Books about Fundies/Reading List

[xDreamerx]

I thought there was a thread about this, but I can't seem to find it. Was it on the old board? I wanted to read more books about the movement. But I wondered, is it a if I've read one I've read them all kind of situation? It's only a 20-30 year old movement how much can be said about it?

[Little_Eyes]

I was just thinking about asking for a reading list thread! How neat. My suggestions:

Pro Quiverfull:

The Way Home and All the Way Home by Mary Pride

Apparently started the homeschool/quiverfull movement but recently decried the patriarchy in an article on homeschool world.

Anti-Quiverfull:

Quiverfull Kathryn Joyce

One of the only books I've really read by a critic of the movement. It gave a great overview of how all the groups related, if I recall correctly. I liked it, and it made me see the whole thing in a new light.

It's not much, but it's a start. Here's to hoping you get more replies xDreamerx.

[FireIsCatching89]

Quiverfull is an excellent read! One of my faves about the movement.

Other good resources include God's Harvard by Hanna Rosin, The Unlikely Disciple by Kevin Roose, Write These Laws on Your Children by Robert Kunzen, and Rightous by Lauren Sandler. I have Rapture Ready by Daniel Radoush and In the Land of Believers by Gina Welch on my Amazon wishlist right now, so I'll give updates when I've gotten my hands on them.

Documentaries (they're not books, I know, but I am a total docu junkie): Jesus Camp is great, of course, and Lake of Fire is a really good doc about evangelical pro-life activists. The BBC has done some excellent documentaries on WBC and has a docu called The Virgin Daughters about the purity movement and one about a British fundie fam called Deborah 13: Servant of God. The BBC is great for this sort of stuff, in my opinion.

For those interested in the FLDS, there are toooooons of books, but of the ones I've read, I enjoyed Carolyn Jessops' books the best.

[xDreamerx]

In terms of books I've only read Joyce's book. In terms of movies/docs (I'm a comelete junkie as well). I've seen all of the ones you mentioned, except Lake of Fire. I'll give that a whirl. Maybe we can get a list going. I was thinking of reading Kingdom Coming: The Rise of Christian Nationalism next. I can't think of the author but if you google it, it'll pop up.

[GenerationCedarchip]

I haven't read it yet, but I suspect Quivering Daughters by Hillary mcFarland would be a good resource.

For pro-quiverfull books, Mary Pride is a good start. Other books the QF crowd love are Be Fruitful and Multiply by Nancy Campbell, Family UNplanning by Craig Houghton, A Full Quiver by Rick Hess or Passionate Housewives Desperate for God by Jennie Chancey and Stacey "Persecuted One" McDonald.

[tehgoobster]

I recommend Crazy for God by Frank Schaeffer. He grew up as fundie royalty, but he eventually broke away as an adult. How his family portrayed itself/was portrayed was different from how they actually were, so he offers an interesting perspective on what life could be like for some of the fundie royal families we talk about here.

[fundyduddy]

You can't forget created to be his helpmeet and train up a child by the pearls.

[Little_Eyes]

I was thinking about this thread, and I cannot think of this documentary title. Maybe you can help me? It follows the courtship/engagements of several fundie couples... I can't remember more.... Sorry. Any hints?

Edited to add:

I found it in my favorites folder... It's called To Be One, sometimes Two Be One. Seems really interesting...

[GenerationCedarchip]

I was thinking about this thread, and I cannot think of this documentary title. Maybe you can help me? It follows the courtship/engagements of several fundie couples... I can't remember more.... Sorry. Any hints?

Edited to add:

I found it in my favorites folder... It's called To Be One, sometimes Two Be One. Seems really interesting...

That does sound interesting. I have to admit that part of me almost wants to watch Return of the Daughters to see what this SAHD life is supposed to be all about. There are some parts of fundie life I understand from having lived in it, but the SAHD movement seems to be a very new thing.

However, I don't want my $$ going to Vision Forum or the Botkins so I've not bought a copy.

[tehgoobster]

That does sound interesting. I have to admit that part of me almost wants to watch Return of the Daughters to see what this SAHD life is supposed to be all about. There are some parts of fundie life I understand from having lived in it, but the SAHD movement seems to be a very new thing.

However, I don't want my $$ going to Vision Forum or the Botkins so I've not bought a copy.

Have you read So Much More? I bought that bad boy used on Amazon.com. It's ... interesting.

[Rosa]

The Pearls' To Train Up a Child - I've bought 2 copies at thrift stores, to keep them out of susceptible hands, but not managed to read very far in.

FLDS/Church of the Lamb:

Shattered Dreams, Irene Spencer

Favorite Wife, Susan Ray Schmidt (both Irene & Susan were wives of Ervil LeBaron, now Baptists)

Susan Ray Schmidt is in a film called Lifting the Veil, as well - http://susanrayschmidt.com/

Escape, Carolyn Jessop

Stolen Innocence, Elissa Wall (this one to me is the least well written, the bland ghostwriter seems to have really flattened out Walls' voice)

Church of Lies, Flora Jessop - this one has a heavily present ghostwriter as well but Flora Jessop shines through, very honest and angry

When Men Become Gods, Warren Singular - this is about the case against Warren Jeffs, gives a lot of credit to all the women who brought cases against hte church and to Flora Jessop for her antipolygamy work. Not a memoir, very thorough though I think politically odd.

[Rosa]

Abusive parents posing as fundies, who adopt interracially and make all the kids lives hell and THEN send them to teen indoctrination camp:

Jesus Land, Julia Scheeres

Amazing fucking book. Not to be read if you're having a bad day already.

[FireIsCatching89]

ZOMGAH! Can't believe I forgot Jesus Land! One of my favorite memiors ever, simply because it's so good. Also good for those interested in "troubled teen" schools and bootcamps.

Watched the trailer on youtube for To Be One. It's...interesting. As in I get a creeper vibe from a couple of those guys. Ughhhhh. I kinda want to see the whole thing, but I have an aversion to vomiting, so I might take a rain check on that one.

[contrary]

Jesus Land was great.

Another i really really enjoyed was Salvation on Sand Mountain, by Dennis Covington. He's a legit journalist who researched the snake handlers in southern appalachia, and manages to be critical and sympathetic at the same time.

[GenerationCedarchip]

Have you read So Much More? I bought that bad boy used on Amazon.com. It's ... interesting.

I found SMM at the Goodwill along with Joyfully at Home and bought them both. Haven't had a chance to read either, though.

[marmalade]

Beat me to Jesus Land. I've met Julia once. Her hubby (HOT HOT HOT!!!) was one of my history professors when I went back to school and needed to fill A TON of gaps in my undergrad (long story).

Anyway, they are about as far from fundie as you can get. Great people. Heck, one day I may go back to that CC and take another history class for the hell of it, just so I can stare at Tim for 3 hours a week. Hopefully, by then, he's gotten a full professorship somewhere; he'd just finished his PhD maybe a year prior when I knew them.

[Little_Eyes]

Yeah, I got creeper vibes from some of the guys too. As an aside, I think you can get it without VF profiting. Or at least you don't have to buy it directly from them but I could be wrong. The only place I saw it for sale was here: http://www dot tobeonevideo dot com/ or used on Amazon.

I also heard Homeschool Dropouts is worth seeing.

[Terrie]

Another documentary would be Hell House (it's on Netflix) about one of those churches which use pseudo-Halloween Haunted House to convert people. Instead of monsters, it's people who die due to being gay, or having an abortion or suicide (usually cursing Jesus as they do so) and end up in hell. What gives it depth and makes it more interesting is one of the guys profiled is a single father of four kids, two with special needs, who is single because his wife left him.

[deelaem]

Brent Jeffs' "Lost Boys" gave a perspective on the FLDS from a boy. They suffered a lot of sexual, physical and mental abuse as well. The book does have a ghost writer, but I think that's necessary given the limited education the FLDS escapees have.

ETA: A friend and I once walked up and down in front of a Hell House chanting "Witches Rule" and "Blessed Be!" It was tons of fun. :P

[xDreamerx]

Another documentary would be Hell House (it's on Netflix) about one of those churches which use pseudo-Halloween Haunted House to convert people. Instead of monsters, it's people who die due to being gay, or having an abortion or suicide (usually cursing Jesus as they do so) and end up in hell. What gives it depth and makes it more interesting is one of the guys profiled is a single father of four kids, two with special needs, who is single because his wife left him.

I saw it! it was totally messed up. It annoyed me to see the father "laying hands" on his son who was having a seizure. I mean he called 911, but once they arrived the little boy was no longer seizing and he credited Jesus for it. :x

[silvia]

American Fascists: The Christian Right and the War on America by Chris Hedges. Really good analysis as well as some great reported scenes (at the Creation Museum, etc.) It's on Kindle too.

[GeoBQn]

Anti-"When Prayer Fails: Faith Healing, Children, and the Law" by Shawn Francis Peters

About the history of faith healing in the United States and cases of children dying from it.

Pro-"The Surrendered Wife" by Laura Doyle

A relationship advice book on how you can get a happy marriage by completely deferring to your husband. The author's not a fundie, but it might as well be a textbook for them.

[silvia]

Oh, and Born Again by Kelly Kerney: http://www.amazon.com/Born-Again-Kelly- ... 0156031450 . A funny fictional read about a fundie girl's coming-of-age escapades, including waging a campaign against premarital sex, cutting her underwear into thongs, and reading On the Origin of Species in secret.