Compiling top 10 lists give editors like me a chance to remember the good, hard work that has gone into their publications in recent days. Putting together the list below, the good, hard work that came to mind was primarily that of the tireless writers who faithfully contribute to Her.meneutics, some since the blog’s inception in 2009. Our mission statement, in case you’ve missed it in the left-hand navigation bar, is to provide “news and analysis from the perspective of evangelical women.” Without the evangelical women on our blog roll, Her.meneutics would have little reason to exist.
But of course, without Her.meneutics, our bloggers would have many reasons to exist! Some of them, in fact, have found time to blog, teach, parent, participate in church life, and publish books of their own. Gina Dalfonzo (best known at CT for “The Good Christian Girl: A Fable“) just released ‘Bring Her Down,’ a Kindle book about Sarah Palin and the media. In July Jennifer Grant will release Love You More (Thomas Nelson), about adopting a 15-month-old girl from Guatemala. Also in July, Elrena Evans releases This Crowded Night (DreamSeeker), centered on the women found in the Four Gospels. In August Amy Julia Becker will release A Good and Perfect Gift (Bethany House), about grace and her daughter, Penny, who has Down syndrome; and also in August, Caryn Rivadeneira releases Gumble Hallelujah (Tyndale), about praising God amid disappointment. We’re excited to see the cultural impact our writers will have beyond the women’s blog.
A note about metrics: Our top 10 lists are based on number of unique pageviews per post, and thus do not necessarily reflect posts’ popularity among readers or editors. If you had favorite posts from 2011 that don’t appear below, make sure to list them in the comments section. Now to the list!
(10)Sex Sells – So Does Virginity, by Sharon Hodde Miller (April 27, 2011)Nickelodeon star Miranda Cosgrove is being marketed as the embodiment of purity in a sex-saturated culture. Why Christians should be concerned.
(9)Why I Don’t Want to Be a Chinese Mother, by Amy Julia Becker (January 17, 2011)I don’t want to be an American mother, for that matter.
(8)What Are Wedding Vows For, Anyway? by Gina Dalfonzo (January 31, 2011)Not much, if Carol Anne Riddell and John Partilla’s wedding announcement in The New York Times “Vows” section means anything.
(7)Confessions of a Beth Moore Convert, by Karen Spears Zacharias (March 29, 2011)Why the Bible teacher with the big Texan hair may just be our female Billy Graham.
(6)When Christians Get Divorced, by Amy Julia Becker (March 23, 2011)A popular Christian blogger recently announced the end of her marriage. How should churches respond to those grieving?
(5)Lady Gaga: Where’s the Outrage? by Alicia Cohn (May 17, 2011)What happens when a pop culture phenomenon becomes a ‘religious experience.’
(4)The Argument for Girl-Boy Wrestling, by Caryn Rivadeneira (February 22, 2011)Joel Northrup cited his Christian faith for refusing to wrestle Cassy Herkelman in last week’s Iowa state championship. I say his Christian faith should have taken him to the mat.
(3)Another Assault on Little Girls, by Jennifer Grant (January 3, 2011)Vogue Paris‘s “Gifts” photo spread is one more example of how our culture robs children of innocence.
(2)Miss America and the Bikini Question, by Katelyn Beaty (January 20, 2011)Do modern-day pageants ask young evangelical women to compromise their values an itsy-bitsy teeny-weeny too much?
(1)Sin, Grace, and the Royal Wedding, by Caryn Rivadeneira (April 28, 2011)What I’ll tell my 6-year-old daughter about marriage as we watch the festivities together.
Other notable posts of the year:
Christian Dating Do-Over, by Marlena Graves (February 18, 2011)
A Tarnished Silver Anniversary, by Christine A. Scheller (January 4, 2011)
Why I Let My Son Wear Pink, by Ellen Painter Dollar (April 18, 2011)
When Gender-Based Parenting Goes Too Far, by Caryn Rivadeneira (February 1, 2011)Beyond SlutWalk: A New Conversation about Sexual Assault, by Katelyn Beaty (May 11, 2011)
