Braving the Truth

“I think of Rachel’s bravery so often these days, especially when I’m writing about the world we find ourselves in… even as I sit down to write about her, I feel a prick of conscience, a little kick in the pants… could you be a little braver? Wouldn’t she?” — Shauna Niequist, New York Times bestselling author of Present Over Perfect”I don’t know how Rachel did it. Day after day, year after year, I watched her deepen and widen the definition of Christian.” — Glennon Doyle, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Untamed”Prophetic blogger and author Rachel Held Evans was not supposed to change the world, but she did.” — Lisa Sharon Harper, activist and author of The Very Good Gospel”Rachel was a woman of valor, nailing her proverbial theses to the digital church door and helping fuel much-needed reform.” — Matthew Vines, bestselling author of God and the Gay Christian”Rachel was this brilliant thinker with a backbone of steel and a heart of gold. I’d never encountered anyone like her and haven’t since…For every person who has responded to my leadership in their life toward a spiritual evolution, know there was a Rachel in mine first.” — Jen Hatmaker, New York Times bestselling author of For the Love“Rachel gave permission to an entire generation to quite simply tell the truth. She was a prophet in a cardigan, a friend to the misfits and wanderers, a hopeful voice, and an unrepentant questioner… If you want to understand the Church today, you need to understand Rachel Held Evans.” — Sarah Bessey, bestselling author of Field Notes for the Wilderness: Practices for an Evolving Faith“As a Potawatomi person, we are the firekeepers, and every day I think about the fire I carry, and ask how I can help others carry their fires, too. This is what Rachel Held Evans embodied for so many of us and continues to inspire in us today—a tending to the spiritual fire of our generation.” — Kaitlin Curtice, poet and author of Native: Identity, Belonging, and Rediscovering God

Rachel Held Evans (1981-2019) was the New York Times bestselling author of Inspired, Searching for Sunday, A Year of Biblical Womanhood, and Faith Unraveled. Rachel’s words about faith, doubt, and life were featured not only on her own blog but also in numerous publications, including the Washington Post, The Guardian, and the Huffington Post. She appeared on NPR, BBC, the Today show, and The View. She served on President Obama’s Advisory Council on Faith-Based and Neighborhood Partnerships. She lived with her husband and two children in Dayton, Tennessee.