Wholehearted Faith

Written by Rachel Held Evans and Jeff Chu

Narrated by Jeff Chu, Daniel Jonce Evans, Jamie Wright and 10 more

Discover the new collection of original writings by Rachel Held Evans, whose reflections on faith and life continue to encourage, challenge, and influence, lovingly performed by Daniel Jonce Evans, Jeff Chu, Jamie Wright, Sarah Bessey, Nadia Bolz-Weber, Kristen Howerton, Kaitlin Curtice, Amanda Held Opelt, Rev. Neichelle R. Guidry, Ph.D., Candice Marie Benbow, Kathy Khang, the Rev. Wil Gafney, Ph.D., and Amena Brown.  

Rachel Held Evans is widely recognized for her theologically astute, profoundly honest, and beautifully personal books, which have guided, instructed, edified, and shaped Christians as they seek to live out a just and loving faith.

At the time of her tragic death in 2019, Rachel was working on a new book about wholeheartedness. With the help of her close friend and author Jeff Chu, that work-in-progress has been woven together with some of her other unpublished writings into a rich collection of essays that ask candid questions about the stories we’ve been told—and the stories we tell—about our faith, our selves, and our world.

This book is for the doubter and the dreamer, the seeker and the sojourner, those who long for a sense of spiritual wholeness as well as those who have been hurt by the Church but can’t seem to let go of the story of Jesus. Through theological reflection and personal recollection, Rachel wrestles with God’s grace and love, looks unsparingly at what the Church is and does, and explores universal human questions about becoming and belonging. An unforgettable, moving, and intimate book.

• Language: English
• Publisher: HarperAudio
• Release date: Nov 2, 2021
• ISBN: 9780062895332

Rachel Held Evans

New York Times bestselling author Rachel Held Evans (1981–2019) is known for her books and articles about faith, doubt, and life in the Bible Belt. Rachel has been featured in the Washington Post, The Guardian, Christianity Today, Slate, HuffPost, and the CNN Belief Blog, and on NPR, BBC, Today, and The View. She served on President Obama's Advisory Council on Faith-Based and Neighborhood Partnerships and kept a busy schedule speaking at churches, conferences, and universities. Rachel’s messages continue to reverberate around the world.

Reviews for Wholehearted Faith

[Liz Daye · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

What a precious gift to be able to hear these words read by Rachel’s loved ones. I cried the whole way through, because her spirit was just so beautiful

[ortinel2gakona · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

One of the best and most holistic books ever written.

[Julie Childress · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Wow. Just wow. So powerful and beautiful. Thank you to everyone who worked to create this work. My heart needed it so much ?

[philipjhunt · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

We've read everything we could get our hands on by Rachel Held Evans. After her shockingly early death, we thought that would be it, but her voice continues in this collection of wisdom and challenge.

[khoyt-43756 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I find this book to be a conundrum. Sometimes I felt Rachel was so far out of the box that I could not relate. Most of the time, however, I enjoyed her thoughts and deductions, her opinions and ideas, and her way of looking at different subjects that made me stop and ponder in ways I never have before.

[maowangvater · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Evans offer her views on faith, original sin, incarnation, belief and skepticism, individualism, the folly of the extremes of both fundamentalist and progressive mindsets, and why she changed some of her original beliefs to ones that were more inclusive because she feels they are more authentically those of the “first-century Palestinian rabbi,” Jesus.

[spinsterrevival · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Listening to this can be heartbreaking at times because it sounds as if some of the readers are doing everything they can to keep from crying; this makes sense as they’re all friends and family of the author, who died two years ago at only 37. This is a lovely read which has me thinking more as I do when I read books by Held Evans; I’m fascinated by those who grew up evangelical and have questions as they grow up. Jeff Chu did a wonderful job at bringing Rachel’s final writings to life.