The Girl Who Baptized Herself

How a Lost Scripture About a Saint Named Thecla Reveals the Power of Knowing Our Worth

De: Meggan Watterson

Narrado por: Meggan Watterson

This riveting exploration of a nearly lost first-century scripture tells the story of a courageous saint named Thecla and offers us a road map to knowing our worth.

“Meggan Watterson writes with a prophet’s vision and a mystic’s heart.”—Arianna Huffington, founder and CEO, Thrive Global

A teenage girl named Thecla is sitting at her bedroom window listening to a man share stories nearby. Her mother and fiancé order her to stop. But Thecla, trapped in a world that expects her to marry and have children, refuses. This man, Paul, is talking about a world she wants to believe in: an inner world of freedom to define her own life. And he’s talking about a kind of love she hasn’t known before—a love that asks her to be true to who she is within.

For Meggan Watterson, a Harvard-trained feminist theologian, Thecla’s story in The Acts of Paul and Thecla has everything to do with power. Thecla’s refusal to be controlled, as well as the authority she reclaims by baptizing herself, reads like a lost gospel for finding our own source of power within—a power that allows us to know who we are and to make choices based on that knowing. This hidden scripture suggests that Christianity before the fourth century was about defying the patriarchy, not deifying it. But early church fathers excluded The Acts of Paul and Thecla, along with other sacred texts such as The Gospel of Mary, from the New Testament.

Watterson synthesizes scripture, memoir, and politics to illuminate a story that has been left out of the canon for far too long, one that follows a girl freeing herself from a life predicated on the expectations of others—a path that made her feel unworthy. Thecla’s story offers us a path to take back the power we often give to others and live based on the truth of who we are.

*Includes a downloadable PDF of additional resources from the book

PLEASE NOTE: When you purchase this title, the accompanying PDF will be available in your Audible Library along with the audio.

©2025 Meggan Watterson (P)2025 Random House Audio

Reseñas de la Crítica

“Watterson invites us to reclaim the parts of ourselves that we’ve been told to hide for centuries, reminding us of who we really are: holy, whole, and free.”—Elise Loehnen, New York Times bestselling author of On Our Best Behavior

“Now more than ever, we need this two-thousand-year-old story to remind us that our power is not in any external force, but within. And that it is with our own self-authority, our own self-blessing, and our own naked revolt to claim it. This isn’t a story; it’s a playbook.”—Holly Whitaker, New York Times bestselling author of Quit Like a Woman

“In Watterson’s telling, Thecla epitomizes ‘the ascendancy of the powerless.’ Watterson shares the message for the sake of other women who have not yet learned how to believe in themselves. There is an enduring appeal to this teenage saint’s story, someone written off by others who finds an unconditional source of love and power within herself.”—Sojourners

“Thecla’s story is a compelling road map for readers to live authentically and challenge the patriarchal norms that have silenced women’s voices for centuries. Watterson’s book illuminates a path to epiphanies and empowerment.”—Shannon Watts, founder of Moms Demand Action and author of Fired Up

Outstanding and Moving

This book is amazing and inspiring for any man or woman who has been brave enough to walk their own spiritual path or anyone who may be interested in learning different Christian perspective’s that are more equitable than the patriarchal perspective that has left our world off balance for centuries. Thank god for Meggan and her work that revives these important special stories and helps to rebalance the divine energies which humans have sent out of balance due to fear. 🙏

renewal

this is a wonderful author and teacher, learned so much h, a voice we all should hear

Brilliant!!!

I love the way Meggan’s words bring me deeper into my heart, into my soul, into my truth!

THANK YOU! THANK YOU! THANK YOU!

I never knew how I needed Thecla, but Spirit knew and led me to this book. The way you deliver this beautiful sermon on this amazing WOMAN. THANK YOU for all you have done for us. We all NEED to know Thecla and I personally needed to know how you have seen her bc you have freed so much within me with your poetic love for Thecla & Mary & ALL of us. Thank you.

It is Introspective and Reflective

Meggan Watterson’s *The Girl Who Baptized Herself* is a compelling and nuanced exploration of feminine spirituality, self-empowerment, and the quest for authentic divine connection. Watterson navigates the sacred landscape with scholarly rigor and poetic introspection, challenging conventional religious paradigms and inviting readers into a deeply personal journey of spiritual awakening.

At its core, the book functions as an introspective voyage that interrogates the cultural and theological constructs surrounding femininity and spirituality. Watterson employs a navigational approach—guiding readers through her own transformative experiences, historical discourses, and mythopoetic symbolism—creating a layered narrative that is as scholarly as it is empathetic. She meticulously excavates ancient wisdom, especially the Life of Mary Magdalene, weaving these threads into a modern tapestry that affirms the divine within the feminine experience.

One of the most insightful aspects of *The Girl Who Baptized Herself* is Watterson’s capacity to blend academic inquiry with personal narrative. Her reflections are richly textured, revealing a layered consciousness that grapples with the societal impositions on female spirituality. Her introspective tone invites readers to undertake their own journey of self-baptism—an act of reclaiming the sacredness of the human existence. Thecla is more real than ever (and for so long she wasn't).

I couldn’t put it down

This book is a must read for every woman who was raised in Christianity- it’s literally the rest of the story. Blew my mind and gave me a lot to think about!

Like a Powerful Mediation

I remember this story from her book Mary Magdalene Revealed when she shared a brief version of it there. I love the way that she expounded on every aspect of what we know about her and her powerful life. This whole book ends up being like a powerful meditation in personal agency, autonomy, and sovereignty. These are things I am reclaiming in my own life, so it was beautiful to hear this incredible story and all the insights around it.

This will be a book I cling to as I navigate a weary world.

Once again, Meggan’s teachings have lead me back to my own heart. She put to words what I have always known as truth. A deep bow of gratitude for her work and offerings.

The Matriarchy is returning

The Girl Who Baptized Herself by Meggan Watterson is a radiant and empowering book that brings to life the nearly forgotten story of Thecla, a young woman who claimed her own spiritual authority. With lyrical prose and profound scholarship, Watterson blends theology, memoir, and feminist vision to show how Thecla’s defiance of patriarchal control still speaks to us today. The book is both a historical reclamation and a spiritual guide, inviting readers to embrace their own worth and sovereignty. Watterson’s writing glows with passion, depth, and clarity, offering a call to radical self-love and authenticity. This is an inspiring, must-read work that resonates far beyond the realm of religious history.

I love how she intertwines 2 stories into one.

I enjoy her books so much! How I wished this was available as a child, my spirituality could have been so much more.