The Struggle to Stay
Why Single Evangelical Women are Leaving the Church
Published by Columbia University Press
Evangelical Christianity is often thought of as oppressive to women. The #MeToo era, when many women hit a breaking point with rampant sexism, has also reached evangelical communities. Yet more than thirty million women in the United States still identify as evangelical. Why do so many women remain in male-dominated churches that marginalize them, and why do others leave? In each case, what does this cost them?
The Struggle to Stay is an intimate and insightful portrait of single women’s experiences in evangelical churches. Drawing on unprecedented access to churches in the United States and the United Kingdom, Katie Gaddini relates the struggles of four women, interwoven with her own story of leaving behind a devout faith. She connects these personal narratives with rigorous analysis of Christianity and politics in both countries, and contextualizes them through interviews with more than fifty other evangelical women. Gaddini grapples with the complexities of obedience and resistance for women within a patriarchal religion against the backdrop of a culture war. Her exploration of how women choose to leave or remain in environments that constrain them is nuanced and personal, telling powerful stories of faith, community, isolation, and loss. Bringing together meticulous research and deep empathy, The Struggle to Stay provides a revelatory account of the private burdens that evangelical women bear.
Reviews
“Gaddini eloquently conveys the longing and heartaches of her subjects and reflects on trends within wider evangelical culture, such as the promotion of luxurious lifestyles by social media stars and support for right-wing political movements. The author’s insider perspective provides essential insight into fractures within the evangelical movement, and the focus on the experiences of individuals puts a human face on larger trends. This moving and incisive account will resonate with anyone who has struggled with their faith.”
“A beautifully written, vivid, insightful book about being a bright Christian woman”
“This book will be an indispensable part of the growing scholarship that reevaluates modern evangelicalism in relation to gender.”
“This book takes a long and searching look at what makes women stay in churches that treat them with ambivalence—and why, even when they decide to go, they leave a part of themselves behind. Emotionally and intellectually compelling.”
Watch the book launch for The Struggle to Stay
Featuring: Prof Ayala Fader, Chine McDonald, Kate Wallace Nunneley & Prof Linda Woodhead.
In conversation with Dr Katie Gaddini. Hosted by Dr Sonya Sharma & the Social Research Institute (UCL)
