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Beyond Belief: The Secret Lives of Women in Extreme Religions
Beyond Belief The Secret Lives of Women in Extreme Religions Author:Cami Ostman (Editor), Susan Tive (Editor) Beyond Belief addresses what happens when women of extreme religions decide to walk away. Editors Susan Tive (a former Orthodox Jew) and Cami Ostman (a de-converted fundamentalist born-again Christian) have compiled a collection of powerful personal stories written by women of varying ages, races, and religious backgrounds who share one... more » commonality: they've all experienced and rejected extreme religions.
The stories reveal how these women became involved, what their lives were like, and why they came to the decision to eventually abandon their faiths. The authors shed a bright light on the rigid expectations and misogyny so often built into religious orthodoxy, yet they also explain the lure -- why so many women are attracted to these lifestyles, what they find that's beautiful about living a religious life, and why leaving can be not only very difficult but also bittersweet. Covering a wide range of religious communities -- including Evangelical, Catholic, Jewish, Mormon, Calvinist, Muslim, Moonie, Jehovah's Witness, and more -- Beyond Belief is a groundbreaking anthology that offers an eye-opening glimpse into real women's experiences in the throes of the rigorous faith and rituals of extreme religion.« less