Women Rising – Learning to Listen, Reclaiming Our Voice

Fresh out of college, hating her job, and searching for meaning, Meghan Tschanz left everything to join a mission trip around the globe, and quickly witnessed oppression experienced by women that she never thought possible.Over the next several years, she befriended women around the globe who had survived sex trafficking, female genital mutilation, and violence so extreme Meghan wondered at the woman's survival. Through listening to their stories, Meghan started to notice a pattern that pointed to systems of injustice that held women back—systems that her childhood church had taught and in which she was complicit.She was changed.Returning to the United States, Meghan became keenly aware of how the teachings and messaging surrounding women in her own upbringing were part of the problem. In the process, she began to find her voice, one that spoke out against injustice and moved her into tension with her Christian community.Women Rising is Meghan Tschanz's personal journey of transformation. But it's also a Christian blueprint for anyone wanting to confront injustice against women while pointing to a biblical standard for gender equality. With humility and grit, Meghan calls Christian women to amplify their voices for righteousness—and she calls the church to listen.

"In Women Rising, Meghan Tschanz invites us to listen to the voices of women. Listening can lead to compassion, repentance, advocacy, and justice. Listening opens our hearts and minds to the extreme oppression and injustice many women face, all over the globe. Tschanz's book is a clarion call to respond to gender inequality and join with women in their dignity and empowerment worldwide. Books like this change lives and can transform the world."Graham Joseph Hill, principal of Stirling Theological College (University of Divinity), author of Holding Up Half the Sky"In this vulnerable, engaging account of facing confusing and constricting gender roles in the church, Tschanz shows that patriarchy is not part of the world God created but is a result of sin and domination. She calls Christians to imagine a world as God meant it to be: all God's daughters being liberated to lead, serve, and stand up for truth and justice. If you've ever wondered if God has good news for women, this book is for you."Katelyn Beaty, author of A Woman's Place"In writing this visceral and instinctive critique of gender essentialism, Meghan Tschanz weaves her own abuse beside that suffered by the women she served globally. In searching for root causes, one answer rises supreme-women's inequality reinforced by male-only leadership propaganda that scrutinizes women's lives but leaves men's behavior unchecked. In this way patriarchy flourishes with impunity. Women Rising is a call to action for the world's women."Mimi Haddad, president, CBE International"Women Rising traces one woman's transformation from youthful evangelical missionary to Christian feminist. It's a bumpy ride that spans continents. Readers who are reshaping their beliefs about the role and worth of women will find plenty of fuel for their journey. They may even find themselves emerging from these pages, as the author does, with a woman-centric lens."Ruth Everhart, Presbyterian pastor and author of The #MeToo Reckoning: Facing the Church's Complicity in Sexual Abuse and Misconduct

Meghan Tschanz is a writer, speaker, and former missionary who is passionate about empowering women and reclaiming feminism for the Christian faith. She's a prolific blogger, host of the Faith and Feminism podcast, and an avid traveler. She and her husband, Dustin, live in northeast Georgia.