Wholehearted Faith

Rachel Held Evans (1981–2019) was the New York Times bestselling author of Inspired, Searching for Sunday, A Year of Biblical Womanhood, and Faith Unraveled. Rachel’s words about faith, doubt, and life were featured not only on her own blog but also in numerous publications, including the Washington Post, The Guardian, and the Huffington Post. She appeared on NPR, BBC, the Today show, and The View. She served on President Obama’s Advisory Council on Faith-Based and Neighborhood Partnerships. She lived with her husband and two children in Dayton, Tennessee.Jeff Chu is co-curator of Evolving Faith, alongside Sarah Bessey, who founded the gathering with Rachel Held Evans. He is also the author of Does Jesus Really Love Me? and an editor-at-large at Travel+Leisure. He, his husband, Tristan, and their dog, Fozzie, make their home in Grand Rapids, Michigan.

“I love everything Rachel Held Evans wrote, and I love her profound, warm-hearted, brilliant storytelling. Her books have always thrown the theological lights on for me, charmed the pants off me, entertained and enlightened me.” — Anne Lamott, author of Dusk, Night, Dawn and Help, Thanks, Wow“A touching series of essays in which Held Evans, with Chu’s invisible pen, explores how one might find a path forward in Christianity beyond conservative evangelicalism”  — The New Yorker“Wholehearted Faith speaks equally well to all; book groups will find rich fodder for discussions, parents will find support for raising tender-hearted Christian children and pastors will find that perfect illustration for Sunday’s sermon." — The Presbyterian Outlook“A voice like Rachel’s endures in the time machine of her writing. All who love the sound of it owe Jeff Chu a deep bow. A vision like hers outlives a single lifetime. What she discovered, she made available to us; now it’s our turn to carry on.”   — Barbara Brown Taylor, author of An Altar in the World and Learning to Walk in the Dark"What readers will find in these pages — what I found — was someone deeply human: funny, irreverent, curious, wise, forgiving, nonjudgmental. She admits that a person of faith has doubts, carries anger and sometimes cannot reconcile, or carte blanche accept, certain aspects of Christianity. She shows us ourselves." — The Washington Post"A lifeline for disenchanted Christians. We are fortunate to have it as her last word." — Spirituality and Practice"This book is important; it’s a keeper, and one that I’ll read again." — Englewood Review of Books“Christianity is going through a reformation, and [Evans] might well have been our Martin Luther... She helped mainline Christians stop being afraid of Jesus, and she helped evangelicals know the love of God.”  — The Most Rev. Michael Curry, presiding bishop of the Episcopal Church"There is abundantly a rising theological and liturgical searching, a passionate calling towards service that echoes the heart of the great traditions. This is nowhere more true than around the boundaries of Christianity, and no person has given more winsome voice to it than Rachel Held Evans."  — Krista Tippett, host of On Being"This beautiful book is a bittersweet sanctuary. I'm grateful to Jeff Chu for coming alongside her words with such faithfulness to ensure that her voice rings true in every line. For those of us who find ourselves wandering in the wilderness, this is a respite from our most trusted leader." — Sarah Bessey, New York Times bestselling author of A Rhythm of Prayer and Jesus Feminist“Like all of her work, [Wholehearted Faith] is warm, wise, and intimate. . . . Evans doesn’t shame the ignorant. She delights us into knowledge on the way to wisdom. . . . One can see why Evans’s critics pounce. She likes to draw out their poison to bring healing.” — The Christian CenturyIf you feel even a shred of internal division, Wholehearted Faith will help you put the pieces back together. This book is a special gift—I've already gone back for a second and third read. Each page invites you toward an honest and humane wholeness.  — Brian D. McLaren, author of Faith After Doubt“Her quest to liberate her faith from fundamentalism garnered her a wide following of devoted fans. . . . Evans’s honest questioning of Christian teachings and a God she mostly (but doesn’t always) believe in will strike a chord with believers and agnostics alike.” — Library Journal“Gorgeous, heartfelt and bittersweet. Rachel Held Evans spent her beautiful life trying to convince us that, all along, God’s love was for absolutely everyone. At last, we must believe her.”  — Kate Bowler, author of No Cure for Being Human and Everything Happens for a Reason“Tackles topics like grace, doubt and sacrifice while somehow embodying the advice of its first author to its second: ‘Thick skin, tender heart.’” — New York Times