From Risk to Resilience: How Empowering Young Women Can Change Everything

In this concise yet far-reaching volume, Armstrong (Don’t Hide Your Light Under a Laundry Basket), teaching pastor at Darrow Road Wesleyan Church in Superior, Wis., eloquently advocates for better societal and theological treatment of women, beginning with Christian churches. The concepts throughout the book are introduced with personal anecdotes, drawing from Armstrong’s experiences growing up in Liberia and the United States, as well as her work as a pastor and with girls in East Africa. Highlights include her analysis of the plight of teenage girls in Africa, who face extreme logistical challenges to education, and her diagnosis of the modesty obsession she believes currently dominates many contemporary Christian communities. Always grounded in firsthand experiences and a wealth of statistics, Armstrong’s critiques are trenchant and engaging. She also provides biblical stories to theologically reinforce her arguments that women deserve greater empowerment. With lean, practical prose, she easily demonstrates the Bible’s message of equality and the deep influence of women on the history of Christianity. For anyone invested in uplifting girls and women around the world, Armstrong provides practical tips for getting involved. For readers not yet invested in her cause, Armstrong’s passion and convincing will be a clarion wake-up call. (Aug.)