Courtney Reissig - The Accidental Feminist: Restoring Our Delight in Gods Good Design

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Courtney Reissig is a true daughter of Sarah. She is wise, discerning, brave, and thoughtful. This book is a needed antidote to the false views of women we so often encounter, and too often absorb, in our culture.

Russell D. Moore, President, The Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission; author, Tempted and Tried

The Accidental Feminist reminds me of a handbook on womanhood, but not a rule book. Courtney shares the beautiful design of all aspects of women made in the image of God. A perfect read for anyone desiring to gain an understanding of womanhood in the Bible.

Trillia Newbell, author, United: Captured by Gods Vision for Diversity and Fear and Faith

Courtney writes as a daughter of third-wave feminism who is calling her sisters to return to Gods instructions for how we should live as Christian women in a fallen world. This book unveils what has been lost in our hearts, our relationships, and our churches. It exposes the options feminism offers as just a set of heavy shackles designed to hold us back from seeking fulfillment in the only place it can really be foundin the hope of the gospel of Christ.

Kristie Anyabwile, wife of Thabiti Anyabwile, Assistant Pastor for Church Planting, Capitol Hill Baptist Church, Washington, DC; mom of three; discipler of women

Over the past few decades, weve unwittingly absorbed popular ideas about womanhood. Weve become feminists without knowing it. Courtney challenges us to wake from the stupor. If youre a young woman, you would do well to read this book and consider whether you, too, have become an accidental feminist.

Mary A. Kassian, Professor of Womens Studies, The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary; author, Girls Gone Wise in a World Gone Wild

Courtney Reissig has written what is sure to become the standard guide to Christian womanhood in a feminist age. Her book is practical, winsome, and full of rich theology. It is particularly strongand unusualbecause the content rests alongside a powerful narrative of personal transformation. Like the Savior it extols, this is a book that is going to strengthen, unsettle, and ultimately bless many readersand there is nothing accidental about that.

Owen D. Strachan, Assistant Professor of Christian Theology and Church History, Boyce College; President, The Council on Biblical Manhood and Womanhood

Thoughtful and authentic, Courtney Reissig masterfully uncovers the struggles women have in discovering their identity and purpose. She presents a thorough picture of feminism and the confusion it has wrought regarding the roles of women today and the definition of equality. She reveals the true liberation women can experience as they embrace a biblical view of womanhood. Regardless of age or background, The Accidental Feminist is a book every woman should read!

Monica Rose Brennan, Associate Professor and Director of Womens Ministries, Liberty University

Being female isnt just a category; its a good gift written in our DNA by a Creator who loves us and is for us. Courtney Reissig affirms this truth from Scripture as well as her own story. Her journey from resisting her design to embracing it with joy is a faithful guide for young Christian women wondering what to make of being female. In a day when male and female are seen as too confining, when it is said that gender is best bent to the whims of our personal expression, Reissig faithfully shows why being made female, in the image of God, is an exceedingly good gift.

Candice Watters, Assistant Editor, CMBW.orgs Family Channel; cofounder, Boundless.org; coauthor, Start Your Family

the

ACCIDENTAL FEMINIST

RESTORING OUR DELIGHT in
GODS GOOD DESIGN

Courtney Reissig

The Accidental Feminist: Restoring Our Delight in Gods Good Design

Copyright 2015 by Courtney Reissig

Published by Crossway
1300 Crescent Street
Wheaton, Illinois 60187

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopy, recording, or otherwise, without the prior permission of the publisher, except as provided for by USA copyright law.

Published in association with the literary agency of Wolgemuth & Associates, Inc.

Cover design: Connie Gabbert

Cover image: Sunny Studio/Shutterstock

First printing 2015

Printed in the United States of America

Unless otherwise indicated, Scripture quotations are from the ESV Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version), copyright 2001 by Crossway. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Scripture quotations marked HCSB have been taken from The Holman Christian Standard Bible. Copyright 1999, 2000, 2002, 2003 by Holman Bible Publishers. Used by permission.

All emphases in Scripture quotations have been added by the author.

Trade paperback ISBN: 978-1-4335-4548-1
ePub ISBN: 978-1-4335-4551-1
PDF ISBN: 978-1-4335-4549-8
Mobipocket ISBN: 978-1-4335-4550-4

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Reissig, Courtney, 1983

The Accidental Feminist : restoring our delight in God's good design / Courtney Reissig.

1 online resource

Includes bibliographical references and index.

Description based on print version record and CIP data provided by publisher; resource not viewed.

ISBN 978-1-4335-4549-8 (pdf) ISBN 978-1-4335-4550-4 (mobi) ISBN 978-1-4335-4551-1 (epub) ISBN 978-1-4335-4548-1 (tp)

1. WomenReligious aspectsChristianity. 2. FeminismReligious aspectsChristianity. I. Title.. I. Title.

BT704

2235dc23 201500885

Crossway is a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.

To Daniel,
my best friend, my greatest
supporter, and the love of my life.
Thank you for loving this accidental feminist.

Whenever I buy a book, I always turn to the acknowledgments page first. Call me sentimental, but I like to see how the relationships of the author aided his or her writing process. My story is no different. It took a mighty village to get this book to paper. In fact, this book wouldnt have been an idea if Owen Strachan had not planted the seed in my mind nearly four years ago. So thank you for the nudge, Owen. I would never have thought this book were possible if it werent for my wonderful agent, Erik Wolgemuth, and the entire team of Wolgemuth & Associates. Thank you for believing in my writing and working so hard for the books publication. My editors Dave DeWit and Tara Davis were a tremendous encouragement throughout the entire writing and editing process. If you read anything helpful in this book, it is owing to their editing expertise.