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A memoirist, Jean Waight was a prizewinner in the Pacific Northwest Writers Association 2021 literary contest. Her work has appeared in anthologies and in Cirque: A Literary Journal for the North Pacific Rim. Her sociology M.A. research is in Research in Social Stratification and Mobility. She lives among conifers and rhododendrons in Bellingham, Washington, canoes every chance she gets, attends First Congregational Church of Bellingham, and is a fan of baseball and cooking for a small planet.
Reviewed by Adanna Ora for Readers' Favorite
Everybody has been at a point in their Christian life where they have questioned some things in the faith. It could be laws, doctrines, principles, or things they deem unfair, confusing, and contradictory. Jean L. Waight was no exception. She had questions in her heart regarding the church and all it stood for. She challenged the seemingly patriarchal nature of the Bible and many other things. After staying away for so long, she decided to go back, hoping to find answers and have a different view from what she previously knew. Would she succeed? The River Beyond the Dam: Shooting the Rapids of Progressive Christianity is Jean Waight's memoir detailing her journey in Christianity and the seeming clash of conservative and progressive views of Christianity. She also brings us into her family's dynamic and shows how it has affected her faith generally.
The River Beyond the Dam is very special to me because, as a Christian, I could relate to most of the writing. The author raised pertinent questions that could form subjects for discourse. I enjoyed Jean Waight's writing style, which will keep you hooked and yearning for more. It can also spark one’s imaginative ability through her manner of description and help improve one’s vocabulary. One can feel a myriad of emotions while reading The River Beyond the Dam. The book also has a bibliography for further explanation of the contents. Most importantly, it gives us an honest perspective on conservative and progressive Christianity and shows us the pros and cons of religion. I thank the author for this honest work, and I hope other readers enjoy it as much as I did.
