| Title | : | The Way Home: Beyond Feminism, Back to Reality |
| Author | : | |
| Rating | : | |
| ISBN | : | 0891073450 |
| ISBN-10 | : | 9780891073451 |
| Language | : | English |
| Format Type | : | Paperback |
| Number of Pages | : | 234 |
| Publication | : | First published March 1, 1985 |
The Way Home: Beyond Feminism, Back to Reality Reviews
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I have to give this better than one star because Pride framed her argument in a way that made sense and helped me with my undergrad capstone paper. That said, she certainly did little to sway my perspectives on feminism. Using sarcastic and condescending tones along with alarmist language and flawed science does little to "educate" feminists on the perceived errors of their ways. This book will appeal to a very particular (i.e. politically conservative, fundamentally religious, and gender essentialist) audience and no one else.
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I first read this book as a new mother. While some of the information was already outdated (Biblical feminists became more nuanced over time I think), it was a book that transformed my thinking. Pride did an incredible job showing the link between the value our society puts on a women's role being distinct from a man's and yet valuable and worthwhile with the importance children have in society. Essentially she argues that the acceptance of birth control and the dis-valuing of motherhood and a woman's role in the home are inextricably linked. The evangelical church today is in even more danger of losing the Biblical case for male-female distiction than when she wrote this book. While many evangelicals are fighting a losing battle to retain role distinctions, I believe that Mary Pride had an important piece of the puzzle that is so often missing in the argument. It is one that doesn't allow us to just point the finger at the secularists-it causes us to wrestle with how our own attitudes and behaviors are part of the problem. And whether or not one agrees with her thesis, her ideas need to be dealt with by those interested in male-female roles in the family and society.
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I'm not sure I ever read a book that made me so angry. I agreed with her a little more toward the end, but I was so used to disagreeing that I wondered if I needed re-evaluate my opinions. It's very outdated, which is a big part of the problem. Things have changed a lot in the 25 years since the book was written.
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This book was life changing for me. Powerful. Rings of truth. Mary Pride said aloud so many things I had been thinking for years, and a lot of things I hadn't thought of, but should and now do! Great read for new homeschoolers and for young women contemplating careers vs rearing their own children.
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Good, to the point, no nonsense. Written In 1985 addressing how humanism and feminism were invading the church, and it’s interesting and sad how much worse it is now. The call is still the same—for Gods people to hear and obey His word.
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Very good! I would recommend any girl or woman to read this. This book is very easy to follow and has a lot of biblical truth, but I can't say I agree with it 100% in all areas. But, even with that this book has laid out what it is to be a biblical woman in today’s Feminist society.
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I was given this book at my wedding. I felt like it really went too far with what it was trying to say a woman should be. The view of the ideal "biblical'" woman it presents has a very stifling limiting feel to it, whereas I believe the biblical role for women is much more confident and ambitious. The author's view of marriage felt kind of simple, boring, and lifeless. I think there was some good in this book, and I think it is needful to have a book that points away from modern feminism towards biblical teaching, but I do not feel like this book taught the right view. I didn't read the whole book. There was a part of the book, where the author said she and her husband went on a date to have alone time, and they found that they didn't have anything to talk about to each other besides their children, and then she concluded that that was a good or natural thing. I think something to the effect that spouses should mainly be relating to each other just in regards to their kids. That it's fine if they don't have any other interests to share with each other. That felt totally backwards to me and I stopped reading the book shortly after that.
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After reading The Way Home by Mary Pride, I had to read Monsignor Quixote as a stress reliever. It's not a book that I would read if I had a choice, but my aunt did ask me to read it. The premise of the book is basically against feminism and pro-"home-working" (Author's word).There are good points in the book, but sadly, they all appear in the later part of the book, although one good point is that it is very thought provoking, such that I had to take notes on everything that was logically unsound/made her argument weak (in my opinion). The bad point's are so many, and so glaring, that they eclipse the good points, which is an encouragement of staying-at-home.
The first thing I take issue with is her tone, she uses a lot of sarcasm and blanket statements. And reading the comments about her book, there's a lot about hypocrisy, which I have to concur with. One striking example is when she says that she is "timid", but her whole book has an aggressive tone. Another related issue is her way of quoting, where she doesn't give the context of the passage. I once heard a preacher say "A text without a context is just a pretext for what you want it to say", smart words, which I've taken to heart.
Another big problem is that she's not neutral. I'm not saying that she has to be completely neutral, you have to take a stand, against feminism or for it. The "non-neutrality" that I don't like is her inclusion of politics, which I feel is a red herring. She is obviously a republican, and reminds me of the Tea Party. Her constant referring to America as "Socialist" or "Communist" when it's so obviously not (look at USSR/China) does her no favours. And if you look at the UN and such, you'll see that even as America looks out for it's own interest, it doesn't display socialist tendencies (at least not to me), but from how she rights, you'll think that America is a Totalitarian, Communist Country.
There's a lot to say, but I'm stopping here, at her use of examples (I suppose it's related to quoting, but for me, it warrant's a paragraph of its own). Her examples seem to be very twisted, and her argument based on one passage. For most of the book, I was wondering, where is Proverbs 31? And it was way way way behind, in Chapter 12. And I disagree with her example that Proverbs 31 does not show the Godly Women as a "merchant"/having a career, because she supplies merchant rather than being a merchant. It may be because she didn't define anything at all, but to me (taking a really basic level of business), this implies that the women mentioned is a merchant, albeit, one in the earlier channels of distribution.
It's really sad, because this book could have been so good. A more effective method, I think, is that she tells her own experience, rather than launching into a tirade. In my family, my mom went back to work (but she has 4 kids, which contradicts her assumption that working -gasp- takes away the chance for women to have kids), and there are stay at home mom's in my family, but a lot of them also work. And all my cousin's and I are the same (kind of normal).
I suppose, action really does speak louder than words.
First posted at
Inside the mind of a Bibliophile -
I'd not read this book in 15 years, but it was one that really challenged and changed my Feminist thinking and ways. It was a springboard for a whole new me---I'm so thankful. Among so many other things, Mrs. Pride urges parents to take responsibility for the raising of their children and repeatedly admonishes and holds accountable those who don't . She can be harsh---but none of it is untrue, and it's definitely what today's woman needs to hear.
One of my favorite quotes regarding our Titus 2 responsibility to other women is this: "Women today harm themselves terribly by expecting their husband, or male counselor, or male pastor to do for them what other women are meant to do. No man can meet all of a woman's needs. No man ought to have to try! How much less of a strain modern marriage would be if every wife had an understanding and experienced older woman to answer her hard questions and give her support." Yes!! Where are our Titus 2 mentors? I've resolved to be one---to be what I don't currently have. -
I read this book as research for my dissertation. There is so much wrong with this book, but let me just say that the writing tone is sarcastic and "better than thou". I grew up with a lot of these concepts and am so glad to have found a way to see myself as a worthy individual. This book did clarify what the thinking is of the far right. For instance, they don't believe in social reform because it forces people to be good thus making them be bad. She states that she believes segregation would have eventually been abolished because people would have "seen its righteousness" I do find this contradictory since the main premise of the religion is that you are sinful and evil. There is no arguing with blind faith so I will simply move on at this point and finish writing my dissertation instead.
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This book by nature is politically divisive.
My wife & I read & re-read this book when it first came out. We valued the insight into the shocking way feminism had stripped families of their dignity.
Now, we see things differently.
“My body is not my own.” (Hey? Sheesh!)
This book will fuel the beliefs of conservatives & fundamentals, and cause much pain & justifiable anger for progresives & liberals & feminists like myself (I fully support the role of women in leadership - whether that be in their homes, in their churches, in their workplaces).
Oh, and 'biblical womanhood'??.. it's all in the way one 'interprets' their Bible. -
Prolly 4.5 stars? Definitely a polarizing book, haha. I happen to fall on the side that (mostly) agrees with the writer's values and beliefs. If you fall on the other side, you will probably loathe it with the fiery passion of a thousand burning suns... (or something). ;)
But this book was very influential on my mom some thirty years ago (pretty sure she credits Mary Pride to some degree with my younger siblings' existence, ha), and I was more or less raised with similar values. Anyway. Finally got around to reading it after it being on my to-read list for years. -
While I don't agree with everything in this book, it's still an interesting and important read if you want to understand what motivates the homeschooling/homesteading movement. An almost 30 year old manifesto by one of the leaders in the back to home/back to basics movement, Mary Pride writes honestly and eloquently about some of the issues that face mothers today (and in 1985.) If you are an out of the box thinker you might get some great insights from this book!
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This Book was given to me many years ago as a "gift" -- but more of a nudge to choose a different path and be someone different that the perception of the gifter. Lots of life has been lived since that first read. A recent dinner conversation has me thinking about that time, and this book. I re-ordered it (the original gift, long gone) and plan to re-read, curious to see if my perspective about the book has changed.
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I was so excited to start this book. Her opening chapter was like a sigh of rest. Here was an older woman (she actally wasn't at the time of writing this book) who was going to point out how feminism has destroyed us women, our homes, our families, and ultimately our country. The things she predicted we would see back in the 80s are true now in 2022.
But as I snuggled in to read and be encouraged, I found a book of confused theology, one kingdom lies, a voice without hope or mercy for infertility and childlessness, and women who have to make hard choices.
I found moments of great truth and insight marred by the ridiculous twisting of theology.
All the things I was hoping to find were dashed to pieces by a lack of understanding that our children aren't saved just because we are, God's sovereignty isn't easily thwarted by my inability to have children, and an inability by the author to deal with things in a more nuanced manner. Truth was constantly over shadowed by things that aren't true. I kept going "Yes!" at the start of a paragraph then screaming "No, no, no!" at the end of the paragraph. Sometimes this was sentence by sentence.
Also, I'm sorry, but deciding to limit, plan, or even choosing to not have children or more children is a far cry from murdering your babies. It's not the same!! And pregnancy isn't the answer to all women's health issues, sometimes, often, it's the cause of many health issues.
She has so many wires crossed that untangling truth from untruth is almost impossible.
Reading this book was unique in that it gave me insight into how we as the Reformed church have grown and changed. I enjoyed the first chapter of this book, and found the last section to be far less frustrating. I appreciate the fact that she straight up tells us that homemaking is gender based not ability based. This is the calling given by God to women. Gender matters.
I would love a followup book. Apparently at the time she had been a homemaker only about 5 years. I'd love to know how her children turned out and how she's grown theologically and spiritually.
I had high hopes that this would be the book I was looking for, but it's so wracked with theological error, and even logical error--getting rid of your television isn't going to keep your kids from sin and temptation--that when I agreed with her it made me nervous I was missing something in my own thought life and theology.
If you read this, keep your brain on. She will fill you with guilt at the fact that you don't have enough children, you don't have a home-based business, and at the end, she really had my skin crawling at the way she advised women on how to talk to a husband about quiting their job. She understands submission theologically, but her application to women isn't couched in any sort of husband leading. Again, this book lacks any sort of nuance. None.
I'm glad I read it, but I absolutely couldn't recommend it except to the most clear thinking and theologically steeped women. -
There are many things in this book that I do not agree with, but I do appreciate the bold criticisms that Mary Pride offers when it comes to the drawbacks of our modern, secular worldview. Her appeal for mothers to return to the business of mothering is a valuable plea that will ring true for many women. However, notes on birth control and abortion are not current and should not be taken as scientifically or even Biblically supported except where the Scripture is clear on the matter.
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this is mighty radical.
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Excellent.
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Good lord.
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Fascinating as a primary source
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I didn't end up finishing this. I read some more today and realized I'm simply wasting my time. At the risk of sounding slightly crass, this book basically preaches that I need to be a baby factory who isn't supposed to get enjoyment out of sex, homeschooling my kids is my only godly option, and heaven forbid I ever work outside of the home. I'll leave it at that and just say I'm glad I won't be continuing this.
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Mary did a fine job of encouraging women to be confident in their choice to be home. This was an extremely detailed but thought provoking read.
