Beyond Belief : The Secret Lives of Women in Extreme Religions

With Stories By Women From A Wide Range Of Religious Communities--including Evangelical Christian, Catholic, Jewish, Mormon, Muslim, Calvinist, Moonie, The Unification Church, And Jehovah's Witnesses--the Writers In Beyond Belief Pull Back A Heavy Curtain To Reveal What They Love About Their Lives Within These Communities, Along With The Pain That Comes From The Rigid Expectations And Diminishment Of Women So Often Built Into Religious Orthodoxy.--back Cover. Church Bodies / Naomi J. Williams -- Direct Line To God / Cami Ostman -- Beaten By Devotion / Huda Al-marashi -- Baptizing The Annas / Caitlin Constantine -- Uniforms / Leah Lax -- Seducing God / Joshunda Victoria Sanders -- Show Me The Way / Elise Brianne Curtin -- Swan Sister / Yolande Elise Brener -- Turning Twelve / Lucia Greenhouse -- Touch / Elise Glassman -- Body Language / Pamela Helberg -- A Mother In Israel / Stephanie Durden Edwards -- Poisonous Promises / Grace Peterson -- Tilapia Mikveh / Susan Tive -- Witness / Melanie Hoffert -- Eva / Leila Khan -- White Lie / Nikki Smith -- Always Leaving / Donna M. Johnson -- Separation / Colleen Haggerty -- Dirty Girl / Erin Seaward-hiatt -- Can I Get A Witness? / Elizabeth Taylor-mead -- Lucky Cat / Kyria Abrahams -- Church Of The Snake / Carolyn Briggs -- The Impreceptible Head Shake / Julia Scheeres -- Duct Tape And Baling Wire / Valerie Tarico -- Nun Hands / Mary Johnson. Edited By Cami Ostman & Susan Tive. Title Page......Page 2 Copyright......Page 3 Dedication......Page 4 Contents......Page 5 Introduction......Page 8 IN THE BEGINNING......Page 12 Church Bodies ~ Naomi J. Williams......Page 13 Direct Line to God ~ Cami Ostman......Page 26 Beaten by Devotion Huda Al-Marashi......Page 34 Baptizing the Annas ~ Caitlin Constantine......Page 43 Uniforms ~ Leah Lax......Page 53 Seducing God ~ Joshunda Victoria Sanders......Page 67 Show Me the Way Êlise Brianne Curtin......Page 77 Swan Sister Yolande Elise Brener......Page 86 BURNT OFFERINGS......Page 98 Turning Twelve ~ Lucia Greenhouse......Page 99 Touch ~ Elise Glassman......Page 109 Body Language ~ Pamela Helberg......Page 122 A Mother in Israel ~ Stephanie Durden Edwards......Page 132 Poisonous Promises ~ Grace Peterson......Page 140 Tilapia Mikveh Susan Tive......Page 154 Witness ~ Melanie Hoffert......Page 161 Eva ~ Leila Khan......Page 172 White Lie ~ Nikki Smith......Page 184 EXODUS......Page 197 Always Leaving ~ Donna M. Johnson......Page 198 Separation Colleen Haggerty......Page 207 Dirty Girl ~ Erin Seaward-Hiatt......Page 214 Can I Get a Witness? ~ Elizabeth Taylor-Mead......Page 227 Lucky Cat ~ Kyria Abrahams......Page 237 Church of the Snake ~ Carolyn Briggs......Page 245 The Imperceptible Head Shake ~ Julia Scheeres......Page 257 Duct Tape and Baling Wire ~ Valerie Tarico......Page 264 Nun Hands ~ Mary Johnson......Page 270 Acknowledgments......Page 278 Contributors......Page 281 About the Editors......Page 289 Beyond Belief addresses what happens when women of extreme religions decide to walk away. Editors Susan Tive (a former Orthodox Jew) and Cami Ostman (a de-converted fundamentalist born-again Christian) have compiled a collection of powerful personal stories written by women of varying ages, races, and religious backgrounds who share one commonality: they’ve all experienced and rejected extreme religions. Covering a wide range of religious communities—including Evangelical, Catholic, Jewish, Mormon, Muslim, Calvinist, Moonie, and Jehovah’s Witness—and containing contributions from authors like Julia Scheeres ( Jesus Land ), the stories in Beyond Belief reveal how these women became involved, what their lives were like, and why they came to the decision to eventually abandon their faiths. The authors shed a bright light on the rigid expectations and misogyny so often built into religious orthodoxy, yet they also explain the lure—why so many women are attracted to these lifestyles, what they find that’s beautiful about living a religious life, and why leaving can be not only very difficult but also bittersweet. Church Bodies / Naomi J. Williams Direct Line to God / Cami Ostman Beaten by Devotion / Huda Al-Marashi Baptizing the Annas / Caitlin Constantine Uniforms / Leah Lax Seducing God / Joshunda Victoria Sanders Show Me the Way / Elise Brianne Curtin Swan Sister / Yolande Elise Brener Turning Twelve / Lucia Greenhouse Touch / Elise Glassman Body Language / Pamela Helberg A Mother in Israel / Stephanie Durden Edwards Poisonous Promises / Grace Peterson Tilapia Mikveh / Susan Tive Witness / Melanie Hoffert Eva / Leila Khan White Lie / Nikki Smith Always Leaving / Donna M. Johnson Separation / Colleen Haggerty Dirty Girl / Erin Seaward-Hiatt Can I Get a Witness? / Elizabeth Taylor-Mead Lucky Cat / Kyria Abrahams Church of the Snake / Carolyn Briggs The Imperceptible Head Shake / Julia Scheeres Duct Tape and Baling Wire / Valerie Tarico Nun Hands / Mary Johnson. Personal stories of women of varying ages, races and religious backgrounds who have experienced and rejected different religious communities, including Evangelical, Catholic, Jewish, Mormon, Muslim, Calvinist, Moonie and Jehovah's Witness. The women how they became involved, what their lives were like and why they came to the decision to eventually abandon their faiths An eye-opening glimpse into real women's experiences in the throes of the rigorous faith and rituals of extreme religion