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Orphaned Believers: How a Generation of Christian Exiles Can Find the Way Home
For a generation raised in the throes of the '80s and '90s evangelical culture wars, church was a battleground many left behind. With love and compassion, Sara Billups binds up the wounds of the broken and points them toward a new expression of faith that is motivated to make the world a better place.
240 pages, Paperback
Published January 24, 2023
54 people are currently reading
2280 people want to read
About the author
Sara Billups
2 books48 followersSara Billups is a Seattle-based writer and cultural commentator whose work has appeared in the New York Times, Christianity Today, Aspen Ideas, and others. Sara writes Bitter Scroll, a monthly Substack letter and co-hosts the podcast That’s the Spirit. She earned a Doctor of Ministry in the Sacred Art of Writing at the Peterson Center for the Christian Imagination at Western Theological Seminary.
Sara works to help wavering Christians remain steadfast through cultural storms and continues to hope for the flourishing of the Church amid deep political and cultural division in America.
Her first book, Orphaned Believers, follows the journey of a generation raised in the 80s and 90s of evangelicalism, reckoning with the tradition that raised them and searching for a new way to participate in the story of God. Her second book, Nervous Systems, will be released November 4, 2025, from Baker Books.
Sara works to help wavering Christians remain steadfast through cultural storms and continues to hope for the flourishing of the Church amid deep political and cultural division in America.
Her first book, Orphaned Believers, follows the journey of a generation raised in the 80s and 90s of evangelicalism, reckoning with the tradition that raised them and searching for a new way to participate in the story of God. Her second book, Nervous Systems, will be released November 4, 2025, from Baker Books.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 84 reviews
February 7, 2023
4.5 // If you feel mystified by the present polarized state of the white evangelical church, then I think Sara’s book here will be an orienting tool and a good friend to you.
Christian readers who are left-leaning will exclaim “Amen!” over and again as Billups reveals areas modern Christians have allowed themselves to be shaped by culture rather than by Jesus. But they may get uncomfortable and squirm towards the end of the book as she upholds a high view of the local church and insists that believers must stay in it to be shaped into Christ-likeness.
Billups doesn’t leave a lot of room for a faithful Christianity that doesn’t look like *hers* - but this is softened in interludes of brief, tender interactions with her boomer father. Right-leaning Christian readers will likely roll their eyes through the first half of the book as key political and cultural issues are addressed, but then deeply resonate with Billup’s latter section on spiritual discipline and accountability within the local church.
The book will likely be a mixed bag for every reader. But if we can listen well and get curious about our faith - asking whether it’s being shaped by intentional Jesus-like community or by society’s secular cultural forces - I think both sides of the aisle can benefit from her words.
Christian readers who are left-leaning will exclaim “Amen!” over and again as Billups reveals areas modern Christians have allowed themselves to be shaped by culture rather than by Jesus. But they may get uncomfortable and squirm towards the end of the book as she upholds a high view of the local church and insists that believers must stay in it to be shaped into Christ-likeness.
Billups doesn’t leave a lot of room for a faithful Christianity that doesn’t look like *hers* - but this is softened in interludes of brief, tender interactions with her boomer father. Right-leaning Christian readers will likely roll their eyes through the first half of the book as key political and cultural issues are addressed, but then deeply resonate with Billup’s latter section on spiritual discipline and accountability within the local church.
The book will likely be a mixed bag for every reader. But if we can listen well and get curious about our faith - asking whether it’s being shaped by intentional Jesus-like community or by society’s secular cultural forces - I think both sides of the aisle can benefit from her words.
April 30, 2023
Sara Billups is a skilled storyteller, and I loved how her tender incorporation of her father into her own story added much to an otherwise journalistic book.
At times it felt like, as another reviewer said, she doesn't leave room for a Christianity that doesn't look like hers (and some of the Covid commentary might not age well, knowing what we know now). However, you learn to trust her as a reader - always finding that she is critiquing for the good of the Church and its witness as Christians in the world.
Her 3 big categories of end-times theology, culture wars, and consumerism were helpful frameworks to delve into.
My biggest and most personal takeaway from them was how impoverished many evangelical's experience of spiritual formation is. We grew up seeing high-church as legalistic and stuffy. In the absence of the grounding nature of formal liturgy, catechisms, church history, the wisdom of early church fathers & mothers, creeds, the church calendar, and prayers of the church, and most importantly the spiritual disciplines.... many people flounder as adults, lacking the tools for mature spiritual formation. In its absence, we find people formed by culture wars and/or consumerism. Billups shows us how the way of Jesus is so much richer and fuller than that.
By the end, I was thinking how (surprisingly?) well this would pair with Jake Meador's book "What Are Christians For?" For both, they describe how we can be alienated/orphaned from both 1) majority/cultural Christianity and 2) secular society. Both offer ways forward that uphold the goodness of the Church and our countercultural, weird, distinct witness to the world. While coming at it from different "sides" or learnings, they arrive at some refreshingly common ground in many ways. That's the upside-down call of Christ at work.
At times it felt like, as another reviewer said, she doesn't leave room for a Christianity that doesn't look like hers (and some of the Covid commentary might not age well, knowing what we know now). However, you learn to trust her as a reader - always finding that she is critiquing for the good of the Church and its witness as Christians in the world.
Her 3 big categories of end-times theology, culture wars, and consumerism were helpful frameworks to delve into.
My biggest and most personal takeaway from them was how impoverished many evangelical's experience of spiritual formation is. We grew up seeing high-church as legalistic and stuffy. In the absence of the grounding nature of formal liturgy, catechisms, church history, the wisdom of early church fathers & mothers, creeds, the church calendar, and prayers of the church, and most importantly the spiritual disciplines.... many people flounder as adults, lacking the tools for mature spiritual formation. In its absence, we find people formed by culture wars and/or consumerism. Billups shows us how the way of Jesus is so much richer and fuller than that.
By the end, I was thinking how (surprisingly?) well this would pair with Jake Meador's book "What Are Christians For?" For both, they describe how we can be alienated/orphaned from both 1) majority/cultural Christianity and 2) secular society. Both offer ways forward that uphold the goodness of the Church and our countercultural, weird, distinct witness to the world. While coming at it from different "sides" or learnings, they arrive at some refreshingly common ground in many ways. That's the upside-down call of Christ at work.
January 22, 2023
This book is a lighthouse, strength for sore hearts, and brimming with the firm conviction that hope in the selflessness and shepherding of Jesus is enough to keep and hold us.
I've enjoyed following Sara Billups on Instagram for a couple of years and her words have always been like a balm. Her words have connected with my heart many times as my husband and I have navigated leaving our evangelical church over two years ago in search of something deeper, richer, purer.
"Orphaned Believers" walks through the unique perspectives and experiences Christian Millenials have most likely encountered and observed since childhood, growing up in church - the fear mongering surrounding the "end times", the hysteria of manufactured culture wars, and the inexplicable link between capitalism and the evangelical industry. Weaving both personal memoir and journalistic directness, Billups consistently affirms that the point and beauty of Christianity is Jesus alone. The rest is noise. Reformation, change, and restoration is possible - for those of us who have been battered and bruised by the religious systems we've experienced, and for the American church at large.
I haven't highlighted and taken so many notes from a book in a while. Convicting, comforting, and extremely relevant. A true gift.
(Many thanks to Baker Publishing for providing a digital advanced reader copy, with zero obligation for review. All thoughts my own and offered freely.)
I've enjoyed following Sara Billups on Instagram for a couple of years and her words have always been like a balm. Her words have connected with my heart many times as my husband and I have navigated leaving our evangelical church over two years ago in search of something deeper, richer, purer.
"Orphaned Believers" walks through the unique perspectives and experiences Christian Millenials have most likely encountered and observed since childhood, growing up in church - the fear mongering surrounding the "end times", the hysteria of manufactured culture wars, and the inexplicable link between capitalism and the evangelical industry. Weaving both personal memoir and journalistic directness, Billups consistently affirms that the point and beauty of Christianity is Jesus alone. The rest is noise. Reformation, change, and restoration is possible - for those of us who have been battered and bruised by the religious systems we've experienced, and for the American church at large.
I haven't highlighted and taken so many notes from a book in a while. Convicting, comforting, and extremely relevant. A true gift.
(Many thanks to Baker Publishing for providing a digital advanced reader copy, with zero obligation for review. All thoughts my own and offered freely.)
January 24, 2023
It's been awhile since I've felt so seen reading a book! What a gift this one is -- I found it insightful, relatable, and encouraging. I love the blend of research and memoir throughout. The End Times section was particularly enlightening and gave me a deeper understanding of how certain theology imparted to me as a child continue to inform my approach to faith as an adult.
It's a must read for those of us who were steeped in dominant American white evangelicalism growing up in the 80s, 90s, and beyond!
When one considers the baggage accompanying that sort of upbringing, it's tempting (and totally understandable!) to get stuck in a place of bitterness and cynicism. This book validates the missteps, pain points, and subsequent wounds but ultimately points readers towards hope and grace.
It's a must read for those of us who were steeped in dominant American white evangelicalism growing up in the 80s, 90s, and beyond!
When one considers the baggage accompanying that sort of upbringing, it's tempting (and totally understandable!) to get stuck in a place of bitterness and cynicism. This book validates the missteps, pain points, and subsequent wounds but ultimately points readers towards hope and grace.
February 3, 2023
The experience of reading this book was cathartic and it helped me feel like I'm not alone in the many experiences of disconnect with what I see in the church. Billups helped me build more understanding and compassion for others around me whom I've struggled to understand by sharing the historical context for some of the emphasis/beliefs that show up today (rapture! white Christian nationalism! conspiracy theories! etc). So many ah-has throughout. She doesn't let her readers off the hook, though, but challenges us to a fresh way to engage in our faith.
I listened to the audiobook and am so used to hearing Billups on social media that my brain struggled a little to hear her content through another narrator, but other than that, the audiobook was fine.
I listened to the audiobook and am so used to hearing Billups on social media that my brain struggled a little to hear her content through another narrator, but other than that, the audiobook was fine.
April 4, 2023
If you grew up Christian in the ‘80s or ‘90s, this book is for you! Sarah explained the cultural undercurrent that permeated my Christian youth - things I experienced but was either too young or sheltered to have context for. Then she takes you through what’s happening culturally and politically today.
I felt seen, heard and soothed as Sarah not only explained why these events happened but also cast a vision for a way forward.
I put the finished the book having gained something I haven’t felt in awhile - hope.
I felt seen, heard and soothed as Sarah not only explained why these events happened but also cast a vision for a way forward.
I put the finished the book having gained something I haven’t felt in awhile - hope.
March 30, 2023
"When we are tethered to Christ, we can withstand not just personal afflictions and suffering but also cultural tides."
Based on the title, I was expecting a different book. This book is largely the author's view on all that has gone wrong that has corrupted the American evangelical church. Her main three points are end times obsession, culture wars and consumerism/capitalism. It is very current with mentions of the pandemic, Christian nationalism and past presidents.
I do wish that the book was organized a bit better as I felt a little confused while reading, wondering what she was saying, to whom and why. There is alot of research and discussion of end times beliefs at the beginning sprinkled with a bit of memoir about her relationship with her Dad and how their faith journeys are different yet they remain close.
She does speak a bit of her church experience growing up. "Church may not have infused me with spiritual formation, but it was social... Jesus stayed a character in an illustrated children's Bible instead of a God who could transform our lives and change the way we saw other people." If you grew up in a white, evangelical church you may find a kindred spirit. It does point to Jesus and may give you hope but I was hoping for a more personal look at many examples of orphaned believers and their journeys back into communities of faith and this is not that.
If you are one who is confused about the state of the evangelical church in America then the ideas in this book may help you to understand the motivations behind certain behaviours or the differing views she holds with her father may help you to understand the views held by other believers and see them in a different light so the book is not without merit at all.
I received this arc from NetGalley in exchange for my honest thoughts.
Based on the title, I was expecting a different book. This book is largely the author's view on all that has gone wrong that has corrupted the American evangelical church. Her main three points are end times obsession, culture wars and consumerism/capitalism. It is very current with mentions of the pandemic, Christian nationalism and past presidents.
I do wish that the book was organized a bit better as I felt a little confused while reading, wondering what she was saying, to whom and why. There is alot of research and discussion of end times beliefs at the beginning sprinkled with a bit of memoir about her relationship with her Dad and how their faith journeys are different yet they remain close.
She does speak a bit of her church experience growing up. "Church may not have infused me with spiritual formation, but it was social... Jesus stayed a character in an illustrated children's Bible instead of a God who could transform our lives and change the way we saw other people." If you grew up in a white, evangelical church you may find a kindred spirit. It does point to Jesus and may give you hope but I was hoping for a more personal look at many examples of orphaned believers and their journeys back into communities of faith and this is not that.
If you are one who is confused about the state of the evangelical church in America then the ideas in this book may help you to understand the motivations behind certain behaviours or the differing views she holds with her father may help you to understand the views held by other believers and see them in a different light so the book is not without merit at all.
I received this arc from NetGalley in exchange for my honest thoughts.
January 24, 2023
Sara does a masterful job inviting us back to living a life close to God, even if we feel like recent events have alienated us from our faith communities. If politics, nationalism, end-times theology, or culture wars have taken a toll on your faith, you're not alone. This book will be a salve to your soul. This book is for you if you still long to be transformed by the grace of the gospel and you're looking for the way home. Orphaned Believers will show you the way!
February 1, 2023
Orphaned Believers graciously walk us through the tumultuous landscape of the American Christian Church, it’s rocky histories, and God’s desires for our seat at the table of his church even when we feel uninvited.
Weaving memoir with informative journalism; Sara takes the hand of the reader like a veteran orphan leads the newly arrived outcast to the dormitory of reconciliation and resilience for the Christian.
Get yourself a pencil to underline the numerous “gold dust” statements of hope for the gen-x/millennials who want to re-claim the word Christianity as our own identity as followers of Jesus.
Weaving memoir with informative journalism; Sara takes the hand of the reader like a veteran orphan leads the newly arrived outcast to the dormitory of reconciliation and resilience for the Christian.
Get yourself a pencil to underline the numerous “gold dust” statements of hope for the gen-x/millennials who want to re-claim the word Christianity as our own identity as followers of Jesus.
January 30, 2023
fresh, sharp, and hopeful, like the smell of citrus in a stale winter kitchen. sara is relentlessly vulnerable, prophetic, and compassionate—an uncommon mix which allows readers to feel seen and explained, as well as stretched and hopeful.
February 19, 2023
A fascinating look at the influence of white evangelicalism, Christian nationalism, apocalyptic conversations of end time woes, and consumerism, among others, on Gen X. See also, me.
February 7, 2023
Full disclosure: I read this book as part of a pre-release group. I had already pre-ordered a copy for the January 24 release date when I was rushed a copy in early January to participate in an online discussion with the author. There is more to disclose. I went to college with author Sara Billups. She was ahead of me and was the editor of the literary magazine. When she left, this was my job (for a year). We may have had a poetry class together, as well. I have been watching her career for a little while (as she writes for the New York Times and whatnot) because I would love for her to succeed beyond her wildest dreams but also, more recently, because she started publishing a monthly newsletter (Bitter Scroll) for Christians who can no longer identify with the evangelical bull crap. (That’s a gross oversimplification, but I hope you get my drift.) She calls it a “newsletter on culture and Christianity” on her website. To be fair, I always begin a book with hope and expectation. I just have more reasons to be on board with this particular book, Orphaned Believers by Sara Billups.
What did I think about the writing? Not surprising to me, I found a great voice speaking to me from the pages. Billups uses narrative story-telling to make this book half-memoir and personal reflection, which is endearing, trust-building, and frankly beautiful. Beautiful is a word I would also use to describe her writing, as is surprising, at times (at least when she is in memoir mode), especially given the genre. I did find that it sometimes the writing didn’t flow (like when she was in historian/theologian mode). Sometimes Billups opens up a discussion or a conversation and then just leaves it hanging there and moves on. This feels intentional, but it’s not easy for my ADHD brain to just shift gears and move on. In the end, it all comes together, but the reader needs to become comfortable sitting with questions and “mystery” to the point that things sometimes jump around or lurch forward. I’m not ruling out that this was also an editing issue.
At the end of the book (the ending/epilogue is great), I find myself asking myself about the genre. I mean, I expected it to be a self-help kind of Christian lifestyle book, but that’s not it. I also was expecting some sort of theological book, arguing the points of basic Christianity and blowing away the chaff that has built up enough to take over the modern, American church. Billups does offer us some hope and solutions of a sort, in the end, but this is more of a careful wending through Billups’ life juxtaposed with other Gen-X-ers with historical signposts along the way. It is the story of her father, who is dying of cancer, and how Sara deals with that in light of the Christian faith that he has handed down to her and that she has felt “orphaned” from for an adulthood. In so many ways, too, the book doesn’t take sides. She’s not here to pit anyone against evangelicals or even to hash out theology or very specific but large-looming things. She does cut through the bullcrap and she does make it clear that the church has gone far astray in some more general areas (yay for someone finally spotlighting consumerism/materialism as one of the main issues with the American Evangelical church!), but unbelievably (because how difficult to do and maintain) she actually leaves room at the table for everyone.
I found Orphaned Believers to be thoughtful, considerate, respectful, and humble. And calming. And a hand held out in an isolating darkness. Billups is not trying to relate to absolutely everyone, which did leave me a little high and dry on some of the Gen-X issues that I personally am parsing out, like the Purity Movement, and left me a little on the outside when she talked about “End Times Kids.” Yet, she makes sense out of the history of the evangelical church in America, so I was like, well this is important. And this is clearly her experience of hurt and disappointment with the same. And somehow, in there, just listening to her story woven with church history, I felt calm and hopeful. Billups is clearly studied and educated, as well as wise. So much of it resonated and I know would resonate with others I have been talking to, not just Gen-X-ers or kids who grew up thinking the actual apocalypse was just around the corner. The message of the book is hope for the church and a call for those who feel orphaned to rise up and reform the church.
Here's another thing: I have mentioned this book several times in the past month to people in passing conversations. Nearly all of them have gone wide-eyed at the title. People want this book. People need this book. The pandemic and the wild parallel ride that has been politics and the evangelical church has left many, many people feeling as “orphaned believers.” (Some were feeling this way long before this, turns out.) When they hear the phrase, they reach out with their hearts: That’s me! And when I joined the pre-reading group, I was not surprised to find myself surrounded virtually by more of these orphaned believers, from their laptop perches across the country. As I have struggled (read: walked through some stuff) with church and faith in the past couple of years, I have noticed, slowly, that I am far from alone. I have rippled outwards and have found rocks in the water in concentric circles. Billups has formed a rallying point for these people, a light on a hill. As for me, watch out. If I see you sometime and we get to talking about anything even remotely about the Church, Christianity, evangelicalism, or even how I have been doing (like as a sincere question) or what 2022 was like for me, I might strong-arm this book into your TBR. I know these orphaned believers. I am one, though I know more¬-orphaned believers, and I intend to throw them a life preserver, even if it’s just the realization that this is a book, it’s a term, which means they are far from being alone.
There might have been some things that Orphaned Believers didn’t address that I really wish had been. Maybe that just means that I am waiting for the next book. Maybe that’s just because this book isn’t exactly what I thought it was going to be. . In fact, the book is a breeze of an older style of reflective book, a nice step away from the frenetic, self-indulgent books I often find when I go seeking. I would really like this book to become a part of the wider conversation that is taking place in the Church and the American Church. I have hopes and wishes that it will.
QUOTES:
“…Spirit of God can work even, and especially, in our wandering” (p14).
“As a Christian, you may be called to hope for impossibilities. To think thoughts that are both logical and intellectually aligned with science and your senses—while grappling with the possibility of holy visitations, physical healings, and the giving of spiritual gifts. You sign up for the whole story, even the mysterious…” (p19).
“Christian trouble reaches down into the middle of us, where our identity is being tugged at by the market, our current cultures, and our own desire to win and be remembered” (p20).
“…if your identity gives you access to power, comfort does not demand reformation” (p20).
“In reality, no matter what worldview we hold, the earnest Christian who holds the opposite opinion is just as much ‘in’ Christ” (p21).
“There’s wilderness in all of us. We’re lost and found a little every day. Lost or found, followers of Jesus make up the church” (p29).
“’It’s alright to think about streets flowing with milk and honey, but God has commanded us to be concerned about the slums down here, and his children who can’t eat three square meals a day’” (Martin Luther King Jr., p53).
“…in the losing there is nothing hidden. In full, plain light there is hope for restoration…” (p60).
“…at any moment we could irrevocably ruin our souls for eternity. It leverages fear as a salvation tactic instead of grace. But salvation is a gift from God. It is not fleeting” (p79).
“…I grew up with parents and church leaders who have, unwittingly or tacitly, followed a fear-based salvation template that bypassed spiritual formation” (p79).
“…families who were suspicious of Christian spirituality and contemplative practices may have inherited an impoverished version of faith” (p79).
“…to the untrained eye it would appear we were more successful at being middle-class, white, Midwesterners than Christians” (p82).
“…we ended up buying like everyone else, too, to support Christian industry. We also spent energy that would have been better directed toward the deep resources that have connected and sustained the church throughout time” (p82).
‘“Jesus was both countercultural and drew everyone to belonging …. His church can again be a big tent with all nations imagining a strangely beautiful and universally compelling future” (p87).
“Instead, what often animates American discussions is a thin sense of freedom based on a myth of rugged individualism” (p101).
“Instead of a rich practice of using liturgy and listening prayer to form a foundation that could withstand a changing culture, I was fed vacation Bible school curriculum and Christian summer camp songs around the fire that burned out after the weeklong programs concluded” (p132).
“Instead, Ignathian indifference is an active and healthy detachment from a decision, person, or experience. In my life, it looks like coming to an open-handed posture in front of two sides of an idea or choice and being willing to let one or both things go if they do not bring me closer to God’s purpose” (p135).
“Our faith is supernatural, but it is also reasonable” (p136).
“There is something so wonderfully out of control about believing in a God we can’t prove” (p140).
“…the church as too often not been a countervoice of love but instead succumbed to anxiety and presumptions that led to self-preservation” (p155).
“It’s a compulsion to anticipate needs instead of the alternative of leaving margin for want” (p160).
“Praying, ‘God, do what you will,’ with full hope sometimes leads to a miraculous restoration and other things brings endurance for unanswered burdens” (p166).
“Jesus is the one who draws hearts that will be drawn. It’s not our job to do anything except love each other well and serve each other before ourselves” (p167).
“Instead of manifesting through an emotive spectacle, God is close in middle of the night ruminations. Jesus, with clear eyes, often works in quiet, away from stage lights and the merch booth, to bring consolation and hope. The Holy Spirit’s presence can burn through any fog of grief and bring healing—no cloud of gold dust in sight” (p168).
“…Jesus says, ‘If your first concern is to look after yourself, you’ll never find yourself. But if you forget about yourself and look to me, you’ll find both yourself and me’” (Message Bible, p173).
“’Are we really nonreligious, or are our belief systems too bespoke to appear on a list of major religions in Pew phone survey? …. Our new belief system is a blend of left-wing political orthodoxy, intersectional feminism, self-optimization, therapy, wellness, astrology, and Dolly Parton’” (Leigh Stein, p174).
“There is little difference between a self-help influencer and a Christian driven by self-preservation and comfort …. Anyone who decenters their own ambition to serve the poor and speak against injustice is closer to Christ than a cultural Christian” (p175).
“And none of us can make up a story more gorgeously decentered than the gospel story” (p177).
“Let’s go back to spiritual milk before solids, while looking for the swift work of the Holy Spirit to bring new hope and life. Let’s winsomely preach the truth” (p181).
“…to spend a lot of anxious energy skirting around that identity, for whatever reason, is tiring and kind of boring. God holds our identity, and we can stop striving” (p182).
“Simone Weil said a daring thing: ‘Christ likes us to prefer truth to him because, before being Christ, he is truth. If one turns aside from him to go toward the truth, one will not go far before falling into his arms’” (p182).
“But the Christian story redefines our identities away from people who produce and purchase. Jesus untethers our worth from work and lifestyle and invites a loosening of our grip on the things we buy and ways we fill our times” (p191).
“The pandemic invited us to reorient our hearts not in spite of but in the very presence of daily disuptions layered on top of fear, uncertainty, and lack of control. / In these moments, I sometimes oray Psalm 18:19. ‘He brought me out into a spacious place; he rescued me because he delighted in me.’ The Christian story offers a spaciousness of the heart, a peace that isn’t understandable and that holds steady with each daily trial, grief, and fear” (p192).
“’O divine Master, grant that I may not so much seek / to be consoled as to console, / to be understood as to understand, / to be loved as to love’” (St. Francis, p194).
“’To expect to much is to have a sentimental view of life and this is a softness that ends in bitterness. Charity is hard and endures’” (Flannery O’Connor, p195).
“In all contexts, Christians can choose to be who we are. To say, ‘I belong here,’ in humility, instead of taking a defensive, reactionary, or cloistered posture …. To be plain. To not hide” (p199).
“The role of Christians in this work is clear: we are invited to heal from any pain we have experienced, repent from any wounds we have caused, and embody a better way forward” (p205).
“The timeless, omnipotent Spirit of God wants to dwell in our bodies, which do and think stupid things. Which grow people and lose people. Which mourn and grieve and eat processed food and go to the movies. Which get old and slow. Which age and produce cysts, which divide cells and kill us from within. The Holy Spirit wants to dwell in our deterioration. Because the Holy Spirit is that good” (p212).
“It doesn’t matter of the church is reformed quickly or slowly. If our hearts are hungry or receiving complete nutrition. All that matters is Christ. Loyal, thick, bioluminescent, eternal love. Love kindled in our grotesque and gorgeous minds, bodies, souls, and spirits” (p214).
***REVIEW WRITTEN FOR THE STARVING ARTIST BLOG***
What did I think about the writing? Not surprising to me, I found a great voice speaking to me from the pages. Billups uses narrative story-telling to make this book half-memoir and personal reflection, which is endearing, trust-building, and frankly beautiful. Beautiful is a word I would also use to describe her writing, as is surprising, at times (at least when she is in memoir mode), especially given the genre. I did find that it sometimes the writing didn’t flow (like when she was in historian/theologian mode). Sometimes Billups opens up a discussion or a conversation and then just leaves it hanging there and moves on. This feels intentional, but it’s not easy for my ADHD brain to just shift gears and move on. In the end, it all comes together, but the reader needs to become comfortable sitting with questions and “mystery” to the point that things sometimes jump around or lurch forward. I’m not ruling out that this was also an editing issue.
At the end of the book (the ending/epilogue is great), I find myself asking myself about the genre. I mean, I expected it to be a self-help kind of Christian lifestyle book, but that’s not it. I also was expecting some sort of theological book, arguing the points of basic Christianity and blowing away the chaff that has built up enough to take over the modern, American church. Billups does offer us some hope and solutions of a sort, in the end, but this is more of a careful wending through Billups’ life juxtaposed with other Gen-X-ers with historical signposts along the way. It is the story of her father, who is dying of cancer, and how Sara deals with that in light of the Christian faith that he has handed down to her and that she has felt “orphaned” from for an adulthood. In so many ways, too, the book doesn’t take sides. She’s not here to pit anyone against evangelicals or even to hash out theology or very specific but large-looming things. She does cut through the bullcrap and she does make it clear that the church has gone far astray in some more general areas (yay for someone finally spotlighting consumerism/materialism as one of the main issues with the American Evangelical church!), but unbelievably (because how difficult to do and maintain) she actually leaves room at the table for everyone.
I found Orphaned Believers to be thoughtful, considerate, respectful, and humble. And calming. And a hand held out in an isolating darkness. Billups is not trying to relate to absolutely everyone, which did leave me a little high and dry on some of the Gen-X issues that I personally am parsing out, like the Purity Movement, and left me a little on the outside when she talked about “End Times Kids.” Yet, she makes sense out of the history of the evangelical church in America, so I was like, well this is important. And this is clearly her experience of hurt and disappointment with the same. And somehow, in there, just listening to her story woven with church history, I felt calm and hopeful. Billups is clearly studied and educated, as well as wise. So much of it resonated and I know would resonate with others I have been talking to, not just Gen-X-ers or kids who grew up thinking the actual apocalypse was just around the corner. The message of the book is hope for the church and a call for those who feel orphaned to rise up and reform the church.
Here's another thing: I have mentioned this book several times in the past month to people in passing conversations. Nearly all of them have gone wide-eyed at the title. People want this book. People need this book. The pandemic and the wild parallel ride that has been politics and the evangelical church has left many, many people feeling as “orphaned believers.” (Some were feeling this way long before this, turns out.) When they hear the phrase, they reach out with their hearts: That’s me! And when I joined the pre-reading group, I was not surprised to find myself surrounded virtually by more of these orphaned believers, from their laptop perches across the country. As I have struggled (read: walked through some stuff) with church and faith in the past couple of years, I have noticed, slowly, that I am far from alone. I have rippled outwards and have found rocks in the water in concentric circles. Billups has formed a rallying point for these people, a light on a hill. As for me, watch out. If I see you sometime and we get to talking about anything even remotely about the Church, Christianity, evangelicalism, or even how I have been doing (like as a sincere question) or what 2022 was like for me, I might strong-arm this book into your TBR. I know these orphaned believers. I am one, though I know more¬-orphaned believers, and I intend to throw them a life preserver, even if it’s just the realization that this is a book, it’s a term, which means they are far from being alone.
There might have been some things that Orphaned Believers didn’t address that I really wish had been. Maybe that just means that I am waiting for the next book. Maybe that’s just because this book isn’t exactly what I thought it was going to be. . In fact, the book is a breeze of an older style of reflective book, a nice step away from the frenetic, self-indulgent books I often find when I go seeking. I would really like this book to become a part of the wider conversation that is taking place in the Church and the American Church. I have hopes and wishes that it will.
QUOTES:
“…Spirit of God can work even, and especially, in our wandering” (p14).
“As a Christian, you may be called to hope for impossibilities. To think thoughts that are both logical and intellectually aligned with science and your senses—while grappling with the possibility of holy visitations, physical healings, and the giving of spiritual gifts. You sign up for the whole story, even the mysterious…” (p19).
“Christian trouble reaches down into the middle of us, where our identity is being tugged at by the market, our current cultures, and our own desire to win and be remembered” (p20).
“…if your identity gives you access to power, comfort does not demand reformation” (p20).
“In reality, no matter what worldview we hold, the earnest Christian who holds the opposite opinion is just as much ‘in’ Christ” (p21).
“There’s wilderness in all of us. We’re lost and found a little every day. Lost or found, followers of Jesus make up the church” (p29).
“’It’s alright to think about streets flowing with milk and honey, but God has commanded us to be concerned about the slums down here, and his children who can’t eat three square meals a day’” (Martin Luther King Jr., p53).
“…in the losing there is nothing hidden. In full, plain light there is hope for restoration…” (p60).
“…at any moment we could irrevocably ruin our souls for eternity. It leverages fear as a salvation tactic instead of grace. But salvation is a gift from God. It is not fleeting” (p79).
“…I grew up with parents and church leaders who have, unwittingly or tacitly, followed a fear-based salvation template that bypassed spiritual formation” (p79).
“…families who were suspicious of Christian spirituality and contemplative practices may have inherited an impoverished version of faith” (p79).
“…to the untrained eye it would appear we were more successful at being middle-class, white, Midwesterners than Christians” (p82).
“…we ended up buying like everyone else, too, to support Christian industry. We also spent energy that would have been better directed toward the deep resources that have connected and sustained the church throughout time” (p82).
‘“Jesus was both countercultural and drew everyone to belonging …. His church can again be a big tent with all nations imagining a strangely beautiful and universally compelling future” (p87).
“Instead, what often animates American discussions is a thin sense of freedom based on a myth of rugged individualism” (p101).
“Instead of a rich practice of using liturgy and listening prayer to form a foundation that could withstand a changing culture, I was fed vacation Bible school curriculum and Christian summer camp songs around the fire that burned out after the weeklong programs concluded” (p132).
“Instead, Ignathian indifference is an active and healthy detachment from a decision, person, or experience. In my life, it looks like coming to an open-handed posture in front of two sides of an idea or choice and being willing to let one or both things go if they do not bring me closer to God’s purpose” (p135).
“Our faith is supernatural, but it is also reasonable” (p136).
“There is something so wonderfully out of control about believing in a God we can’t prove” (p140).
“…the church as too often not been a countervoice of love but instead succumbed to anxiety and presumptions that led to self-preservation” (p155).
“It’s a compulsion to anticipate needs instead of the alternative of leaving margin for want” (p160).
“Praying, ‘God, do what you will,’ with full hope sometimes leads to a miraculous restoration and other things brings endurance for unanswered burdens” (p166).
“Jesus is the one who draws hearts that will be drawn. It’s not our job to do anything except love each other well and serve each other before ourselves” (p167).
“Instead of manifesting through an emotive spectacle, God is close in middle of the night ruminations. Jesus, with clear eyes, often works in quiet, away from stage lights and the merch booth, to bring consolation and hope. The Holy Spirit’s presence can burn through any fog of grief and bring healing—no cloud of gold dust in sight” (p168).
“…Jesus says, ‘If your first concern is to look after yourself, you’ll never find yourself. But if you forget about yourself and look to me, you’ll find both yourself and me’” (Message Bible, p173).
“’Are we really nonreligious, or are our belief systems too bespoke to appear on a list of major religions in Pew phone survey? …. Our new belief system is a blend of left-wing political orthodoxy, intersectional feminism, self-optimization, therapy, wellness, astrology, and Dolly Parton’” (Leigh Stein, p174).
“There is little difference between a self-help influencer and a Christian driven by self-preservation and comfort …. Anyone who decenters their own ambition to serve the poor and speak against injustice is closer to Christ than a cultural Christian” (p175).
“And none of us can make up a story more gorgeously decentered than the gospel story” (p177).
“Let’s go back to spiritual milk before solids, while looking for the swift work of the Holy Spirit to bring new hope and life. Let’s winsomely preach the truth” (p181).
“…to spend a lot of anxious energy skirting around that identity, for whatever reason, is tiring and kind of boring. God holds our identity, and we can stop striving” (p182).
“Simone Weil said a daring thing: ‘Christ likes us to prefer truth to him because, before being Christ, he is truth. If one turns aside from him to go toward the truth, one will not go far before falling into his arms’” (p182).
“But the Christian story redefines our identities away from people who produce and purchase. Jesus untethers our worth from work and lifestyle and invites a loosening of our grip on the things we buy and ways we fill our times” (p191).
“The pandemic invited us to reorient our hearts not in spite of but in the very presence of daily disuptions layered on top of fear, uncertainty, and lack of control. / In these moments, I sometimes oray Psalm 18:19. ‘He brought me out into a spacious place; he rescued me because he delighted in me.’ The Christian story offers a spaciousness of the heart, a peace that isn’t understandable and that holds steady with each daily trial, grief, and fear” (p192).
“’O divine Master, grant that I may not so much seek / to be consoled as to console, / to be understood as to understand, / to be loved as to love’” (St. Francis, p194).
“’To expect to much is to have a sentimental view of life and this is a softness that ends in bitterness. Charity is hard and endures’” (Flannery O’Connor, p195).
“In all contexts, Christians can choose to be who we are. To say, ‘I belong here,’ in humility, instead of taking a defensive, reactionary, or cloistered posture …. To be plain. To not hide” (p199).
“The role of Christians in this work is clear: we are invited to heal from any pain we have experienced, repent from any wounds we have caused, and embody a better way forward” (p205).
“The timeless, omnipotent Spirit of God wants to dwell in our bodies, which do and think stupid things. Which grow people and lose people. Which mourn and grieve and eat processed food and go to the movies. Which get old and slow. Which age and produce cysts, which divide cells and kill us from within. The Holy Spirit wants to dwell in our deterioration. Because the Holy Spirit is that good” (p212).
“It doesn’t matter of the church is reformed quickly or slowly. If our hearts are hungry or receiving complete nutrition. All that matters is Christ. Loyal, thick, bioluminescent, eternal love. Love kindled in our grotesque and gorgeous minds, bodies, souls, and spirits” (p214).
***REVIEW WRITTEN FOR THE STARVING ARTIST BLOG***
February 13, 2023
Remarkably readable (especially the first half) and with a literary flare that brings Sara's story and theological lineage to life.
February 6, 2023
With intense honesty, incredible vulnerability, and a blanket of hope, this book was written for orphaned believers—those who have felt marginalized by the way American cultural Christianity has usurped the call of the gospel. It names something deep and true, and for that alone it is a gift.
For those of us with whom this identity resonates, finding a way forward can feel unbearable, deflating, disheartening, can feel like death. Sara affirms that the cultural shifts we’ve seen in recent years have roots that stretch back into our past.
Writing from her own unique perspective, she talks about being spiritually misguided by one’s own parents, growing up in the midwest, radical dispensational eschatology, Christian nationalism, White Supremacy, the hippie movement, 90’s culture, the moral majority, social media, and the way the church assimilated to consumer culture, and more.
Orphaned Believers flows from memoir to journalistic history to beautiful, moving prose. She holds space for many kinds of people with different kinds of experiences, even as she describes the church as a place for such a beautiful plurality. The book invites us to see the work of reformation as a task for our own day, and the work of healing as part of that reform. It invites us to create the kind of counterculture that can act as a corrective to the ways the church has gone astray. Sara’s voice is like cool water in the desert for those who know that Jesus is a good shepherd, but feel lost.
It’s a brilliant book and I’m really excited about the conversations that it’s already begun to provoke.
For those of us with whom this identity resonates, finding a way forward can feel unbearable, deflating, disheartening, can feel like death. Sara affirms that the cultural shifts we’ve seen in recent years have roots that stretch back into our past.
Writing from her own unique perspective, she talks about being spiritually misguided by one’s own parents, growing up in the midwest, radical dispensational eschatology, Christian nationalism, White Supremacy, the hippie movement, 90’s culture, the moral majority, social media, and the way the church assimilated to consumer culture, and more.
Orphaned Believers flows from memoir to journalistic history to beautiful, moving prose. She holds space for many kinds of people with different kinds of experiences, even as she describes the church as a place for such a beautiful plurality. The book invites us to see the work of reformation as a task for our own day, and the work of healing as part of that reform. It invites us to create the kind of counterculture that can act as a corrective to the ways the church has gone astray. Sara’s voice is like cool water in the desert for those who know that Jesus is a good shepherd, but feel lost.
It’s a brilliant book and I’m really excited about the conversations that it’s already begun to provoke.
March 29, 2023
Beautiful and genuine articulation to answer "what happened to a generation of Christians who came up in the church but are left weary and wandering" (22). She lovingly reminds us that we "are not the only ones experiencing sadness, heaviness, or confusion" (23) in this space. She takes your hand and explains how God is near and we are so loved, our doubts and our concerns are not too big or too anything for God. What a needed book for those like me who feel like Christian sojourners (22), like orphaned believers.
February 28, 2023
Not only is Sara’s writing smart and well-researched, it’s also delightfully warm and tenderhearted. Reading Orphaned Believers helped me feel less alone and it also refueled my hope in needed ways. A needed balm of wisdom and fun. A must-read.
January 31, 2023
Orphaned Believers: How a Generation of Christian Exiles Can Find the Way Home by Sara Billups is a mix of modern history and memoir that I enjoyed reading.
Orphaned Believers is divided into three sections: The End Times, Culture Wars, and Consumerism. Billups tells some of her story throughout the book, sharing how her parents' evangelical faith and belief that the end times/rapture could happen any day affected her growing up years. She also talks about the culture throughout the past forty years as it relates to both the church and our society as well as the changes that have happened--and some changes that should have happened but haven't happened yet related to race and gender equality. I also found it interesting that she brought consumerism and the church into the book as that wasn't something I really thought about as part of everything. However, with all that she shared, and so much that I could relate to, I could see that it is.
Orphaned Believers was such an interesting mix of storytelling and history that I honestly had a hard time putting it down. I also could relate to many of the things she shared. I don't talk about politics much but her historical references and summation of politics and evangelicalism helped me understand better some of what is going on today. Throughout the book, Billups maintains an attitude of love and respect for all people on all sides of the issues, which I appreciated. If you are like one of the many people who just don't know where they fit in to church today, I would encourage you to give Orphaned Believers a read.
I received a copy of this book from the publisher through TLC Tours. All opinions within this review are my own.
Orphaned Believers is divided into three sections: The End Times, Culture Wars, and Consumerism. Billups tells some of her story throughout the book, sharing how her parents' evangelical faith and belief that the end times/rapture could happen any day affected her growing up years. She also talks about the culture throughout the past forty years as it relates to both the church and our society as well as the changes that have happened--and some changes that should have happened but haven't happened yet related to race and gender equality. I also found it interesting that she brought consumerism and the church into the book as that wasn't something I really thought about as part of everything. However, with all that she shared, and so much that I could relate to, I could see that it is.
Orphaned Believers was such an interesting mix of storytelling and history that I honestly had a hard time putting it down. I also could relate to many of the things she shared. I don't talk about politics much but her historical references and summation of politics and evangelicalism helped me understand better some of what is going on today. Throughout the book, Billups maintains an attitude of love and respect for all people on all sides of the issues, which I appreciated. If you are like one of the many people who just don't know where they fit in to church today, I would encourage you to give Orphaned Believers a read.
I received a copy of this book from the publisher through TLC Tours. All opinions within this review are my own.
June 21, 2023
Really enjoyed (is that the right word?) this one, despite it feeling a bit choppy at times/lacking good transitions within the chapters.
Here’s a good summary of the book from the last chapter:
“The white evangelical church is rupturing for several reasons, including the industry of fear that was built around end times, culture wars that divided families and congregations with single-issue voting and nationalism, and a lack of spiritual formation that was no match to consumerism.”
While I did not experience the extent to which the author experienced some of these things, I can definitely relate to this type of “christianity” (mostly by my own past choices and the broader evangelical zeitgeist). And while it can feel really discouraging at times to see what Americanized Christianity can look like, I agree with the author when she says,
“Healthy, loving churches of broken people trying to follow Jesus do exist. It won’t be hard to find faults even in healthy congregations. In fact, we’ll be able to criticize them with ease.”
&
“The church is an institution—and any institution is really just a bunch of broken people. People aware of their brokenness are the most human.”
I still think there’s so much hope. And we are not left as orphans.
Here’s a good summary of the book from the last chapter:
“The white evangelical church is rupturing for several reasons, including the industry of fear that was built around end times, culture wars that divided families and congregations with single-issue voting and nationalism, and a lack of spiritual formation that was no match to consumerism.”
While I did not experience the extent to which the author experienced some of these things, I can definitely relate to this type of “christianity” (mostly by my own past choices and the broader evangelical zeitgeist). And while it can feel really discouraging at times to see what Americanized Christianity can look like, I agree with the author when she says,
“Healthy, loving churches of broken people trying to follow Jesus do exist. It won’t be hard to find faults even in healthy congregations. In fact, we’ll be able to criticize them with ease.”
&
“The church is an institution—and any institution is really just a bunch of broken people. People aware of their brokenness are the most human.”
I still think there’s so much hope. And we are not left as orphans.
February 4, 2025
I was excited to read this book because I could tell by the back cover comments that Billups feels just as I do that the church in America has been swallowed up by its desire for political power and its commitment to commercialism. Although I agree with almost everything Billups says, I wish she had had a discriminating editor to help her organize her thoughts. She jumps from topic to topic without transitions or connections. The most egregious sample is her leap from "Mouth to Breast" to "Evangelicals agree on at least one thing: Jesus was physically raised from the dead." These types of switches of subject make it very difficult to follow her train of thought. The frequent use of sentence fragments was also disconcerting.
Even though the present problems in the church certainly have roots in the past, Billups' discussions of her past seem more nostalgic than explicative. She often discusses an event from the past without telling readers what that event has to do with the issue she is explaining.
I would like to see Billups distill her thoughts with clarity being her major focus, because her message is timely and important.
Even though the present problems in the church certainly have roots in the past, Billups' discussions of her past seem more nostalgic than explicative. She often discusses an event from the past without telling readers what that event has to do with the issue she is explaining.
I would like to see Billups distill her thoughts with clarity being her major focus, because her message is timely and important.
April 4, 2024
4.5 stars
If you, like me, are the target demographic of this book - an Xennial, raised evangelical, and have rejected that toxic micro- theology but have retained your greater Christian identity / belief in Christ and have no desire to leave greater Christian orthodoxy - then this is a good read worth a few hours of your time. I have read a zillion books about deconstruction, but this one felt particularly hopeful, especially the charges/blessings at the end.
I found two things really helpful:
1) The author’s emphasis on the intersection of dispensationalism and Christian nationalism is a helpful context to understand how we got here.
2) The author’s challenge to prioritize spiritual formation as a catalyst of change in the church. We need to worry more about the planks in our own eyes, right?
That being said, there wasn’t anything new after being immersed in this topic for decades. I would like some people I love to read this to better understand why I’m so passionate about things that perplex them. This would be a great book club read for a small group.
If you, like me, are the target demographic of this book - an Xennial, raised evangelical, and have rejected that toxic micro- theology but have retained your greater Christian identity / belief in Christ and have no desire to leave greater Christian orthodoxy - then this is a good read worth a few hours of your time. I have read a zillion books about deconstruction, but this one felt particularly hopeful, especially the charges/blessings at the end.
I found two things really helpful:
1) The author’s emphasis on the intersection of dispensationalism and Christian nationalism is a helpful context to understand how we got here.
2) The author’s challenge to prioritize spiritual formation as a catalyst of change in the church. We need to worry more about the planks in our own eyes, right?
That being said, there wasn’t anything new after being immersed in this topic for decades. I would like some people I love to read this to better understand why I’m so passionate about things that perplex them. This would be a great book club read for a small group.
February 5, 2023
This book was recommended to me by a family member. Many of the topics discussed in the book I related to on a personal level. Although brought up Catholic and surrounded by older individuals fully committed to their faith and the apparent upcoming rapture, I have never bought into that. This book is an excellent read for those who do identify as Christian but struggle to understand why they feel like they don't fit into the narrative of the church.
December 17, 2023
This book is a historical and practical critique on end times, culture wars, and consumerism that have shaped the American church, leaving an increasing amount of orphaned believers. With this critique remains a beautiful reminder that you are not alone in the grief, pain, and contemplations on how to stay in the church or simply remain present.
April 18, 2024
This book has some really fascinating points and ideas to reflect on. Especially if you were growing up in the church in the 80s/90s. But there were also aspects that didn't flow as well, or kept the book from reading as a cohesive whole.
February 2, 2025
I appreciated the cultural history of America from the 1960s-1980s and how that allowed for the rise of Christian nationalism. I liked how directly this author called that out and named it nationalism, pointing out all the ways it has nothing to do with Christianity.
April 23, 2023
Took me a long time to get through, but a good book for Gen X or Millennials wondering why our generation is leaving church and/or Christianity overall. Especially if you are someone that has left the church in some capacity. Some of it rang true for me, some did not. It is a critique against American cultural Christianity which was good. But it’s an appeal to those who have left to return and usher in change.
May 9, 2023
Astute, thought provoking, and challenging in all the right ways
February 22, 2023
What I appreciate most about this book (apart from Sara’s magical way of stringing words together) is the love and hope for the church that she leaves us with. She carries a tenderness for God and for people and has a beautiful way of inviting us not to settle for a watered-down version of what it means to be Christian.
May 4, 2024
So many good ideas about pushing back as Christians against Christian nationalism. I also like how she calls out the good in the plan of the church, the community, and the complexity of belonging to truly diverse community.
August 25, 2025
My overall thought while reading is: who is this book for?
If I had to parse out this book’s contents like nutrition facts:
80% reminder of all of the things that have resulted in distorted faith or corrupted Christians in the last 30 years. A commentary on all things social, political, historical, and personal to that theme.
15% appeal to the reader to consider continuing to humbly identify themself as a person who believes in Jesus. To not reject the Church because of its failings, but to accept it’s brokenness and poverty as the kingdom of the beloved broken and poor that Jesus described, died to restore and call his own.
5% heartfelt memoir of the author’s relationship with her dad, and how her parents’ dispensationalism impacted her early views of faith and fear.
The book is ordered in 3 parts:
End Times, Culture Wars, and Consumerism. I wish that it had been organized more neatly into these parts, rather than having threads of each topic appear in other sections.
📚The movements and figures in this book are tightly researched, which I appreciate. From the very beginning I had to put on my academic reading glasses and hold tight.
😭But when we got to a very personal narrative from Sara about her dad’s faith, or her house growing up, I was left wanting more.
This story could be a memoir in itself without it being tucked like a love letter behind a brick in the wall of cultural commentary that makes up this book.
Maybe it’s recency bias, because we have just lived through much of the contents of this study. The amount of information in here was hard for me to get through… it’s felt like wading through deep water while getting hit by wave after wave of things that are still very much fresh historical events.
This book will probably connect more closely with some readers than others 🤗
If I had to parse out this book’s contents like nutrition facts:
80% reminder of all of the things that have resulted in distorted faith or corrupted Christians in the last 30 years. A commentary on all things social, political, historical, and personal to that theme.
15% appeal to the reader to consider continuing to humbly identify themself as a person who believes in Jesus. To not reject the Church because of its failings, but to accept it’s brokenness and poverty as the kingdom of the beloved broken and poor that Jesus described, died to restore and call his own.
5% heartfelt memoir of the author’s relationship with her dad, and how her parents’ dispensationalism impacted her early views of faith and fear.
The book is ordered in 3 parts:
End Times, Culture Wars, and Consumerism. I wish that it had been organized more neatly into these parts, rather than having threads of each topic appear in other sections.
📚The movements and figures in this book are tightly researched, which I appreciate. From the very beginning I had to put on my academic reading glasses and hold tight.
😭But when we got to a very personal narrative from Sara about her dad’s faith, or her house growing up, I was left wanting more.
This story could be a memoir in itself without it being tucked like a love letter behind a brick in the wall of cultural commentary that makes up this book.
Maybe it’s recency bias, because we have just lived through much of the contents of this study. The amount of information in here was hard for me to get through… it’s felt like wading through deep water while getting hit by wave after wave of things that are still very much fresh historical events.
This book will probably connect more closely with some readers than others 🤗
January 27, 2023
This was a book I needed for my sad, weary soul.
I was raised in a home that tried their darnedest to help sooth my self-imposed end times theology. It deeply wounded my ability to be a sweet, young human because I would lay awake at night terrified that The Lord, would indeed, come and take my soul.
No wonder I’m all obsessed with grief and death years later.
I loved Sara’s writing style and the gentle way she wrote of her father. Relationships can be complicated and good at the same time.
This was well-researched and well-written. I would LOVE to get a cup of coffee with Sara and pick her brain on matters of life, though. My only desire is to hear more of her thoughts about books, leisure and the little-big matters of life.
Thank you for your scholarship, Sara!
I was raised in a home that tried their darnedest to help sooth my self-imposed end times theology. It deeply wounded my ability to be a sweet, young human because I would lay awake at night terrified that The Lord, would indeed, come and take my soul.
No wonder I’m all obsessed with grief and death years later.
I loved Sara’s writing style and the gentle way she wrote of her father. Relationships can be complicated and good at the same time.
This was well-researched and well-written. I would LOVE to get a cup of coffee with Sara and pick her brain on matters of life, though. My only desire is to hear more of her thoughts about books, leisure and the little-big matters of life.
Thank you for your scholarship, Sara!
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