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The Struggle to Stay: Why Single Evangelical Women Are Leaving the Church Hardcover – March 8, 2022

by Katie Gaddini (Author)
4.2 4.2 out of 5 stars 12 ratings
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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.
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  1. Print length
    304 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Publisher
    Columbia University Press
  4. Publication date
    March 8, 2022
  5. Dimensions
    6 x 1 x 9 inches
  6. ISBN-10
    0231196741
  7. ISBN-13
    978-0231196741
  8. See all details
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Editorial Reviews

Review

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. ― Publishers Weekly

The Struggle to Stay offers a vivid, enlightening glimpse into the complex contradictions of Christian life. These women want to stay in the church. But they also want to be sexually active and respected as equals―and that is hard. This book gives a rich, nuanced account of why and how it is hard that respects the complexities of the religious experience. A beautifully written, vivid, insightful book about being a bright Christian woman. -- T. M. Luhrmann, author of How God Becomes Real: Kindling the Presence of Invisible Others

In The Struggle to Stay, Gaddini does what is rare in a work of scholarship―she marshals deep research while also humanizing her subjects and topic. This book will be an indispensable part of the growing scholarship that reevaluates modern evangelicalism in relation to gender. Gaddini is analytical without being aloof, empathetic without being saccharine. Many readers of this book will feel both seen and informed along the way. In the end, The Struggle to Stay, accomplishes what it set out to do―it describes the conundrum of single evangelical women in churches and the price they pay to remain there. -- Jemar Tisby, author of The Color of Compromise: The Truth About the American Church's Complicity in Racism

Drawing on the author's own experience as well as research with evangelical women in Britain and America, 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. -- Linda Woodhead, coauthor of That Was the Church That Was: How the Church of England Lost the English People

Vivid descriptions and thoughtful analysis. . . . Gaddini models great care and empathy in her treatment of evangelical women. ― Reading Religion

A beautifully written book that evocatively draws the reader into the lives of single, evangelical women as they negotiate what it means to thrive on community while also experiencing a keen sense of separation for being outside the norm. ― Gender & Society

For anyone who studies evangelical Christianity, this book adds important, detailed insights to the existing body of research on women and evangelicalism. For those concerned about and committed to building inclusive church communities, this book is essential reading. ― Review of Religious Research

Masterfully narrates the stories of evangelical women. . . . Gaddini’s writing and argument shine in chapters that directly confront gendered double standards within evangelical churches. ― Sociology of Religion

Written in an accessible and engaging manner, deftly weaving four captivating stories together with a rigorous analysis of Christianity, gender and politics, it is a fascinating read. ― Marginalia Review of Books

About the Author

Katie Gaddini is a sociologist at the Social Research Institute, University College London (UCL) and a research associate in the Department of Sociology at the University of Johannesburg. She is a United Kingdom Research and Innovation Research Fellow at Stanford University and UCL.. Gaddini previously worked in the prevention of gender-based violence in Peru, South Africa, Spain, and the United States.

Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Columbia University Press (March 8, 2022)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Hardcover ‏ : ‎ 304 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0231196741
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0231196741
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 2.31 pounds
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 6 x 1 x 9 inches
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.2 4.2 out of 5 stars 12 ratings

About the author

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Katie Gaddini

Katie Gaddini

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Dr Katie Gaddini is a writer and scholar of Christianity. She's a sociologist at the Social Research Institute, University College London (UCL). Katie is also an affiliate researcher at the University of Johannesburg. Prior to academia, Katie was a social worker. Originally from California, she now resides in London.

Customer reviews

4.2 out of 5 stars
4.2 out of 5
12 global ratings
A must read for Evangelicals
5 Stars
A must read for Evangelicals
A must read for anyone involved in the Evangelical church. Beautifully written, moving and hard hitting. Got a lot to think about after reading it.
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Top reviews from the United States

tomq
5.0 out of 5 stars A compelling study of evangelical women reckoning with their own feminist beliefs.
Reviewed in the United States on June 5, 2022
Verified Purchase
I thoroughly enjoyed reading Dr. Gaddini’s book and learning more about the Evangelical movement in America and Great Britain. As an outsider to the Evangelical religion, I often judge women who belong to these mega churches. It was an eye opening read to hear their stories and it challenged me to more open minded to their desire to have community and place to belong. I appreciated Dr. Gaddini’s approach of mixing data, research and story telling to expose her findings of why so many women are leaving the evangelical community. Making herself vulnerable by sharing her own personal experiences with conservative Christianity, gives the reader an intimate insight into the forces that continue to diminish the value of women in our society. I highly recommend this book to all genders and anyone involved in organized religion. You may find out you aren’t alone in feeling conflicted in your own belief of feminism and how that fits into a religion dominated by the patriarchy.
3 people found this helpful
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Diana
5.0 out of 5 stars Interesting, well documented, great book
Reviewed in the United States on April 5, 2022
Verified Purchase
I started reading because I am a friend of the author, but this reading has been great, from the specific topic of the evangelical churches, you can relate the story of the 4 women with so many other scenarios and understand how the different powers interact and shape how the women experience the world.

It has been very enlightening and entertaining to read, even being an atheist.
2 people found this helpful
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S. Dudek
5.0 out of 5 stars A thoughtful and respectful, yet intellectually curious, critique
Reviewed in the United States on June 2, 2022
The Struggle to Stay: Why Single Evangelical Women Are Leaving the Church, by Katie Gaddini, is a very interesting and unique book. As a former Evangelical herself, Gaddini is well aware of the challenges that face the Evangelical church as well as the challenges that face church members who do not toe the line, making the premise of the book rather intriguing - in trying to better understand the women who are a part of the Evangelical church, including why some choose to stay while others choose to leave, she ultimately offers a bit of complexity, nuance, and humanity to a group that is often reduced to being seen as one homogeneous voting bloc.

Despite the fact that Gaddini herself has left the church, she never disrespects or belittles her subjects. She finds humanity in each person and highlights the positive as well as the negative thoughts, emotions, and experiences. Above all, she displays empathy.

Gaddini lets the research do the talking rather than opine on the goodness or badness of the women in question and she ultimately leaves the conclusion somewhat ambivalent (and it totally works). Ultimately, her research isn’t carried out to judge or support a pre-ordained conclusion - it’s carried out to understand.

Despite her own personal experiences in and with the church, Gaddini is curious. And curiosity truly is one of the most under-valued traits out there.

While this one book may not change the relationship between Evangelicals and non-Evangelicals, I do believe most people would benefit from reading this book, if only to learn a bit more about someone who is unlike themselves.

Gaddini presents her research intelligently, but the book is still quite accessible and lends to wanting to continue reading it without putting it down.
4 people found this helpful
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Carmen
5.0 out of 5 stars AMAZING book
Reviewed in the United States on March 10, 2022
This book combines the best of both dynamic story telling and informative research. From the first page it is collectively powerful, data based, seductive and suspenseful. It is an extremely insightful read that puts words to the complex experience of modern day evangelical women and brings light to a culture that many have had interactions with but have difficulty understanding. I highly recommend this book to anyone interested in religion, feminism, American culture, or just looking to read engaging true stories of how women struggle to be in this world!
2 people found this helpful
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Jake Nance
5.0 out of 5 stars Eye opening!!
Reviewed in the United States on March 9, 2022
As my title says this book was eye opening to say the least. Dr. Gaddini’s research and writing skills are incredibly detailed and really give you insight to the evangelical world. It’s is definitely a book I recommend to all and this will be read by my daughter as soon as she’s old enough to appreciate it!
2 people found this helpful
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B.
5.0 out of 5 stars A must read for Evangelicals
Reviewed in the United States on May 18, 2022
A must read for anyone involved in the Evangelical church. Beautifully written, moving and hard hitting. Got a lot to think about after reading it.
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B.
5.0 out of 5 stars A must read for Evangelicals
Reviewed in the United States on May 18, 2022
A must read for anyone involved in the Evangelical church. Beautifully written, moving and hard hitting. Got a lot to think about after reading it.
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2 people found this helpful
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