Girl, Arise!: A Catholic Feminist's Invitation to Live Boldly, Love Your Faith, and Change the World

By Claire Swinarski

Winner of a 2020 Catholic Press Association book award (second place, gender issues-inclusion in the Church).


Is it possible to be both a Catholic and a feminist? Claire Swinarski, writer and creator of The Catholic Feminist podcast, believes it is: “I’m a feminist for the same reason I’m bold and honest and sometimes ragey: because Jesus was all of those things.”

In Girl, Arise!, Swinarski reconciles the two identities by demonstrating the strength and abilities women have to share with the Body of Christ, the importance of women throughout the history of the faith, and how the love you experience through Christ and the Church can change you and the world around you.

In Girl, Arise!:A Catholic Feminist’s Invitation to Live Boldly, Love Your Faith, and Change the World Swinarski points out that while both “feminism” and “Catholicism” can mean different things to different people, both feminists and Catholics desire to make the world a better, fairer place. And she shows that by treating women with dignity equal to that of men—by calling them his friends and teaching them—Jesus acted as a feminist as well.

With humor and sass, Swinarski addresses her frustration with the traditional concerns churches ascribe to women, as shown by the many talks directed at women focused on marriage and modesty rather than social justice. But she pinpoints the areas where modern feminism goes too far, arguing against abortion and exploring what it means to serve others rather than focus on our own needs first.

Swinarski also tells the stories of holy women—including Vashti in the book of Esther, Sts. Thérèse of Lisieux and Joan of Arc, Mary Magdalene, and the Blessed Virgin Mary—to show how their faith influenced their actions, even when those actions went against traditional norms and roles of women.

You will be empowered to embrace your God-given abilities as you follow the women who have gone before you in faith who—by announcing Christ to his disciples, believing in God’s promises, and being faithful in hardship—changed the world.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Ave Maria Press
• Release date: Feb 8, 2019
• ISBN: 9781594718946

Claire Swinarski

Claire Swinarski is the author of multiple books for both kids and adults. Her writing has been featured in the Washington Post, Seventeen, Milwaukee magazine, and many other publications. She lives in small-town Wisconsin with her husband and three kids, where she writes books, wears babies, and wrangles bread dough.

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Reviews for Girl, Arise!

[Terri Dawald · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

As of late, I have been feeling very, well, blah in regards to my faith. I’m a Jesus girl, but a tired one right now. I came across this book and read it in one setting! I jotted down lots of notes and highlighted several parts. Though I’m not Catholic, it is easy to recognize the working of the Holy Spirit and feel a kinship with someone who knows God is big enough to handle our questioning. That that is where He meets us and we truly own our own faith walk. Great read! Great reminder that we are here for a purpose! Highly recommend!

[Kouali ANDO · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I loved it so much. It gave me the energy I needed to change the world…as cheesy as it may sound,..
GIRLLLLLL, I am Risen.. Thank you ❤️

[Andrea Theresa · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

The book did a nice job reconciling and blending together the two identities of Catholic and feminist. Drawing on the lives of the female saints, using scripture that demonstrates the leadership of women, and embracing a consistent life ethic made the premise of this book much more compelling. My only critique is that I was not a huge fan of her overly casual and conversational writing style, but other than that, this book is a good piece of work overall!