Becoming Free Indeed

My Story of Disentangling Faith from Fear

By: Jinger Duggar Vuolo, Corey Williams

Narrated by: Jinger Duggar Vuolo

Length: 5 hrs and 49 mins

Publisher's summary

New York Times Bestseller

Read by the author.

Jinger Vuolo, the sixth child in the famous Duggar family of TLC's 19 Kids and Counting and Counting On, recounts how she began to question the unhealthy ideology of her youth and learned to embrace true freedom in Christ.

When Jinger Duggar Vuolo was growing up, she was convinced that obeying the rules was the key to success and God's favor. She zealously promoted the Basic Life Principles of Bill Gothard,

• fastidiously obeying the modesty guidelines (no shorts or jeans, only dresses),
• eagerly submitting to the umbrella of authority (any disobedience of parents would place her outside God's protection),
• promoting the relationship standard of courtship, and
• avoiding any music with a worldly beat, among others.

Jinger, along with three of her sisters, wrote a New York Times bestseller about their religious convictions. She believed this level of commitment would guarantee God's blessing, even though in private she felt constant fear that she wasn't measuring up to the high standards demanded of her.

In Becoming Free Indeed, Jinger shares how in her early twenties, a new family member—a brother-in-law who didn't grow up in the same tight-knit conservative circle as Jinger—caused her to examine her beliefs. He was committed to the Bible, but he didn't believe many of the things Jinger had always assumed were true. His influence, along with the help of a pastor named Jeremy Vuolo, caused Jinger to see that her life was built on rules, not God's Word.

Jinger committed to studying the Bible—truly understanding it—for the first time. What resulted was an earth-shaking realization: much of what she'd always believed about God, obedience to His Word, and personal holiness wasn't in-line with what the Bible teaches.

Now with a renewed faith of personal conviction, Becoming Free Indeed shares what it was like living under the tenants of Bill Gothard, the Biblical truth that changed her perspective, and how she disentangled her faith with her belief in Jesus intact.

©2023 Jinger Vuolo (P)2023 Thomas Nelson

Interesting

A little preachy but well done, finished in one work day. Nice insight into Christian cults

Very good book to help people leave the IBLP life.

I’ve watched and follow the Duggars for years as my own guilty reality tv pleasure so when Jinger announced this book, I put in my prequel order.

I never knew about the IBLP but to listen to her explain, it hurts my heart how she and so many others grew up emotionally abused by the absurd teachings.

This book follows Jingers life as a child, courting Jeremy, marriage and her children with personal experience and Bible verses. It’s a very good book for anyone who has strayed from Jesus as she leads with example on how good and pure he is based upon the Bible itself and not Gothard’s abusive ways.

I am a Jewish woman and found this book to be helpful for anyone of any religion take a step back from the theology they were taught and to look at it and examine it under a new eye.

I’ve given this book 5 starts for Overall, Performance and Story.

Excellent

I found her story incredibly relatable. I am so impressed by her ability to speak truth with such dignity and respect for the people she loves despite her clear liberation from the bondage they are still enslaved to. I not only learned alot about her story, I learned alot from her story. My eyes were open to a few things in my own life that I had been regarding as truth..when in fact I'm pretty sure, I was taught from a similar influence if not the influence of Gothard.

An Honest, Compassionate Spiritual Memoir

Jinger lovingly, compassionately disentangles her Christianity and her love of God and her family from false, non-biblical, teachings from the cult leader of her youth. She is very impressive in her ability to tell the truth of the often non-biblical teachings her parents raised her in, without judging or harshly criticizing her parents.
This book is not about her disgraced brother, but he is mentioned in the context of how false religious teachings promote hypocrisy and an attitude in some men that they can do anything they want and their wife and children should support and not question him. If there is a book to be written about how her brother brought down this famous family and hurt people, I would trust Jinger to write it.

What a blessing !!

This book was such a blessing to me while I came to Christ at the age of 27 never grew up in a church I found my self struggling with teachings that were taught to me by a religious uncle and as I came to faith I realized those teachings were err not the God of the Bible we cannot keep Gods law that’s why Christ had to die to do what we could not do pay the price we so deserve and set us free from the bondage of sin Thankyou for sharing your story I pray the Lord use it for his Glory and that many are saved because of it

Well done

This was a beautiful testimony of truly understanding what a relationship with Jesus should look like! I loved how Jinger learned to trust God's Word and not man made rules. She dives deep into understanding theology and doctrine. I loved it!

Full of Truth!

Love hearing of all good and true things coming from the Word of God! Jinger is so wise and a witness to His unfailing love and faithfulness.

So much to think about. So good.

Your book helped me evaluate my own relationship with Jesus. So much to think a about. Thank you.

Not What I Expected

As I listened to Jinger’s story lightbulb moments were happening for me. While I didn’t grow up home schooled or forced to adhere to the strict policies her family chose, I did attend an IBLP Conference when I was in high school. Thank you to Jinger for disentangling those principals. As I was listening, I realized where my own authoritarian views about God stemmed from and so much more of her story I could relate. Thankfully I too have found the real relationship that only Jesus can offer and am currently disentangling those previous teachings. Thank you Jinger!!

So relatable

I have much respect for Jinger in seeking to honor Jesus with her story. This book was well written and interesting. I love that it’s also read by her. We’ve homeschooled throughout our childrens’ lives and my husband has thankfully led our family in following Jesus only and not man made rules. I love that she honors and respects her parents while remaining true to God’s Word. Well done. Refreshing read and I’m sending to my adult daughters.