and fostered an allyship among those who wonder, those who journey, those who had lost community by their wondering, and those who had never found welcome.
This posthumous collection of some of Rachel’s most widely known writings, was curated by her good friend Sarah Bessey. Different excerpts are followed by essays and reflections from other friends or family members. I have appreciated reading through these pages, remembering when I read them the first time and reflecting on how the words have shaped my own journey. I have appreciated the charity she extended towards those with whom she did not agree. I have also been encouraged by the courage with which she asked questions. This book is a gift to all who wander, to those who are curious about the Faith, to those who want to know the Truth, and to those who want to live in the love of the Father who causes us to wonder.
Thank you to #netgalley for the advanced reader copy
#Rachelheldevans
#bravingthetruth
March 11, 2026
What a powerful, valuable, painful, and healing piece of art this book is.
I have to admit that I was a little unsure of the format of this book, going in. I'm delighted to have another posthumous RHE release to read, and I have long wondered if they would eventually put out a collection of the blog posts, for those of us who read physical books and don't really read internet archives. I'm delighted they did. But learning that said essays are intercut with a vast quantity of essays by other folks, about Rachel, diminished my enthusiasm a bit. Cynically, I guess I felt at first that might be just padding, to get the book longer or something. It's not really what I came for.
I kind of continued to feel that way through most of the book; although those essays are mercifully brief, I always sort of felt like 'okay, let's get back to the writing of the author I bought this to read.' But as I got to the final quarter of the book I felt a shift happening. Interspersing these testaments to RHE's impact, the difference she made in the world, and just who she was as a person, with the blog posts themselves... it made the scope of the book so much wider. It really made me feel, on a visceral level, what a gift Rachel was, to all of us, and what a loss it is not to have her anymore. How I wish I could read her thoughts on 2026, and the places we've found ourselves. How I wish we had her guidance right now.
Anyway, the final few essays of the book made me ugly cry, made me feel the impact of that grief all over again. My eyes are still red as I type this. I guess the decision to structure this book as they did ultimately won me over.
As many more words of Rachel's as her family and publishers and friends can find to share with me, I will take them. This earth of ours is poorer for her absence from it.
I have to admit that I was a little unsure of the format of this book, going in. I'm delighted to have another posthumous RHE release to read, and I have long wondered if they would eventually put out a collection of the blog posts, for those of us who read physical books and don't really read internet archives. I'm delighted they did. But learning that said essays are intercut with a vast quantity of essays by other folks, about Rachel, diminished my enthusiasm a bit. Cynically, I guess I felt at first that might be just padding, to get the book longer or something. It's not really what I came for.
I kind of continued to feel that way through most of the book; although those essays are mercifully brief, I always sort of felt like 'okay, let's get back to the writing of the author I bought this to read.' But as I got to the final quarter of the book I felt a shift happening. Interspersing these testaments to RHE's impact, the difference she made in the world, and just who she was as a person, with the blog posts themselves... it made the scope of the book so much wider. It really made me feel, on a visceral level, what a gift Rachel was, to all of us, and what a loss it is not to have her anymore. How I wish I could read her thoughts on 2026, and the places we've found ourselves. How I wish we had her guidance right now.
Anyway, the final few essays of the book made me ugly cry, made me feel the impact of that grief all over again. My eyes are still red as I type this. I guess the decision to structure this book as they did ultimately won me over.
As many more words of Rachel's as her family and publishers and friends can find to share with me, I will take them. This earth of ours is poorer for her absence from it.
March 28, 2026
"If the gospel isn't good news to the so-called 'outliers,' then it's not good news at all. And, in fact, if our theology doesn't start with the 'outliers,' then maybe we're doing it wrong."
Oh my heart. I am so incredibly thankful to Sarah Bessey, and Dan Evans, and everyone else who poured their heart into this project, and pulled together this poignant and thoughtful collection of Rachel’s words. I miss Rachel every day, and I never had the privilege to meet her. Her willingness to be brave, and honest, and vulnerable, saved my faith. When I was at rock bottom spiritually, absolutely running on fumes and hoping I could truly fake it til I make it, Rachel cleared a path in the wilderness. My feverish and desperate search for a spiritual hail mary brought me to Searching For Sunday, and Rachel’s empathetic voice telling me it was okay to have doubts, and human to seek fellowship even still. It brought me to A Year of Biblical Womanhood, and Rachel’s wise voice telling me that we can take the Bible seriously without taking it literally, and that we have so much to learn from others. It brought me to Faith Unraveled, and Rachel’s vulnerable voice telling me that it’s natural for our faith to evolve, and okay to be terrified by it. It brought me to Inspired, and Rachel’s prophetic voice telling me to let scripture be what it is instead of trying to force it to be what I want it to be. Finally, a life raft.
It was, unfortunately, only months after I discovered Rachel’s ministry that we lost her, and I’ve missed her ever since. I still seek out Rachel’s words, find them timely and inspiring, a helpful spiritual guide in the most trying of times.
Every day I wish Rachel was here to say something soothing and honest and hopeful (and snarky) amidst the chaos we currently live in. Braving the Truth is the closest we can get to that, and Sarah Bessey and Co. truly did the very best job in compiling this for us.
Eshet chayil, Rachel. I am forever grateful.
Oh my heart. I am so incredibly thankful to Sarah Bessey, and Dan Evans, and everyone else who poured their heart into this project, and pulled together this poignant and thoughtful collection of Rachel’s words. I miss Rachel every day, and I never had the privilege to meet her. Her willingness to be brave, and honest, and vulnerable, saved my faith. When I was at rock bottom spiritually, absolutely running on fumes and hoping I could truly fake it til I make it, Rachel cleared a path in the wilderness. My feverish and desperate search for a spiritual hail mary brought me to Searching For Sunday, and Rachel’s empathetic voice telling me it was okay to have doubts, and human to seek fellowship even still. It brought me to A Year of Biblical Womanhood, and Rachel’s wise voice telling me that we can take the Bible seriously without taking it literally, and that we have so much to learn from others. It brought me to Faith Unraveled, and Rachel’s vulnerable voice telling me that it’s natural for our faith to evolve, and okay to be terrified by it. It brought me to Inspired, and Rachel’s prophetic voice telling me to let scripture be what it is instead of trying to force it to be what I want it to be. Finally, a life raft.
It was, unfortunately, only months after I discovered Rachel’s ministry that we lost her, and I’ve missed her ever since. I still seek out Rachel’s words, find them timely and inspiring, a helpful spiritual guide in the most trying of times.
Every day I wish Rachel was here to say something soothing and honest and hopeful (and snarky) amidst the chaos we currently live in. Braving the Truth is the closest we can get to that, and Sarah Bessey and Co. truly did the very best job in compiling this for us.
Eshet chayil, Rachel. I am forever grateful.
October 29, 2025
Unless you've encountered the writings of Rachel Held Evans, it's hard to believe how compassionate, astute, and sincere one young person could be in her examination of her Christian faith. This is a collection of her writings gleaned from her blog posts and previous books with special commentary from a wide range of people who knew her before her untimely death in 2019 at age 37. She is a writer who makes you think, who connects with you, and who sincerely believes in the promise of God's love. Remarkably curious and forever questioning, she is a woman who moved from her childhood upbringing in an evangelical church through other church experiences and ending up in the Episcopal church--all documented through her writings. She was keenly aware of the vast injustices found in some denominations and completely convinced of "God's image" in all persons. She is needed today, more than ever, but this wonderful new collection of her writings will have to suffice. Approachable, down-to-earth, but not superficial, this author studied Biblical texts closely and wrote important messages about faith and life. Highly recommended.
Thanks to the publisher and Edelweiss for an advance copy.
Thanks to the publisher and Edelweiss for an advance copy.
May 6, 2026
What an absolute joy to read Rachel's words again!
Braving the Truth is a collection of Rachel's blog posts and reflections from some of her closest friends and companions who journeyed with her during her years as a prolific author and speaker.
I am someone who only became aware of Rachel Held Evans in about 2017. I think I first encountered her content on Twitter which led me to her popular book about the Church, "Searching for Sunday." Needless to say, I quickly devoured as much of her writing and talks as possible. She has since become my favourite Christian author and her untimely passing in 2019 affected me deeply.
Unfortunately, I never read many of Rachel's blog posts, other than the occasional post that came across my timeline. It was therefore a wonderful experience diving into this time machine of Rachel's earliest writings and reflections through the years.
I was reminded yet again of the gift that Rachel's voice has been to me over the years as I have navigated my own evolving faith journey. I was deeply encouraged reading these words and motivated to once again take my own writing seriously.
Rest in Peace Rachel. Your legacy continues to transform lives and the world today. Many of us are doing our best to continue the incredible work that you inspired in us.
Braving the Truth is a collection of Rachel's blog posts and reflections from some of her closest friends and companions who journeyed with her during her years as a prolific author and speaker.
I am someone who only became aware of Rachel Held Evans in about 2017. I think I first encountered her content on Twitter which led me to her popular book about the Church, "Searching for Sunday." Needless to say, I quickly devoured as much of her writing and talks as possible. She has since become my favourite Christian author and her untimely passing in 2019 affected me deeply.
Unfortunately, I never read many of Rachel's blog posts, other than the occasional post that came across my timeline. It was therefore a wonderful experience diving into this time machine of Rachel's earliest writings and reflections through the years.
I was reminded yet again of the gift that Rachel's voice has been to me over the years as I have navigated my own evolving faith journey. I was deeply encouraged reading these words and motivated to once again take my own writing seriously.
Rest in Peace Rachel. Your legacy continues to transform lives and the world today. Many of us are doing our best to continue the incredible work that you inspired in us.
February 26, 2026
Rachel Held Evans was a voice during a time when a lot was changing about the Church and mainstream Christianity. She put words to many people's thoughts, questions, and challenges with the Church and what we had always been taught and how that applied to culture. Reading her essays for the first time or again, you realize that all of it still holds and still applies to what we face today. She was one of the first to speak out in dissent to those in the Evangelical world who approved of Trump and his candidacy for president. She amplified voices from the marginalized. She didn't like being the center of attention, but she changed many of our lives and helped guide us through our evolving faith. What I do today is profoundly because of what she did. I am grateful for this book because it is showing me the blog posts I missed or did not understand at the time and now I am able to see them from a new perspective. Rachel's voice lives on through this book and will continue to affect generations of those to come.
April 7, 2026
This collection of essays is a great way to get a feel for RHE, which is exactly what I was looking for. I've thought that I would learn from her stuff for some time, and also that she would hit a little close to home, both turned out to be true. She died right when I started getting interested in this sphere so I felt I had kind of missed the chance to engage with her, but she remained because a lot of other authors I appreciate frequently reference her. Reading her is a bit like stepping back in time and I feel like I just learned from someone who made a lot of writing (and public discourse) on topics today possible, this woman wrestled so well before wrestling was something at least I knew about. Essays that resonated with me particularly:
-Traveling mercies for the "consummate ass"
-They were right and wrong about the slippery slope
-Why I can't stay angry even though I want to
-All right then I'll go to hell
-The Bible was clear
-Hey mommy, bloggers, thanks
-The risk of birth
-Traveling mercies for the "consummate ass"
-They were right and wrong about the slippery slope
-Why I can't stay angry even though I want to
-All right then I'll go to hell
-The Bible was clear
-Hey mommy, bloggers, thanks
-The risk of birth
March 3, 2026
I am a huge fan of Rachel Held Evans and her work and was so glad to have discovered her friend Sarah Bessey who did a magnificent job of putting together this “curated compendium” of Rachel’s blogs. I was fortunate enough to have met Rachel and spent time with her on multiple occasions and found her to be brilliant, humble (seeming to not recognize her own insight and importance), brave, (definitely a woman of valor) and a voice so needed in a Church unnecessarily fractured over distinctions that don’t make a difference to God. I was crushed and still grieve over her death in May of 2019. I quote her often and I appreciate this new source of quotes which will help her important message of God’s love continue. I pray that Dan and her children can feel some measure of solace in knowing that Rachel was so loved by so many and spread God’s love so effectively.
April 15, 2026
I think I would have appreciated a few more blog posts from Rachel and a few less essays from Rachel devotees. (From listening to them talk about her, I think that might be true for Rachel as well... At least less emphasis on her.) I was also very glad to have a fair number of essays that were not just related to having been harmed by the church or exvangelical arguing. That all has its place and is extremely valuable to some, it's just not my story so I really loved the discussions that pushed me and encouraged me in my faith without just arguing against other more conservative Christians. It is truly a shame that Rachel's voice is no longer in the mix after pandemic realities and with the onset of Trump 2.0.
March 23, 2026
I will never not miss Rachel. It was good to read her words again. To re-read blog posts that had meant so much to a different version of myself. Her writing about faith and the ways she wanted to embrace a faith that was inclusive of others feels just as powerful in the times she published. I liked the ways there were references to the parts of the blog that couldn’t make the book (Sunday superlatives and her ask a… series). The tributes from people in her community felt the weakest parts to me. The ones that tied back to essays worked really well. I’m glad the writings that had an impact on me are being given a new way of being seen.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
Oh, this was so beautifully done. I can't imagine how difficult the task of taking Rachel Held Evans' entire blog output and making a book out of it must have been. How hard to choose posts! But this was well done, with plenty of information about Rachel and also essays by those who knew her responding to many of the posts. Some really important reads in here for American Christianity; Rachel was the first person I read who made me feel less alone as I began wrestling with my questions. Loved this so, so much.
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