Talking Taboo {a review}

I try to be intentional about hearing stories. Not just the stories I expect to resonate with, or that come from people very much like me (although I very much enjoy stories like that). Especially within the last few years, I have been pursuing stories which challenge me to think about things from a different perspective than my own. This practice has resulted in new friendships, changed opinions and greater respect and love for those who don’t share my views. I hope never to stop choosing to listen in this way.

Since I have been seeking out so many divergent viewpoints, I didn’t expect to be terribly challenged by Talking Taboo. 

Little did she know.

This book, part of the “I Speak For Myself” series, collects together 41 essays about the taboos around life and faith, all from American Christian women under the age of 40. While there were certainly essays that felt a little more familiar, I was surprised at how many new viewpoints I encountered over the course of the book.

While the essays are short, for the most part, I found myself moving slowing through the book. There was a lot to think about, process and sit with. I wanted to give each essay the honor of listening, just as I would if the person who wrote it were sitting in the room with me, telling her story over coffee.

If you’re a regular reader of Christian non-fiction, there will likely be names that you recognize in the table of contents. However, I was happy to find a wealth of new people that I hadn’t read before, as well.

I was right there with Reverend Sarah C. Jobe as she talked about links she’s seen between homosexuality and domestic abuse. I felt passion for the outsider rise as Jenny Hwang Yang wrote about “Being a Voice for the Stranger.” I cried along with Sarah McGiverin as she talked about her divorce. I nodded in time with Erin Lane as she shared what it’s like to be a woman without children in the church.

These women are diverse, choosing many different worship styles, Bible translations and theological positions. They are my sisters. If you are a believer, they are your sisters, too.

I hope you’ll curl up with this book, allowing the stories to sink into your spirit as you work your way through it. Though this book is wonderful, in so many ways, I think that it is just the beginning of a glorious conversation.