A book review of Becoming Free Indeed: My Story of Disentangling Faith from Fear by Jinger Duggar Vuolo with Corey Williams
Stars: *****
Thomas Nelson (2024)
Christian Living/Personal Memoirs
240 pages
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Summary: 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.
Becoming Free Indeed
I used to watch The Duggar back BEFORE 19 Kids and Counting when it was only separate documentaries (14 Kids and Counting). I followed them as they transferred to their tv show 19 Kids and Counting but didn’t really watch them once they became Counting On. I loved reading and watching about big families, especially ones who did things differently than us. I didn’t understand that the teachings they were following weren’t fully biblical but based on made up rules as I wasn’t Christian at the time. (I am now.)
This book really opened my eyes to why The Duggars did things the way they did and why they felt God was convicting them to live that way. It’s unfortunate that some people (in this case Bill Gothard) take their influence and use it to bend the word of God.
There are lots of books where a Christian leaves their religion but this is NOT ONE OF THEM. Jinger is still very much a Christian but she has separated the teachings of Bill Gothard from what the Bible actually commands. Reading this book not only helped me understand The Duggars but also helped me learn more about the faith I’m still fairly new at.
I appreciate too that Jinger didn’t completely ignore her eldest brother Josh’s sin and mentions it in the book. She doesn’t go into detail or anything but she acknowledges that it’s there. This was a good read and makes me think hard about the life I’m living and if I’m truly following God’s word or not.
Buy Becoming Free Indeed from Amazon.com