One of the things I appreciate most about the written word is it's power to modify the way we think, the ability to make us question the beliefs and philosophies that we hold. I've recently finished
reading a book that did just that. I had one set of ideas when I started the first chapter and found those ideas stretched, widened and in some cases, completely changed by the time I turned the last page.
In their book So Much More: The Remarkable Influence of Visionary Daughters on The Kingdom of God, the Botkin sisters analyze the modern western shift toward feminism, its impact on society as a whole, it's apparently Marxist origins and compare it to a biblical standard of womanhood.
When I first began reading, I found myself annoyed. The kind of life the authors were advocating for young women sounded, at first, as if it were nothing but mind shrinking, spirit squelching drudgery. However, as I continued, my perspective began to change. Over the course of the manuscript, the sisters discuss the impact of a feministic worldview on society. Strong family units, the authors argue are the building blocks of strong societies and a key foundational element of a strong family is the mother. The authors present compelling arguments against the practice of mothers working full-time outside the home. They state that when women leave the home to enter the workforce, they leave behind them a yawing hole in the fabric of the family.
Anna Sophia and Elizabeth Botkin, Not content to stop at there, tackle a myriad of other controversial topics, including; dating, higher education and mission work, all in a convenient question and answer format.
I enjoyed the well-researched and concise way the Botkins presented their views, as well as their willingness to tackle so many touchy subjects. I highly recommend this book to all young women. Parents should read it too.
Below is a link for a websight maintained by the Botkin family. Its full of interesting articles on the topics of, familly, faith, history and current events.
http://westernconservatory.com/
i wonder if you would share what they have to say about women and higher education? i know that there are some who do not allow women to be educated at a higher level and i have wondered at the thinking behind this (should a young lady desire it).
ReplyDeleteThat's a really good question. Their take on the issue of higher education is pretty unconventional. They believe education is a very valuable thing, however, they don't believe that the college experience is the best way, or even necessary to become well educated. Some of the detractors they sight are a lack of protection provided from the father, as well as an environment saturated with Marxist philosophy.
ReplyDeleteOn the flip side, they do believe that women should be well read and devote as much study as they can to the things that interest them. One of their main philosophies is that the education of future generations should be carried out in families, primarily by the mother. In this way they believe that well educated women are imperative for a strong and healthy society. They believe the role of the mother is something that has been largely marginalized, and this to our societies detriment.
It's a completely different perspective than a lot of us (including me when I first read their book) are used to hearing. It's definitely worth reading their whole discussion on this topic.