3 out of 4 stars
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Liberating Inner Eve by Bozena Zawisz is a manifesto written for women, providing guidance on finding self-acceptance and self-love in a world where women are frequently placed at a disadvantage. The author - a Catholic, and a therapist by trade - deconstructs the biblical story of Eve through the lens of modern psychology and a feminist perspective. She does not debate the validity of the story of Eve, nor does she attempt to assign a specific interpretation to it, but focuses rather on the message and its implications. She gives examples of scholars depicting Eve as an inferior being to Adam, as one more prone to sin, comparing these messages to real world instances of women being placed in socially inferior positions.
The author covers a range of women's issues, from extreme examples like rape, to more subtle ones like the disparity in leisure time available to men versus that available to women. Her argument includes the assertion that while Christian churches do not always emphasize the importance of self-care, that it is nonetheless a crucial element of loving one’s neighbor, and a skill more women need to develop. She also suggests that it would be beneficial to emphasize and popularize other interpretations of the story of Eve, such as one that highlights her role as the mother of all generations, and as a beloved creation of God.
This book provides useful cultural context to the passages from the Bible which, on first reading, appear to suggest that women are to be silenced, covered, or cleansed. The author explores concepts like guilt and shame, the hierarchical structures within some relationships, and other much-debated topics like wifely obedience. She does this sensitively, giving credence and respect both to the Christian faith and the writers of the passages she reviews, but also empowering the reader to recognize her own self-worth despite negative gender-based messages. The book is intended to reinterpret those messages and to help particularly those women who have internalized them to a detrimental degree, by providing guidance to help women to learn to treat themselves as worthy of care.
The book includes passages that share the author’s experiences as a counselor, and provide advice for women struggling with common relationship and self-esteem issues. Some of the techniques include suggestions about releasing expectations and judgements of others, and skills to help manage the intensity of our emotions. The author includes poems, Bible verses, inspirational quotes, mantras, and mindfulness exercises intended to put these suggestions to practice. Due to the multifaceted approach she took in compiling this collection, I believe this is a book that has something for everyone – even male readers seeking to understand the female perspective a little better. Though the book is clearly written from a Christian perspective, it is not overly preachy, and does not rely on a literal interpretation of the Bible to convey its message. In fact, the author does a superb job in being respectful to a wide range of readers.
I also appreciated that the suggestions in the book all work together in a holistic approach to self-care. There are practices for improving our personal outlook on life, techniques to improve communication with others, as well as an emphasis on caring for our physical/bodily needs and reducing stress. Because of her background in counseling, the author effectively identifies the most common manifestations of the negative messages experienced by women. As a result, her advice is very practical, relevant, and realistic in accounting for the experiences of many women today. Though her experience is largely in Australia, the examples she used related directly to my life as a woman in America, and I was surprised at how much of her writing seemed to be speaking directly to me.
There were no typos or grammatical errors that I noticed, however on page 38 of my electronic copy it appears that the wrong photo was inserted above one of the captions. The caption describes a statue of a Catholic saint in front of a building, yet the photo is a picture of a living young child (not a statue). Other than this, the only negative comment that I have is regarding the author’s initial assertion about the story of Eve. I very much believe her argument that women are often treated in discriminatory ways, and that many women have internalized negative messages about themselves. I also agree that the story of Eve has been interpreted by many historians and scholars in a light that sheds negativity on the female sex. However, I was not convinced that the story itself is responsible for the negative messages about women, which appears to be at least some of her claim. I do not perceive a direct link from the story to a sudden transformation in how women were treated by the society at large. Rather, I believe the story of Eve and its subsequent interpretations are simply a manifestation of each culture’s generalized concept of femininity and the difference between the sexes. Since the premise of the book centered around the concept that the story of Eve is crucial in shaping societal attitudes, and since I believe the author could have done a better job fleshing out this assertion, I am rating the book 3 out of 4 stars.
Regardless of this missing piece of the argument, the author nonetheless has put together a useful and informative self-help guide. While clearly targeted at Christian women, the book may still appeal to readers of other denominations who are able to keep an open mind, and are interested in learning more about this aspect of the female experience. Though it does not directly quote or endorse a feminist message, it does preach equality between the sexes and encourage women to pursue those practices and hobbies which enrich their own lives, which is consistent with the general tenants of feminism. Husbands and partners may also benefit from reading this book, as it may help them understand how to best relate to, support, and uplift the women in their lives.
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Liberating Inner Eve
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