'Leave the community when you're menstruating and make all your own clothes': Blogger spends year following literal interpretations of the Bible’s rules for women
Rachel Held Evans embarked on her project to challenge evangelical leaders and advocate an increase of women within church leadership.
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.A blogger has spent a year living her life according to the strict rules of the Bible – including ‘submitting’ to her husband and making all of her own clothes.
Rachel Held Evans embarked on her project to live her life following literal interpretations of the Old and New Testament in order to challenge evangelical leaders and advocate an increase of women within church leadership.
While rules such as dressing modestly may not be too difficult to follow, the 31-year-old would have struggled a little more making all her own clothes and submitting to her 'master' husband.
And on the even more extreme end of rules, the 31-year-old Tennessee-based writer even had to remove herself from the community every time she had a period.
That rule, and several others related to menstruation, stem from the Biblical idea that a woman having a period is 'untouchable'.
During the days she was menstruating, Evans - who describes herself as a ‘liberated Christian’ - stayed away from church, carried a cushion to avoid sitting on chairs outside her home, didn’t touch her husband, and slept in a tent.
The blog-based project, which boasts over 100,000 readers a month, is now set to be turned into a book: 'A Year of Biblical Womanhood'.
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments