Something Other Than God: How I Passionately Sought Happiness And Accidentally Found It (2014) - Plot & Excerpts
Mrs. Fulwiler is an accomplished blog writer and she does not depart from what she knows best in this book. She tells the story of how she came to the Catholic Church through a series of vignettes that vary in mood from fun to reflective to a little bit dark; but all through the lens of a woman who is serious about questioning what she knows and who is equally as serious about finding answers to those questions. Early readers of her blog will find nothing new, but new readers will find a condensed version of those early years that is a very quick read offering a reasoned and honest conversion story. I don't feel like she was preaching in this book or trying to convert anybody else, she was just sharing her experiences and her struggles in searching for the truth about existence and what it meant to be filled with joy and peace. I really enjoyed reading about Jennifer Fulwiler's journey from atheism to Catholicism. She's very genuine, and as a result, the book never becomes preachy but remains an honest and often amusing account of her growing belief in God. The way she lays out her struggles, especially the difficulties involved with reconciling her own (largely progressive) beliefs with the dictates of Christianity in general and the Catholic church in particular were especially interesting to read. I thought it was great to hear someone discuss faith from a rational point of view, because the two often seem so irreconcilable. Fulwiler shows that it is possible and even desirable to actively think about our beliefs, and that questioning or criticizing parts of a religion do not equal attacking that religion. There are some parts where she loses me, however. The section on contraception especially threw me for a loop. While she makes a couple of interesting points, I strongly object to placing all the responsibility for (not) getting pregnant on women. Where are the men using contraceptives here? Really, where?I also have a big problem with the way she seems to perceive a direct link between the free-love morale of the 1960s and the Pope's letter explaining how using contraceptives signals a loss of respect for women. Just because the use of contraceptives and the sexualization of the female body intersected, that does not mean they are correlated. I think claims such as these are highly problematic, and no matter how much she tries to explains her reasons, I cannot get behind them. In the end, though, this is Fulwiler's story, and I didn't get the sense that she was trying to convert anyone. This is HER story, about what SHE came to believe, and as such, it's a fun and fascinating read.
What do You think about Something Other Than God: How I Passionately Sought Happiness And Accidentally Found It (2014)?
Good story. Would have liked a more cohesive finish. Liked the stories of answered prayer.
—Dobbo
Very enlightening, fresh take on Catholicism. I was inspired by it. She is a great writer!
—suela
Made me laugh; made me cry; made me yearn to be closer to God. Awesome story!!
—tcantrell
So good! This was a highly readable and relatable memoir.
—Desi
Fabulous memoir! I will read this one again and again!!
—amandafaithjohnson
