Notes on Feminism: Being a woman in a Church led by men

by Lauren Windle

Can I truly be a feminist and still go to church - not just in theory but in practice? Can I speak up in a religion that has a history of silencing women? And do I really need to ‘submit’ to my husband or ‘protect’ the guys in Church from lusting after my body?...

The hot topic of feminism has been well documented and debated in mainstream media and yet, as Christians we come to the conversation from a slightly different vantage point. For starters, we have the benefit of a personal relationship with our creator plus the ultimate handbook in the Bible to work out what is right and just when it comes to equality.

So why do many Christians feel the Bible presents a barrier rather than a boost when it comes to championing equality between the sexes?

In Notes on Feminism, Lauren Windle draws upon her years as a journalist to weave together different voices on a topic that countless are wrestling with, but few are brave enough to probe and poke for fear of what we might find.

Genres: Nonfiction, Christian, Feminism, Theology

224 pages, Paperback

Published April 11, 2024

Reviews

[Emily G · Rating 4 out of 5]

With a focus on the church, this collection explored issues of feminism, gender identity and sexism (among others)

I found this to have a humorous voice, while exploring these issues from a religious perspective I do not commonly read.

The content had depth and was clearly well researched and educational. I would recommend this to anyone looking to broaden their understanding on different perspectives and aspirations of feminism.

Thankyou to net-galley and the publisher for an e-arc in exchange for an honest review.

[Martha · Rating 5 out of 5]

It takes real skill to write a book that both challenges and convicts you and makes you laugh and smile. This was a really interesting and inciteful read full of lots of different perspectives. I think it would be really useful for anyone in the church to read it, reflect on their perspectives and experiences and pray and read the bible to see if there are any areas they might want to rethink.

[Charlene Harwood · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thanks to @laurenwindle_ + @spck_publishing for the chance to read an advanced reader copy of Notes on Feminism.

I immediately jumped at the chance to read it because a) Lauren Windle is so criminally underrated in the Christian book rec world b) being a single pink girlypop in the church ministry world is hard sometimes. Lauren writes with humour, inane levels of intelligence + charm. That’s why it’s a solid 5/5 for me.

The first thing you’ll notice is that it reads like a collection of short essays on different topics within the wider umbrella. I love this style as we’re not bombarded with information overload. It’s succinct and to the point. It’s feels like personal research project written by someone who is on the journey alongside us - not as someone who has all of the answers to these questions. I love that because it gave the book real warmth, humility and insight into something Lauren has clearly been wrestling with for a long time. She writes like a mate out for girly brunch and deep, deep chats (babes hmu if you’re ever in Belfast, we’d be pals for sure). This doesn’t diminish the profound research and journalistic integrity that is clear throughout the book - it just presents it all in a more relevant, more readable and more impactful way. Anyone can write a million words on a topic but it takes real skill to distill the key information like this.

And I particularly enjoyed how there were so many different perspectives on the topic with chapters written by a smorgasbord of women speaking about their personal lived experiences of being a woman and a Christian. Lauren doesn’t presume that her experience of being a woman is a universal truth and by acknowledging that we as readers are given an opportunity to reflect on our own privileges, biases and hold space for the experiences of women different to ours as legitimate and meaningful. There is no one sized fits all approach to being a woman, being a feminist or being a Christian.

I thoroughly recommend this book!

[Erin · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have mixed feelings about this one. On the one hand, it’s an interesting book about the intersectionality between feminism and christian faith / church environments, and the author brings up some good, thought-provoking points throughout. I like that she discusses relevant research and that the book is well cited. It might be worth reading if this is a topic that interests you.

On the other hand, I felt that it lacked focus, which ended up making the book feel more like a collection of blog posts all kind of mashed together with the random guest post mixed in here and there. That’s not necessarily a bad thing, but in this case, one of the “guest posts” felt like it didn’t belong in the book and the rest of it often felt disorganized.

I found myself wishing the author had taken a bolder stance instead of riding the line. She emphasizes multiple times throughout the book that she thinks there is room for a range of perspectives on women in faith communities. While I can understand where she was coming from, the way she perpetuated the narrative that there is space for harmful, destructive perspectives in faith communities didn’t sit well with me.

Overall, it’s a book that I liked in some places and in others, found concerning. If this is a subject you’ve already been studying for awhile, you likely won’t find much new information here, so you probably won’t be missing much if you choose to skip it.

[Hazel · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is a collection of interesting, thought-provoking, balanced, and passionate essays on feminism, womanhood, gender issues (etc) with particular focus on how these issues play out inside (or around) the Church.

I love Lauren's sense of humour and the way she is able to tackle some really tough topics with an authenticity that can be lacking in Christian living books. She doesn't mince her words and she doesn't pretend to be the poster child for The Christian Woman™. Her writing is well-researched, without being preachy; informal, without lacking substance.

I particularly enjoyed the chapter on the differences and similarities within the complementarian/egalitarian/feminist matrix. I had some knowledge of each of these positions, but this particular layout, and the subsequent clarifying paragraphs, helped me to understand it much better.

Other topics include explorations of medical gaslighting, sexual violence, beauty standards, racism, sexism, and abuse. These are heavy chapters, but there are also lighter ones, such as the satirical chapter on how to attract "godly men"... which was hilariously (if unfortunately) accurate!

I think Lauren does a great job of offering various viewpoints, along with extensive links to further reading and the encouragement to draw your own conclusions from the sources. Some of the topics covered are often ignored or skirted-around, particularly in the Church, as they are seen as "divisive". But I found that Lauren broached these subjects with care and a willingness to be challenged in her own opinions and biases.

I would recommend this book to everyone; women, men, feminists, those who dislike the term, complementarians, egalitarians, lifelong Christians and newbies alike. I would consider this to be one of the most important must-reads for church leaders, churchgoers, and church-avoiders in 2024.

I received a free copy of this book from the publisher, SPCK Publishing, for review purposes.

Notes on Feminism was published on 8th March 2024.

[Abigail Irozuru · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lauren shares a depth and breadth of well-researched perspectives on feminism - its beginnings, what it looks like now and the various lenses one can view feminism. She explains the importance of how we define it within both the Christian context and society as a whole being a powerful means by which it impacts women’s lives at home, church, in the workplace, in social settings and beyond.

I love the fact Lauren broaches these difficult, weighty, divisive and emotional topics with the right amount of humour, that doesn’t diminish the heaviness of the topics, but does lighten the load for the reader somewhat.

And what a gift to have chapters contributed by a number of different women with varying perspectives on the topic of not being a feminist, changing beauty standards, women’s bodies and hormones in sport, pregnancy and more.

I read Notes on Love several years ago and was eagerly anticipating her next hurrah. Lauren hasn’t disappointed ! A top-tier read that I will be sharing with and recommending to many family and friends. Thanks, Lauren!

[Shannon Whitehead · Rating 3 out of 5]

NOTES ON FEMINISM isn't a dud or a complete fail—I generally liked it—but I think it was a missed opportunity.

The author writes from a Christian perspective and acknowledges that feminism has often been made out to be an enemy of the Church. The opportunity was right there to address the "why" behind this and offer a deep dive into the intersections between feminism and a type of Christianity that honors the dignity and equality of women. Instead, the "hot topic" of feminism is given maybe one chapter, and this book ends up truly all over the place.

This book wanted to be research and essays. It wanted to be theology and humor. It wanted to appease women *and* men from both traditionalist and progressive Christian camps. It ended up as disjointed "notes on feminism" that don't actually say much. There are a lot of Captain Obvious thoughts, oversimplification, and so many quotes. You could wonder if this was a book by Kat Armas or Beth Allison Barr by how often quotes from their books appeared. Original thoughts felt rare, and when they did appear, they weren't very insightful.

The most significant note I want to share about NOTES ON FEMINISM is that this book is about womanhood, not feminism. Even the guest essays included were about issues that simply apply to women and not about being a feminist. The description of this book makes it sound like an argument for feminism from a Christian feminist, but it's not. It's a series of sometimes good, sometimes genuinely informative, but often aimless essays and quippy poems about the many hard things women face.

I wanted the author to commit to and lean into her views and stop trying to play both sides. She doesn't seem ready to fully let go of toxic teaching about women and rigid rules around who women are allowed to be, even though it's clear she doesn't prescribe to any of it herself. As a result, this book is going to be too much for conservative Christians and not enough for progressive Christians. Understandably, that's often the case with Christian books today, but it was unnecessary for NOTES ON FEMINISM to be one of those books. There's a difference between being balanced, gracious, and charitable and being so determined not to offend anyone that you forget to make a solid point or make any clear case at all.

So, since I said I liked it overall, who would I recommend this book to? There are many Christian women out there who don't fully subscribe to conservative views on women's roles but aren't comfortable examining what that means for them theologically and practically. This is a book for them. NOTES ON FEMINISM offers simple overviews of many issues pertinent to women AND options that many Christian women don't know they have.

*This review is based on a digital ARC provided by the publisher via NetGalley. All opinions are 100% honest and my own.

[Jenny Sanders · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lauren's excellent book will make you think, reflect, question yourself and make you laugh. Really. It's not a dry, angry diatribe but a methodical laying out of facts, practices and opinions that surround this subject, with particular focus on the Christian community.

There's a raft of data which should make your hair stand on end (did you know that a man in the Uk is 230 times more likely to be raped himself than be falsely accused of rape? The average adult man in England and Wales has a 0.0002% chance of being falsely accused of rape in a year. Compare that with the statistics for women if you dare) and some very thoroughly researched and referenced sources including chapters from an Olympic athlete, an OBE and an award winning journalist.

You may not agree with all that the author brings to the table and that's OK. She's not offering trite answers or simple solutions but it is a sincere and measured plea from the heart as well as a smartly used opportunity to bring a fresh and compelling perspective to an F word that causes many people to simple roll their eyes. You won't.

[Lucy Thacker · Rating 3 out of 5]

I like Lauren's style of writing - she's very humorous and engaging! Having read her first book I knew there was going to be differences in theology (and honestly skip the chapter 'Our mother who art in heaven') but I found her to be way more balanced in this book. Other people have commented that it's a shame she doesn't land on a particular side but I for one actually found it helpful that there was both sides presented - particularly when I knew some of my theology differed from hers already. It does definitely feel like an intro book, as it's small chapters and rarely meaty discourse or discussion. Another GR commenter said it felt more like woman-ism than feminism and I completely agree with that.

[Laura Gilmour · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'd have like a little more well reasoned arguments. The book felt like lots of short opinion pieces rather than any more in-depth consideration of the issues raised. Part of the problem, I think, was the disjointed nature of the 'notes.' There was no space in which the different opinions came into conversation with each other.

Feminism/ Gender / theology 'lite' for someone encountering or thinking about the issue for the first time.

[Joyner Horn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really well written — such a rational and therefore even more appealing approach to the issues most women face in the church. Egalitarianism v. Complementarianism, the Church’s historic failure to acknowledge women as church leaders (Mary Magdalene as Apostle to the Apostles, for a start), and the Church’s failure to adequately and lovingly address sex and sexual trauma, to name a few, are some of the issues which she so beautifully tackles. I highly recommend to men and women.

[Ellie Perkins · Rating 5 out of 5]

My word. This book is so necessary (overdue).

It’s completely accessible for all readers. Lauren Windle writes in a way that’s balanced, concise and powerful.

Obsessed with the different formats, like ironic YouTube speeches, myth-busting chapters, and a lovely prayer.

I’ve already recommended this to folks in my church, and will continue to tell everyone I meet about it.

[Rachel Campbell · Rating 5 out of 5]

Witty, engaging and ultimately challenging multi-faceted look at feminism in the Christian context. For a reasonably short book Lauren Windle covers a lot of ground. I also particularly liked how Lauren quotes widely from other authors and researchers. There’s a humility and rigour in quoting others.

[Steve Page · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thought provoking for this middle aged bloke.

[Rebekah White · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely incredible! Eye opening, informative, educational... simply wonderful!

[Anna Kettle · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thought provoking