Evolving in monkey town

Eighty years after the scopes monkey trial made a spectacle of christian fundamentalism and brought national attention to her hometown, rachel held evans faced a trial of her own when she began to have doubts about her faith. I think that was a better title, because it seemed to me that her faith didnt so much i was only vaguely aware of rachel held evans and her books until she died, tragically and suddenly, just two weeks ago. Its the personal story of how evans, who grew up in the thick of evangelical fundamentalism, went. Rachel held evans, author view more by rachel held evans. Evolving in monkey town is rachel held evans memoir about growing up in dayton, tennessee, home of the infamous scopes monkey trial. Evolving in monkey town quotes showing of 93 my interpretation can only be as inerrant as i am, and thats good to keep in mind.

Jim palmer, author of divine nobodies with evolving in monkey town, rachel held evans steps onto the stage as a gifted writer, an honest storyteller, and a compelling voice in the christian community. Rachel held evans narrates a relatively brief summary of the scopes trial in dayton, tennessee, for those who dont know that story. Evolving in monkey town paperback how a girl who knew all the answers learned to ask the questions. Her description of her sneaking doubts about the goodness of god in the face of suffering resonate with our own cries and those of many psalmists and prophets. Eighty years after the scopes monkey trial made a spectacl. In a changing cultural environment where new ideas threaten the safety and security of the faith, evolving in monkey town is a fearlessly honest story of survival.

I think that was a better title, because it seemed to me that her faith didnt so much i was only vaguely aware of rachel held evans and her books until. Rachel held evans evolving in monkey town is a piece of narrative theology, a spiritual coming of age memoir of how a young woman schooled in a bastion of christian conservatism. So if youve been putting off getting a copy, consider doing it today. Evolving in monkey town evolving in monkey town audiobook, by rachel held evans. Raised a diehard fundamentalist on the buckle of the bible belt, where the local culture and christianity were one and the same, evans began to wonder about the tidy package of ideas she had been handed.

The book, evolving in monkey town, was written by rachel held evans, a young women not yet thirty. Some parts of held evans background resonated with me and reminded me of my own childhood, but overall i never felt like i completely connected with her in a way that made me enjoy reading her story as much as i. Evolving in monkey town air force digital media program. Scopes was found and the trial took place in the heat of that summer. Evolving in monkey town seems to be a christian tale for christians. The back cover of evolving in monkey town describes how the author, rachel held evans, has moved on her own spiritual journey from certainty through doubt to belief. So read along, as i have added a few thoughts of my own, grab your own copy of the book which is even currently on sale, and prepare to connect to a story that might just be pretty similar to. Something that surprised me in reading evolving in monkey town was the frequent mention of apologetics. About a month ago, i had the opportunity to read rachel held evans first book evolving in monkey town. How a girl who knew all the answers learned to ask the questions adds a unique perspective to the ongoing dialogue about postmodernism and the church that has so captivated the christian community in recent years. Rachel held evans is brilliant, gutsy, real, and hilarious, and evolving in monkey town impacted my spiritual journey in ways i never imagined.

Scopes, was accused of violating tennessees butler act, which had made it unlawful to teach human evolution in any statefunded school. Monkey town primate centre, located on the n2 in somerset west is a wildlife centre for monkeys and apes as well as a large variety of other species of animals. Dayton acquired the name, monkey town a play on evolutions assertion that humans are just a short genetic hop from primates. Published by zondervan, it is the singular experience of an honest person raised within a christian culture who no matter what steps she makes away from that upbringing. Evolving in monkey town, for me, was a moving and nostalgic read.

Evolving in monkey town its a sure sign of gods grace that he would put a journalist with the heart of a poet in a town like dayton, tennessee. How a girl who knew all the answers learned to ask the questions by rachel held evans grand rapids, mi. Evolving in monkey town is a wonderfully written autobiographical sketch that highlights rachel held evans journey from faith, to doubt, to faiths rediscovery. But i identified with her writing at so many places that i wondered if i had written this in some parallel universe. When i discovered evolving in monkey town, i was drawn to it. The original title of this book before it was reissued, was evolving in monkey town. Monkey town is not just a primate centre but also a wildlife centre. Evans writes in an open and refreshingly honest style. The book feels more like a conversation at a coffee shop with a friend. John thomas scopes and commonly referred to as the scopes monkey trial, was an american legal case in july 1925 in which a high school teacher, john t. Its been nine months since the release of evolving in monkey town, and ive been profoundly encouraged by the response ive received from. How a girl who knew all the answers learned to ask the questions, by rachel held evans, zondervan, 2010, 232 pp. How a girl who knew all the answers learned to ask the questions is a memoir of rachel held evans and her journey to answer the essay questions of life and christianity. Evolving in monkey town follows the faith journey of author rachel held evans, who, as the daughter of a bryan college professor, was raised on conservative christian doctrine while growing up in.

How a girl who knew all the answers learned to ask the questions by rachel held evans. For those reasons evolving in monkey town was a personally enthralling read, drawing me in from the earliest pages as i saw much of my own experience reflected in the one being portrayed. How a girl who knew all the answers learned to ask the questions is a memoir of rachel held evans and her journey to. Evolving in monkey town quotes by rachel held evans.

Evolving in monkey town christian educators journal. In honor of author rachel held evans completion of her latest book on the church coming to bookstores and smart tablets this fall and the rerelease of her bestseller evolving in monkey town zondervan, 2010, now titled faith unraveled, here is my interview from june 20 with one of the most important voices on matters of faith, belief, and justice. It brought back many fond memories of vbs and sunday school zacchaeus was a wee little man, and a wee little man was he. Evolving in monkey town group discussion guide rachel held. I first encountered rachel held evans when several of her blog posts received dozens of shares in my facebook news feed. Book trailer for the memoir evolving in monkey town by rachel held evans zondervan, july 2010. Evolving in monkey town rachel held evans a wonderful. The trial was many things and both sides think they won.

Not megans secretsthough i sent the final copy to my publisher. Eighty years after the scopes monkey trial made a spectacle of christian fundamentalism and brought national. Evolving in monkey town is a story of spiritual survival that challenges readers to reassess their approach to christianity in the context of a postmodern environment, where knowing all the answers isnt as important as truly asking the questions. Evolving in monkey town king county library system. Evangelical apologetics according to rachel held evans.

There are more than 250 primates and 26 different exotic species of monkeys and apes including tammy, ruby, and sunny, our famous chimp sisters. If you follow rachels blog or twitter account youll have noted that jana and i were in dayton last. How a girl who knew all the answers learned to ask the questions. Evolving in monkey town by rachel held evans overdrive. And the home of our dear friend rachel held evans, bestselling author of evolving in monkey town now faith unraveled, a year of biblical womanhood and the forthcoming searching for sunday. Eventually, most of what she has known comes crashing down around her, leaving her to sort through the pieces and reevaluate what being a jesusfollower is all about. Rachel held evans author rachel held evans narrator publisher. In evolving in monkey town, rachel held evans recounts her experiences growing up in dayton, tennessee, a town that epitomized christian fundamentalism during the scopes monkey trial of 1925.

The scopes trial, formally known as the state of tennessee v. With fearless honesty, evans describes how her faith survived her doubts and challenges readers to reimagine christianity in a postmodern context, where. Its been nine months since the release of evolving in monkey town, and ive been profoundly encouraged by the response ive received from those of you who see your own stories reflected in its pages ive been meaning to blog through each chapter, and now seems like a good time. On my flight home to visit family in tennessee two weeks ago i decided to finally read rachel held evans first book evolving in monkey town i have read rachels blog pretty regularly for a while now and have frequently found it to be a refreshing perspective sympathetic to my own relationship to the evangelicalism i grew up with, so i was excited to finally read this.