I hadn't planned to share a review of Becoming Free Indeed by Jinger Duggar Vuolo as I'm largely unfamiliar with the Basic Life Principles and as I was not raised in this type of subculture. However, I still find it helpful to learn about the experiences of other Christians, so if you're in the same boat as me, this book will be a useful resource in better understanding what teachings the Duggar family practiced when they were filming their reality TV show. I also had someone ask on Goodreads if I would review this book, so that was a further prompt to share my thoughts.
Book Synopsis
Jinger Vuolo, the sixth child in the famous Duggar family of TLC's 19 Kids and Counting and Counting On, recounts how she began to question the unhealthy ideology of her youth and learned to embrace true freedom in Christ.
When Jinger Duggar Vuolo was growing up, she was convinced that obeying the rules was the key to success and God's favor. She zealously promoted the Basic Life Principles of Bill Gothard,
- fastidiously obeying the modesty guidelines (no shorts or jeans, only dresses),
- eagerly submitting to the umbrella of authority (any disobedience of parents would place her outside God's protection),
- promoting the relationship standard of courtship, and
- avoiding any music with a worldly beat, among others.
Jinger, along with three of her sisters, wrote a New York Times bestseller about their religious convictions. She believed this level of commitment would guarantee God's blessing, even though in private she felt constant fear that she wasn't measuring up to the high standards demanded of her.
In Becoming Free Indeed, Jinger shares how in her early twenties, a new family member—a brother-in-law who didn't grow up in the same tight-knit conservative circle as Jinger—caused her to examine her beliefs. He was committed to the Bible, but he didn't believe many of the things Jinger had always assumed were true. His influence, along with the help of a pastor named Jeremy Vuolo, caused Jinger to see that her life was built on rules, not God's Word.
Jinger committed to studying the Bible—truly understanding it—for the first time. What resulted was an earth-shaking realization: much of what she'd always believed about God, obedience to His Word, and personal holiness wasn't in-line with what the Bible teaches.
Now with a renewed faith of personal conviction, Becoming Free Indeed shares what it was like living under the tenants of Bill Gothard, the Biblical truth that changed her perspective, and how she disentangled her faith with her belief in Jesus intact.
Source: Amazon
Book Thoughts
This book was an eye-opening look at the type of teaching that the author grew up with. Not having been exposed to IBLP before, my heart broke for some of the things that people have gone through and some of the distortions of Scripture that have been used to justify harmful behaviours and ideology. It was helpful to learn about the impact that IBLP has had on everything from marriage to parenting to even a theological understanding of God. I appreciated that the author shared this information in an accessible manner without a tone of caustic bitterness, which made the book approachable as if listening to a podcast.
I also understand that there have been some Christians who have deconstructed and left the Christian faith as a result of this upbringing; however, it is refreshing when there are some Christians who have remained within the faith to try to spearhead change and help educate others about the dangers of faulty teaching. Readers who are interested in a closer biographical look at the Duggar family along with a biblical lens on life after IBLP will find this account of reconstructed Christian faith to be quite interesting.
Book Summary
- Format of book: 🎧
- Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
- Recommendation: 👍 if you are more familiar with this teaching
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