You Who?

Posted on May 22 2020 - 1:36pm by Rebekah Schrepfer
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You Who?

Why you matter and how to deal with it


Rebekah’s Review

 

Rachel Jankovic has a way with words and analogies, but more than that her clarity and no-nonsense approach to Christian living is what’s needed today.  Because there is a lot of nonsense out there.

You may have been told that you need to know yourself, to reach a higher self-actualization.  Maybe you’ve been counseled that some level of your needs aren’t being met, or you can’t seem to find your place in the world.  Many of us spend and are spent making the most of our lives and preparing for the future or a better way of life.  Most simply like to share motivational memes as a source of encouragement.  If you feel like life doesn’t seem to work out the way it’s supposed to after you’ve given your all, then this book will explain where you have gone wrong.  

Rachel Jankovic explores the roots of wisdom that is from below (James 3).  From Descartes, to Sarte, to Beauvoir, or Freud…. she walks the reader through the “high fashion” of philosophical thought and how it trickles down to where we buy into it on the “clearance rack” everyday.  The book led me to repent about some things, and it also clarified many thoughts I’ve already had.  My discomfort and yet curiosity of popular memes and philosophies (even from new philosophers like Jordan Peterson) were verified in a clear way.  Excellent.

Although Rachel Jankovic speaks to women and that is her sphere of influence,  I think this book could be a great read for everyone, young and old.  The subject is not specifically about woman’s issues, but rather human issues. (Although the chapter “Misunderstood Princess” would have to be translated to “Misunderstood Prince, or Hero” for the boys.)   I personally think this would be great for teens. However,  she does describe the sordid lifestyles of some of the modern philosophers, and while she is tasteful and not explicit, it might open other avenues of questions and thoughts in a teen.  She touches on identity issues, abortion, self esteem, writing your own story, finding your truth, and more.  So parents, use wisdom as to whether your teen would stumble or benefit from it.  This would be a really good book for a ladies Bible study for those who want something deeper than the typical fluff that’s out there. This would be a great resource for counseling,  too.  

Her purpose is not so much apologetic, explaining why Christianity is true and Sarte was wrong.  She’s focused more on how those worldly ideas trickle into even Christian thought.  It’s in our culture, yes, but it is also on our families and in our churches, and it’s destructive.  It becomes painfully clear that we can’t have it both ways.  The biblical worldview is incompatible with the world’s philosophy.  

The book is available in audio format, too, for those who like to listen to podcasts while cleaning or driving or quilting.   I read the book and then listened to it, and I liked reading it better.  But if you don’t have time to sit and read…then please listen to what she has to say.

My normal caveat applies here:  Rachel Jankovic is not a Baptist, nor dispensational in her theology.  She is a writer for John Piper’s “Desiring God” blog.   Sometimes those differences will creep into an author’s writings.  However in this book, no such creeping was found, thankfully.  That may not be so in some of her facebook posts or other books or articles.