Braving the Truth: Essential Essays for Reckoning with and Reimagining Faith

by Rachel Held Evans, Sarah Bessey

Braving the Truth has descriptive copy which is not yet available from the Publisher.

Genres: Nonfiction, Religion, Faith, Christianity, Spirituality, Essays, Theology

1 pages, Audio CD

First published February 24, 2026

About the author

Rachel 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.

Reviews

[Melanie Briscoe]

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 would hang together- would this volume of blog posts 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!

[Haley Weiss]

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!

[Edie]

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.

[Brittin]

"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

[Melody Morgan]

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

[Olivia]

I enjoyed rereading some of RHE’s original blogs, but the 30+ reflections on her became a little much.

[Michelle Tucker]

God I miss her.

[Julia Holmes]

The world we are living in today is full of Faith that has been weaponized.Greed is rampant and acts of Christian Nationalism are heralded from the pulpit. The noise can be (and often is) overwhelming. The work of Rachel Held Evans puts true love and respect back in the forefront of Faith. Braving the Trurh (published after Rachel’s death) is sort of an intro into her work. This book highlights Rachael’s essays, sermons and blog posts, but also includes commentary from those who walked alongside her.

For people who believe God is threatened by our questions, they would be threatened by the book. For those who believe God tolerates our questions, this book is a way to see
Far beyond that notion. For those who are confident that God delights in our curiosity and questioning, they celebrate this book and the work of the authors.

Organized religion can be incredibly powerful and mean. Through my own process of deconstruction and reconciliation (assisted by RHE and many other authors) I can say with confidence that I have far fewer answers to theologically challenging questions, but my heart is overflowing with love. That sentence may sound simple, but the process is far from
It. For me, the struggle was worth it.

[Ags]

Like a hug! Read lil chapters before bed as a lovely wind-down. The reflections between blogs/essays were well-paced and warm, and both honored Held Evans while emphasizing the broader/bigger message of the importance of being a good friend, mentor, colleague, community member, etc. Sometimes this was repetative and I didn't always love the groupings of posts, but overall this is so lovely that I don't really mind.

[Chris Perrey]

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.

[Em theglitterybookworm_]

i dove into this for my prose lit hunt of 2026 and while the essays were far too short and not ‘prose-y’ enough, i still appreciated this and will be converting Rachel into an impromptu example!

[Cathryn Conroy]

Prolific Christian writer Rachel Held Evans—an evangelical turned Episcopalian—died suddenly on May 4, 2019 at age 37, leaving behind a husband and two very young children. Her husband Daniel Jonce Evans enlisted Rachel's dear friend Sarah Bessey to assemble and edit this book that was published in 2026, a collection of Rachel's blog posts from December 2007 to just a few weeks before her death.

Rachel had long questioned the path of evangelical Christianity, but it was during her late 20s and 30s that those questions got loud. Very loud. And very public. She left the evangelical church in which she had been raised and educated and eventually became an Episcopalian in large part because of the hate and vitriol with which the evangelicals treated the LGBTQ+ community.

What she gave up was huge, since it was her whole identity for more than two decades. These essays, all of which were published online in her blog, document that shift. Her writing is bold and brave, as well as honest and heartbreaking.

Organized by topic, rather than chronologically, Rachel's essays are accompanied by essays from others with whom she often associated and worked—all people who knew and loved her and learned much from her. Sarah Bessey likens Rachel's blog posts to sitting around a kitchen table where everyone could gather and talk. This book is a way to preserve these posts in a permanent record.

Rachel was brilliant at interpreting Scripture, zeroing in on what is morally right and what is morally wrong no matter what the evangelical church says, voicing doubt in a freeing way, speaking for the rights of women in a patriarchal church, and upholding the rights and humanity of her gay and lesbian brothers and sisters in faith.

She endured much online abuse from those who disagreed with her progressive views, but in true Rachel fashion she always managed to intellectually spar with them without getting into the dirt herself. Many of these essays are proof of that.

Refreshing and inspiring, this is a profound tribute to her wise and witty legacy.

[Linda Rosche]

I “met” Rachel Held Evans through her book “Searching for Sunday” when I thought I was having a crisis of faith. Her book helped me understand my restlessness and disappointment with the leadership at the church I was then attending and gave me permission to seek another place of worship that felt more aligned with the Gospel and felt more like home to me. I have loved all of her books — I got an advanced copy of one and was able to suggest a couple of corrections — and hungrily absorbed them all. I was devastated when she died, as were many of us who cherished her voice. I only wish I could have met her in person. This book contains many of her original blogs and commentary by faith authors and friends who were close to her. I loved being able to read both, and I wept several times as I read. Her voice and writings are missed so much and are needed more now than ever. II still miss her and will be revisiting her “An Unsentimental Advent” , first written in 2017, as I have each year of the Trump administration. It is my very favorite. This book will be added to my collection and referenced often, I expect.

[Stephen Kilbøurn]

I picked this up from the "new release" shelf at the library. I recognized Rachel's name as a Christian writer that had suddenly passed away a few years ago, but had no real concept of her work. I thought this would be a good introduction.

I liked the idea of the book, but it just never succeeded in giving me a better understanding of her positions and felt more like a eulogy for those already familiar with her to re-experience her blog. She grew up conservative, but became more and more progressive. In the selected readings, she referred to extreme, contemporary voices, but I couldn't garner if she'd ever engaged with more nuanced, moderate voices from the right or throughout history.

I came away with the impression of her as a compassionate and enjoyable writer, but the selection of blog posts were generally very short and lacking context or any way of understanding the full reasoning or nuances of her positions. Perhaps pulling in excerpts from her books or speeches would provide a better experience for a newcomer to RHE. The writings from her friends and colleagues would have been better if they fewer, but longer and giving some of that nuance, as well. Instead, it felt like someone inserted a bunch of farewell cards in between a greatest hits of blog posts.

[Debra Hines]

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.

[Leslie Smittle]

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.

[Sarah Davis]

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.

[Jenna]

I didn’t really follow Rachel in her blog days, but have found her works since her death in 2019. This collection of excerpts and blog posts was encouraging, convicting, and inspiring. My experience of growing up evangelical in the Bible Belt so closely mirrors Rachel’s that so much if her writing hits places of my heart not many people can access. She understands the racial tensions of the biblical south as someone who has lived it, and also the near-holy subtext of a well-timed casserole.

I was deeply moved by this work and will no doubt revisit it again and again.

[Jamie]

For me, in the 2010s, RHE was a teacher, spiritual leader, and prophet. I held several of her books dear as they helped me question and dive into my relationship with God and religion. Her writing helped me define for myself what faithful study looked like and what roles in church and community I was called to serve. A late adopter of most technologies and platforms, I didn’t really follow blogs and missed out on that era. I am so grateful to the curators and reflectors in this book and for RHE’s writing that continues to ring true today.

[RK Bitton]

She makes me think and expands what feels like my heart. Seeing the struggles of what faith should look like, who should be loved, and how life should potentially be lived caused some soul-searching and soul-stretching (as always happens when I read RHE and get glimpses of other faith traditions). Enjoyed a trip through her many writings and aspects of her life. You can feel the impact she had on so many people’s lives. Book felt a bit bloated as sometimes the commentators slowed things down a bit.

[Tiffany Mathews]

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.

[Marian]

I heard of this author but wasn't familiar with any of her blog posts so this was an introduction. I found the reflections interesting but felt the despair of this present day and how little has changed. The low rating has nothing to do with the ideas and more to do with how I felt reading through the endless rehashing of all that's wrong with the evangelical world.

[Sarah Ressler Wright]

A thoughtful book as I heard of Rachel but never read anything she had written. I appreciated the collection and how it was organized. Blog posts and reflections from loved ones made this timely for our current political climate. Her early death was such a tragedy, but she continues to make such poignant points.

[Tara]

Beautiful!

[Jody Walsh]

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.

[fleegan]

I enjoyed every essay. And the contributors’ essays were sweet to read too.

[Kathy]

I feel like I got to know Rachel just a little bit better through her blogs and the thoughts people who were part of her life in some way. I did not want it to end and felt teary about it. So much wisdom and willingness to be vulnerable - so much love.

[Briony2181]

4.5 stars

[Kendall]

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.

[Grace]

What a gift Rachel Held Evans was to this world.