You Are Your Own

A Reckoning with the Religious Trauma of Evangelical Christianity

By: Jamie Lee Finch

Narrated by: Jamie Lee Finch

Length: 3 hrs and 22 mins

Publisher's Summary

Rooted in her experiences growing up in an evangelical Christian family, Jamie Lee Finch’s You Are Your Own offers an overview of evangelicalism and the painful confusion and anxiety experienced under its demands. 

Finch explores the mechanisms of trauma and how fundamentalist denominations match the patterns connected with PTSD. She elaborates on the doubt, guilt, fear, and grief that haunt those leaving the evangelical faith and offers an approach to help them recover healthy self-worth and resilience.

A socio-historical autobiographical analysis of evangelical Christianity's religious trauma, You Are Your Own emerges from Finch's reconnaissance on her own life - her journals, stories, trauma - and offers advocacy for everyone harmed by fundamentalist faith.

Jamie Lee Finch is a sexuality and embodiment coach, intuitive healer, self-conversation facilitator, sex witch, and poet. You can learn about Jamie’s work at JamieLeeFinch.com

©2019 Jamie Lee Finch (P)2019 Jamie Lee Finch

great content.

content is great. I'd suggest a physical copy of the book over the audio.

Could have been better

I really like Jamie Lee Finch and the work that she does. I've listened to many podcasts she has been on and read some of her poetry. This book was good, but I suppose I was expecting it to be a breakthrough. It was a lot of what I have heard elsewhere from other people, and it seemed less personal and more conceptual.

The reading was almost unbearable. I like when writers read their own books because you get a lot of the emotion and emphasis you don't get when someone other than the author reads them. There wasn't any of that in this recording. It sounded like she was reading an essay that she had never seen nor wanted to read.

Still worth reading in my opinion, but not as good as I'd hoped.

Puts words to unspeakable experiences

I grew up Evangelical. I didn't suffer any overt abuses in my 25 years in the church. But even years later, I am still unearthing problems I can trace back to those core beliefs. Jamie Lee Finch's work gives context to my experience, offers terms and explanations to its many effects, and - most importantly - she shows me I'm not alone.

[I also highly recommend listening to her podcast appearances to hear her in a less formal setting]

Insightful and vulnerable

Jamie Lee spends the early part of this book accounting her experiences which set a mirror for the reader to gaze into and draw parallels from. I feel that every American at least should read or listen to her journey. I can not recommend it enough for how this book has helped our family.

A very lovely and vulnerable exploration of the ways in which faith can be used to harm others.

I picked up this audio book after Jamie was on the Good Christian Fun podcast and I am so glad I found it.

I grew up Catholic. And while my family may not have been especially devoted or evangelical about our faith, it had meant a lot to me for many years. I was lucky enough to be in an environment where most people were very encouraging about how God was loving and did not emphasize any angry and faithful sky father who got upset easily. (Even if I did end up with the Catholic guilt complex)

However, some people I knew personally were not so lucky. I sometimes brushed with that angry, controlling God in how they interacted with the world or in how their family dynamics played out. Where questioning something meant questioning God's divinity and righteousness and that could not be allowed.
I also remember how they tried to pull others in an attempt to "save" them. Including me. The anxiety induced by their faith was contagious and sometimes I was afraid like they were over how I worshipped and how I would be going to hell.

Jamie does an excellent job laying out this experience as someone who lived this life first hand.

Her story resonates as it describes how some retreat into faith to find love and community that they are not receiving elsewhere, specifically those who may be experiencing other sources of trauma like abuse. She also makes it clear that some of these churches can keep this cycle going.

She writes beautifully and the audio brings that out. It is a definite recommendation from me to those who are trying to cope with trauma and the role in which faith may play in that trauma.

Groundbreaking

Jamie’s work is groundbreaking. This work could not be more timely. Her reading of the text is soothing and calm. The opposite of typical dialogue around this subject matter. Jamie names Evangelical Christianity for what it is while simultaneously creating a space for the reader to listen to their body, come to a deeper understanding of what their body is saying, and to then act autonomous from the authoritarian structures that have ruled over the wonder and goodness of the human experience for so long. Jamie’s work is a paradigm shift. To Jamie and those involved in this work. Thank you.

perfect

loved it. it was quick and informative. just what I needed at this moment

❤❤❤❤

Epic !!! Such a very needed book !!!
I just finished listening to it,
and I already cannot wait to listen to it again !!!
Jamie, you did such an awesome job of reading
your book to us ... granting dignity and respect to such an intense and sensitive topic . Not an easy task ....
Thank you !! 🌹~Judith Stauffer

A Must Read For Anyone Who Grew Up Like Me

I have been looking for something that really connects with me and understands what I can’t. This book was an eye-opener. Her story was told in such a way that made me finally identify with the things holding me back. She’s gentle, yet straightforward, and she clearly surrounds her arguments with supporting context that solidified the validity of her story. I highly recommend for anyone who grew up in a strict religious household; especially if you grew up Evangelical/Fundamentalist Christian.

Outstanding, pertinent, invaluable

Music to my ears, exceedingly validating — Loved it, listened on audible, but will also buy the paperback. Highly recommending to anyone who has suffered from the installation of false & toxic evangelical teachings.