The rest of Notess’s text is composed of twenty-two women’s reflections on their faith experiences which both conform to Christian, Evangelical stereotypes and simultaneously break them. Notess defines what an “un-testimony” is in her introduction of this text, saying that it “is an unruly story, a story that refuses to conform to a simple before-and-after pattern,” and that it “is the story of a journey that is not necessarily linear, may not have a tidy resolution, and may not lead to an earth-shattering change in our beliefs” (xii). Jesus Girlsworks on the assumption that not everyone’s testimony fits into the cookie-cutter mold established by our predecessors such as the Apostle Paul, Saint Augustine, and John Newton. Hannah Faith Notess’s Jesus Girls: True Tales of Growing Up Female and Evangelical is a collection of twenty-two women’s “un-testimonies” of growing up in a variety of religious environments which could all be characterized as Christian and Evangelical. Together this collection of essays provides a vivid and diverse portrait of life in the evangelical church, warts and all.Don’t raise your hand. Along the way they find insight in the strangest places-the community swimming pool, Casey Kasem's American Top 40, and an Indian mosque.

Whether they stayed in the church or not, evangelicalism has shaped their spiritual lives.Įschewing evangelical cliches, idyllic depictions of Christian upbringing, and pat formulas of sinner-to-saint transformation, these writers reflect frankly on childhoods filled with flannel board Jesuses, Christian 'rap' music, and Bible memorization competitions. In these offbeat, witty, and often bittersweet essays, up-and-coming writers tell the truth about growing up female and evangelical. What happens if you don't have such a testimony? What if your story just doesn't fit the before-and-after mold? What are you supposed to do if your voice is not one usually heard? From an early age you are expected to have a 'testimony,' a story of how God saved you from a life of sin and sadness and gave you a new life of joy and gladness. Evangelicals are supposed to be experts at telling their story.

Jesus Girls by Hannah Faith Notess