FromtheNewYorkTimesbestsellingauthorofEverythingHappensforaReason:AndOtherLiesI’veLoved,afascinatinglookattheworldofChristianwomencelebritiesSincethe1970s,animportantnewfigurehasappearedonthecenterstageofAmericanevangelicalism--thecelebritypreacher’swife.Althoughmostevangelicaltraditionsbarwomenfromordainedministry,manywomenhavecarvedoutunofficialpositionsofpowerintheirhusbands’spiritualempiresortheirownministries.Thebiggeststars--suchasBethMoore,JoyceMeyer,andVictoriaOsteen--writebestsellingbooks,grabhighratingsonChristiantelevision,andevenpreach.Inthisengagingbook,KateBowler,anacclaimedhistorianofreligionandtheauthorofthebestsellingmemoirEverythingHappensforaReason:AndOtherLiesI’veLoved,offersasympatheticandrevealingportraitofmegachurchwomencelebrities,showinghowtheymustbalancethedemandsofcelebritycultureandconservative,male-dominatedfaiths.Whetherstandingaloneornexttotheirhusbands,theleadingwomenofmegaministryplaymanyparts:thepreacher,thehomemaker,thetalent,thecounselor,andthebeauty.BoxedinbythehighexpectationsofmodernChristianwomanhood,theyfollowandoccasionallysubvertthevisibleandinvisiblerulesthatgovernthelivesofevangelicalwomen,earninghandsomerewardsorincurringharshpenalties.Theymustbepretty,butnotimmodest;exemplary,butnotfake;vulnerabletosin,butnotdeviant.Andblackcelebritypreachers’wivescarryaspecialburdenofrespectability.Butdespitetheirinfluenceandwealth,thesewomenaredeniedthemostimportantsymbolofspiritualpower--thepulpit.Thestoryofwomenwhomostoftenstartedoffassomebody’swifeandendedupaseveryone’salmost-pastor,ThePreacher’sWifeisacompellingaccountofwomen’ssearchforspiritualauthorityintheageofcelebrity.
