Unseduced and Unshaken

I just finished reading Unseduced and Unshaken: The Place of Dignity in a Young Woman's Choices by Rosalie DeRosset.

Every young woman should read this book. Parents of girls should read this book. In fact, any woman of any age could benefit from reading it.  This is an important book, written by a woman who not only teaches literature, but also counsels young women. She melds her knowledge of great literature with the practical problems of young women today to give lots of convicting food for thought.

The basic premise of the book is that theology should frame every decision that we make each day. Theology is defined as "knowledge of God and our opinions concerning God and man's relationship to God." DeRosset, a professor at Moody Bible Institute, asserts that so often we forget to allow our theology to permeate our lives and influence the decisions we make.

There is much richness here. I can't begin to describe all the thought-provoking concepts in this book. DeRosset talks about the importance of critical thinking, finding your voice (God created us as individuals!), knowing what you believe, listening to those who are older and wiser, traditions, history, and much more... of course, all of this is through the lens of literature! I know I am not the only one who gets excited about good books (although I don't know nearly as many voracious readers as I would like). If you love to read, you will love this book.

I really appreciate the honesty of DeRosset as she addresses the true issues at stake for young women today. She isn't afraid to talk about the nitty-gritty... there is no "glossing over" here. Something I've discussed with several friends lately is how there are some things that "NO ONE in the church talks about" and it NEEDS to be discussed! This book goes into those kinds of corners in such a way as to get you thinking. I'm not saying I agree with everything DeRosset says - on the contrary, I disagree wholeheartedly with some of it. However, I appreciated the opportunity to think through WHY I disagree. This book excited my intellect more than any I've read in a long while.

Just read it.

Update 7/30/2013 - I'm excited because I found DeRosset's recommended reading list! Also, although I haven't taken the time to listen to it yet, there is an audio recording of a talk she gave last year.  I'm linking up to Modern Mrs. Darcy's Best Book You've Never Heard Of post for this one!