Girl, Arise!

I’ll say first of all that I’m a man who, while disliking labels, would be thought of by the Catholic community as, well, Protestant. Claire Swinarski’s book is me trying to broaden my horizons by reading Girl, Arise! which is effectively a full on attempt at a Catholic Feminist manifesto. I say ‘full on’ because the author doesn’t mess about but jumps straight in to argue for the freeing of Catholic women from more traditional roles in the church, and, how can I put it, let them loose to effect change in the world. It reads like a rallying cry to light the fires of “moxie” (energy, determination etc) in the lives of Catholic women. The trouble with lighting fires of “moxie” is that people can be swept along on a tide of emotional energy only to find this extinguished when that initial energy fades. However, I think Swinarski avoids this danger by rooting her feminist theology in the Bible with multiple examples of women in the Old and New Testaments...and in Apocryphal books Protestants would consider non-canonical. There is much to learn here if one is willing to listen. I was particularly taken with Swinarski’s way of dealing with the Apostle Paul and his frequently considered hostility towards woman. Swinarski highlights the cultural and temporal meaning of some of Paul’s views. It is a very fair reading of Paul although the author does say she’d rather deal with Job than Paul (a sentiment probably shared by many)! I found the book thoroughly engaging and would like to revisit it after the dust has settled on a first reading. Swinarski sounds a bit like a civil rights leader or a firecracker which you let loose then stand back and expect a hard hitting fireworks display (which is delivered) but that’s no bad thing. I suspect Paul would very much like Swinarski. I’ve already stated I dislike labels and while I understand the use of the phrase “Catholic feminist” I would have preferred these arguments (battle cries?) to simply come under the banner of ‘living for Jesus’. At the end of the day I don’t think Swinarski would disagree with that. Apparently the author has a podcast and I’ll be intrigued to listen to it now. Recommended reading, primarily presumably for Catholics but others traditions will benefit as well, I did.

Thanks to NetGalley and Ave Maria Press for ARC.

Claire Swinarski writes like a hard-hitting, no-nonsense, but very bubbly cheerleader. While that voice isn't really my cup of tea (honestly, I felt so OLD at 32 while reading this), I think it's a very needed voice in the Catholic Church, in the world of feminism, and in the world as a whole! She writes powerfully of the need for standing up for women, loving ourselves and others, and fulfilling our mission to serve the world, while gracefully acknowledging that such service is going to look different for everyone. I particularly appreciated her section on being a pro-life feminist, which offered some concrete challenges to those on either side of the debate. (Abortion is a symptom of a problem--a grievous lack of respect and help for women--not the solution...but similarly, an end to that symptom still won't solve the problem, so pro-life activists must challenge themselves to help women much, much more.)
Altogether, GIRL, ARISE was powerful, thoughtful, and honest, and I'd definitely recommend it to anyone who likes a good dose of sass with their inspirational reads.

I really liked this book! I was excited to get a chance to review a copy through NetGalley. Even though I didn't have to leave a good review, I was already a fan of the author based on her podcasts and postings on social media. This book helps women reconcile their place within the Catholic church. Can you be a Catholic and a feminist at the same time? Yes! This book explains how and why. The conversational style made for a quick and easy read. It does seem a bit more geared toward millennials and I'm outside the demographic, but I still enjoyed it. I would recommend this for anyone who feels left out of the usual Catholic spaces or who thinks they aren't the "right" kind of Catholic. It encourages you to be your real self and find your tribe. Everyone is welcome!

IF feminism and Catholicism can be mixed this is how you do it.

A very nice read, very eye-opening, and transformative.