PSA: I’m a cute Christian fat lady. I have a husband, kids, friends who ❤️ me. I image God in a fat body. Being fat is not a character flaw or insult, it’s a feature
To theobros who dismiss facts abt Elisabeth Elliots marriage cuz I talked about being fat: what’s your excuse now?
Do I intend to dethrone the queen of purity culture, Elisabeth Elliot?
Am I trying to soil the memory of a beloved evangelical matriarch?
Do I have some nefarious end? Am I just a “grifter” using a rumor to gain readers for myself?
No to all. 😜 🧵
I write stories about the real lives of women in the Christian church. If the truth is horrific, I tell that story because I understand that Jesus hates abuse and loves—and is the embodiment of—truth.
The third marriage of Elisabeth Elliot, as documented by two careful (more conservative than me!) scholars, involved abusive behavior, and that’s tragic. Period.
When I first got on twitter approx 5 lightyears ago, I thought I was here for memes and niche literary writing jokes. Turns out, twitter was always only the place to drop for the bombshell.
My weirdo arty dreams have shriveled and now I’m armoring up.
Thanks for sharing,
@scotmcknight
. The harm done to Elisabeth Elliot should be common knowledge.
Read the biographies in full if you want to learn more about this complex woman—by
@LucySRAusten
and Ellen Vaughn both contribute uniquely to scholarship on this topic. 👏🏼
I have a book coming out where I tell more stories of women and Christianity. I also ask a really hard question—if inerrancy isn’t the only way to read the Bible, then what? I also write about this lady. 😋
read about it—
So, a thought about Elisabeth Elliot:
One thing I want to be clear about is that no one deserves abuse, and being a famous author doesn't change that.
That said, I would have read her books very differently if I'd known she wasn't giving advice about how to have a passionate,
@sheilagregoire
Tbh, this bums me out. We’re still downing on breastfeeding? Really? I hope the trad wives in his congregation had something to say about that comment. 😅☠️
Scoring guide to see from a distance where a pastor is on the complementarian-egalitarian spectrum.
Did he quote, reference, or praise a woman in his sermon? 10 pts
Was it?
his wife: -10pts
his mom: -15pts
Elizabeth Elliott: -20pts
<0 = hard
0 = soft
>0 = egal
I know you all have heard of Elisabeth Elliot, but have you heard pf Isabel Crawford—deaf missionary to the Kiowa turned Indian rights advocate?!? I’m telling you, this woman os a true saint.
A prayer for a burning country:
Lord, may the bombs malfunction. May the soldiers revolt and admirals fall ill. May the funder economies crash. May the oppressor weep. May the dead haunt the living. May the orphans inherit the Earth.
O Lord, hear our prayer.
#ceasefire
@jazzybest2020
@William_E_Wolfe
@aimeebyrdPYW
Yes! Love that response! Get all the books! And yes women are complicated beings — Elliot is neither all bad nor all good. Like all of us. Praise God there is mercy available to all who ask.
What *I* Wish More People Knew About American Evangelicalism?
That it's not the only game in town, no matter what it claims.
That there are many other valid branches of Christianity, whole other traditions, imperfect in their own ways, but without the same hangups.
@MBurtwrites
@KaeleyT
Problem is, she meticulously journaled through her whole life and donated her journals to institutions, including journals *not available to the public.* Meaning she expected some journals not to be made public knowledge. It’s out of character for EE to burn any of her writings.
This is what I’m TALKING about. Anyone who stops what they’re doing RIGHT NOW to buy a book from a smart lady gets a free puppy! Lucy’s* buying!
(*not)
But buy her book anyway! 🕺🪩
So many thoughts coming off of Christian publishing’s conference of the year,
@ccfwgr
:
people > platform,
the quality of christian market writing has gone up (thank GOODNESS),
being IRL with people is incomparably better than paltry online interactions,
1/2
What do progressive Christians think of the Bible? I'm writing an article to answer that question.
Want to help me? Take 10 minutes to tell me about your relationship with the Bible.
When women talk about medical autonomy over our bodies, THIS is the present we’re contending with. (The history of medical for women is MUCH worse than this.)
The Federal government finally stepping in when state after state has declined to do so, despite the extensive practice of performing pelvic exams on unconscious women without consent, often during treatment for entirely unrelated conditions, for "training".
Thread...
Elisabeth Elliot was my hero when this picture was taken. Now I just feel a combination of anger and grief. Anger at her collaboration. Grief that she was trapped in the brainwashing and abuse she perpetuated.
A little boy in children’s church this morning came in the classroom and looked at me in AWE.
“Why are you wearing a long dress?” he said.
“Because I like it!” I said.
He thought for a minute and then said: “Are you…a queen?!” 😂
Welp, I hate to break it to you, but the biblical authors draws on other ancient literature for inspiration. So, you’re at least influenced by the Epic of Gilgamesh. 🤓
and books are heavier in overstuffed checked bags than you expect… 🤣
I’m delighted by how many genuine, lovely people I met. Truly. Especially weirdo creative writing pals (who I won’t tag cause there are too many and I’m demonstrative IRL)
Thank you for being yourselves!
2/2
@KEHManagement
@colinsmo
I disagree! I was heartbroken to read about the pain of Elliot’s later life. Please consider what the work of these unbiased biographers have uncovered.
What do Sen Britt’s “fundie baby voice” (
@piper4missouri
) + Beth Moore have in common? They both twisted themselves into knots to please the Christian patriarchy. 💔 Only,
@BethMooreLPM
got out.
More ways Christian women disguise their power from men—
OMG it's April and sunny and my grass is turning green and I spied a purple hyacinth blooming in my backyard. How does Spring always feel like ✨Narnian magic?✨
“And so look, I mean we’re never going to resolve this in terms of having a perfect SBC made up of perfect churches with perfect policies, but clearly we’ve got some issues that genuinely do need to be addressed” 🤢🤮
#ChurchToo
@NadyaWilliams81
@Current_Pub1
Thanks for sharing! I love that essay on Crawford so much. Another woman worthy of valorization, pls and thank you, American church! (And she was northern baptist 🤯)
from our church group chat feeling cute may get a whole back of these lick the bag and stick them to people's foreheads on Wednesday nah j/k don't tell my bishop ope
@kkdumez
@rickpidcock
Side thought: Kristin, you are a real life delight. It was so fun to meet you at Lisa’s party and talk about Elliot in person! Thanks for that.
@aimeebyrdPYW
This all feels so personal to me. I was directly impacted by this. I read her, listened to her, loved her. Pastors and others I looked up to encouraged me to take her teaching to heart and I did. She gave meaning to my suffering and she strengthened me to "fight
@LizCharlotteG
BBN broadcasts GTJ at 11:15 AM weekdays. Friday 2/2 episode Q&A
#1
(The Omnipotence of Love
#5
) she is asked about what to do if suffering from abusive behavior. She said “I think you should bear it”. Hope you can find this episode somewhere. BBN only keeps it available 6 days
Trees are time travelers. “Trees are an invitation to think about time and to travel in it the way they do, by standing still and reaching out and down.” via
@brainpicker
Things that should be banned before TikTok:
1. Presidential candidates over 75
2. The color beige
3. April winter storms
4. Complaining about yoga pants
5. The SBC
6. Movies from Bible times where everyone looks European
7. Candy corn
8. X
I too have grieved the lives & voices of a mom, aunts & grandmothers, crushed - literally & figuratively - by male expectations, abuse & violence. The weight of it renders me bereft.
This
@LizCharlotteG
piece made me weep for the women of my own family.
@dawidayim
@_nomadic_soul
Agreed. My fave thing somebody who know LG wrote about him: “Lars has his own sad story that brought him to this place. And he could have had a much-happier love-filled life.” That’s the tragedy for abusers—it did not have to be that way.
"...the lack of institutional viability and support is palpable. Major streams that watered the literary and artistic ecosystem of the American church seem to be drying up all at once." 1/3
"Pastor is hopeful. 'There is a new generation producing absolutely remarkable work...' A century from now, he predicted, ours will be remembered 'as a renewal moment in Christian literature. And all of us get to participate in it.'"
Glad to share this.
@LucySRAusten
They’re such curious beings. Did you know that chickens can count to four? And remember faces? And that they do a “roll call” of their flock when they roost at night?
I want a bird brain! (
@courtneyellis
knows what I’m talking about. 😋)
Curious Reads: A Pro-Life Vote Isn't Pro-Life Enough
I am pro-life. And I found this story of a down-and-out family denied an abortion heartbreaking and enraging. Take a few minutes in another person’s life and sit with this story.
I have worked in innovating food security for a local elementary school, and I will tell you that providing kids with lunch and breakfast over the summer is ESSENTIAL for the food insecure. This is deeply troubling.
Oklahoma is opting out of a new federal summer food program aimed at reducing childhood hunger that could have benefitted more than 400,000 children in the state this year.