Becoming Free Indeed: My Story of Disentangling Faith from Fear

**Review: "Becoming Free Indeed" Book****Pros:**1. **Empowering Content:** "Becoming Free Indeed" offers empowering and transformative insights into achieving personal freedom and spiritual growth. Through relatable anecdotes, practical advice, and profound wisdom, the book guides readers on a journey of self-discovery and liberation from mental, emotional, and spiritual bondage.2. **Clear and Engaging Writing:** Written in a clear and engaging style, the book captivates readers from start to finish, making complex concepts accessible and applicable to everyday life. The author's authentic voice and heartfelt messages resonate with readers, inspiring them to embark on their own paths to freedom and fulfillment.3. **Practical Strategies:** "Becoming Free Indeed" provides practical strategies and actionable steps for overcoming obstacles, breaking free from limiting beliefs, and embracing a life of purpose and authenticity. Readers will find valuable tools and exercises to apply in their own lives, empowering them to create positive change and manifest their deepest desires.4. **Spiritual Guidance:** Rooted in spiritual principles and biblical teachings, "Becoming Free Indeed" offers profound spiritual guidance for those seeking deeper meaning and connection in their lives. The book encourages readers to cultivate faith, trust, and surrender as they embark on their journey towards true freedom and wholeness.**Cons:**1. **Religious Focus:** While the spiritual perspective of "Becoming Free Indeed" may resonate with some readers, others may find the heavy emphasis on religious themes and biblical references to be limiting or exclusionary, especially those from different faith backgrounds or belief systems.2. **Lack of Diversity:** The book may lack diversity in perspectives and experiences, potentially alienating readers who do not see themselves represented in the narratives or examples provided. A more inclusive approach that acknowledges a wider range of identities and backgrounds could enhance the book's relevance and appeal to a broader audience.3. **Overly Prescriptive:** Some readers may find certain sections of "Becoming Free Indeed" to be overly prescriptive or formulaic in their approach to personal growth and transformation. While the book offers valuable guidance, individual journeys to freedom and fulfillment may vary, and a more flexible and open-ended approach could accommodate diverse paths to self-discovery.4. **Limited Depth:** Despite its valuable insights and practical advice, "Becoming Free Indeed" may lack the depth and complexity found in more comprehensive self-help or spiritual growth books. Readers seeking a deeper exploration of specific topics or concepts may find themselves craving more detailed analysis and exploration beyond the book's surface-level discussions.Overall, "Becoming Free Indeed" offers valuable guidance and inspiration for those seeking personal freedom, spiritual growth, and fulfillment. While it may have limitations in terms of its religious focus, lack of diversity, and prescriptive approach, its empowering content and practical strategies make it a valuable resource for anyone on a journey of self-discovery and transformation.

If you saw the Duggars when they were kids, you need to read this. It doesn't bash the parents, just the views of how they were raised. Jinger does a great job bringing to light how they really are and what they should be really teaching

There's a lot of talk floating around these days about Christians who are deconstructing their faith. These are Christians whom the church has wounded deeply, hurt so badly and let down so hard, they feel they can't get back up again. For many of these Christians, the church, which was supposed to be a sanctuary, has been a place of nothing but emotional, spiritual, and often physical and sexual, abuse.I am not that Christian. If anything, all the "noise" about deconstruction, false teachers (it seems every time I turn around, somebody who was once trusted is being accused of false teaching), and false doctrine, breaks my heart. I did not grow up with teachers like Bill Gothard (thank the good Lord)! My parents and family were nothing like the Duggars, and my life was not a fishbowl. Yet I have been attracted to stories like Jinger Duggar Vuolo's for years and continue to be attracted to them. Why, and among all the stories, was Jinger's any better or different?I'll answer those questions out of order. First, yes, Jinger's story is better and different. Second, my "why" is a little different from your average "deconstructing" Christian, but it is in their neighborhood. That is, I have not deconstructed, but chose Jinger's story because I identified with her. In a world and Christian subculture where so many are stripping faith down to the studs and leaving Jesus behind in the junk pile, I want and choose to stay true to Him. But how to do that amid all the construction noise? Because let me tell you, construction noise, literal and figurative, can get on your last blessed nerve!Jinger Duggar Vuolo gets that, and she wrote that story in the most honest and refreshing voice I've heard in the 2020s narrative about deconstruction and disentanglement so far. Refreshingly, she doesn't use Becoming Free Indeed to bash her parents and family, or even Bill Gothard (though he would darn well deserve it)! As she says, Becoming Free Indeed is not a tell-all. It's not scandalous.Instead, Jinger is gentle yet up front about the realities of her life and her faith. I could sense the dilemma that occurred in my own life--her family did what they thought right, she loves them, she embraced Jesus--but yet, that experience, and Jinger's personality and personal bent, led to a lot of anxiety and fear. Jinger knew her Bible in the way many Christian kids, including yours truly, grow up knowing it. We learn it through Bible stories and "sword drills" and Bible trivia (man, I used to *clean up* at that; still can). We were told to read it because it pleased God (subtext: not to read and love the Bible is to make God upset). But we (I) don't *know* the Bible like we should. Jinger knew God as Heavenly Father, but like yours truly, that was more like, "Daddy loves you, but also, don't mess up or there'll be trouble when Daddy gets home."So yeah, Jinger and I were not "abused" as such, or living in abject fear, but I empathized with her and applauded her honesty and straightforward yet gentle presentation. She challenged me, but without saying, "It's your fault for falling for this stuff" or even, "How could you believe what I did, you didn't grow up under Gothard" (because I admit, I sometimes felt guilty reading this book, since I *didn't* grow up that way and thought, "Why do I feel the way I feel?") The message I got from Becoming Free Indeed is not, "Christians are totally messed up and brainwashed," which is what the world's culture wants to tell us and where deconstruction comes from. I think Jinger and Christians like her are getting it right, in that Christians have a valid belief in *Jesus,* we've just let all this other junk get in the way.I do have a couple mild to moderate critiques. The first is more a question on my part, and again, this is Jinger's book, not mine. So however she chose to deal with this is fine with me. But throughout the book, I found myself responding to Gothard's teachings thus: "Excuse you?" "Where do you *get* this stuff?" "Um, you WHAT, now?" And yet, Jinger never questions the fact that her parents, and especially her family's little ones, still follow this man on any level. I understand she can't force them to change their belief system, and in terms of the adults, that's on them. But as much as I loved the fact that Becoming Free Indeed is not a tell-all, there were areas where I kind of wished Jinger had come down a little harder and said, "This man is false, he is dangerous, not just because of what he's been charged with but because of but because of what his ministry does in the everyday. I still love my family but struggle with their involvement," or something.My actual critique comes from the fact that I wish I knew a bit more about Jinger's disentanglement and how it affects how she interacts with culture today. That is, like her, there are ways I interact with culture that are not specified either way in the Bible, but that I can still feel guilty or anxious over based on what other Christians do or don't do. For instance, I have been in prayer circle with older ladies who, if they knew I listened to Hamilton, Newsies, and Six: The Musical, would probably have coronaries. I have, as an adult, read, relished, and found Christian messages in Harry Potter. I disagree with Christians who have banished Disney wholesale from their homes. I am a disabled and autistic woman who wants to speak of systemic ablesim but hesitates to do so for fear of being accused of being "woke" (same for systemic racism, by the way). I disagree with corporal punishment even though 90% of my fellow Christians claim it's biblical and that my disagreement is mild to moderate rebellion in and of itself.Okay, so you get it. My point is, Jinger does give a few examples like this, and I appreciate those (yes, I confess, I have a pixie cut and I wear pants to church. I can't even remember the last time I wore a dress, period). But within our culture, I feel like a lot of those examples are kind of...is the word "obvious?" I wish she had gone into some more "current" or controversial examples, like the Disney thing or the corporal punishment thing. And yes, even more controversial doctrines--and I think we all know what I mean. Because the Bible is clear on those, but they may not be "essential doctrines," and are they the hills Christians want to die on? (As in, yes, I will 100% accept persecution for believing Jesus is the only way to Heaven and is the Son of God, but some of this other stuff? Am I willing to risk it? Not sure).Anyway, that's the long way to say, I don't have critiques as much as I do questions. I wish Jinger and I could just grab some tea or coffee and talk some more (and as far as social anxiety, I get it. Don't worry girl, I got you). But in the absence of that, Becoming Free Indeed is still well worth the read. I dare say it will in some way refresh your soul.

Overall it is a great book. I did think some of the book was repetitive.

Love this girl for her strength and faith.

As a preacher I found the honesty and journey to be so truthful and accurate. Jesus is everything we will ever need for all time he is our friend.

Jinger has exposed a cult like group with grace and truth. I pray this book will be helpful for others seeking to disentangle themselves from man-made systems.

This book was mostly just different bible verses with Jinger explaining what Gothard had interpreted them to mean compared to what she now "knows" they really mean. I feel like Jinger has left one cult & is now in a slightly less strict cult. Apart from a few small anecdotes about her life there wasn't much of interest, it was just her interpretation of what she now believes. (Or has been told to believe.)

I don’t know what I expected going into this book but I did enjoy this book. I found that I could relate to Jinger in terms of her fear and anxiety. I did learn a lot in the book and there was a lot of information but it did at times feel like a college information paper. I did enjoy this book but don’t know if I would reread.