Faithfully Dissident Daughters

For centuries, patriarchal Christian spaces and interpretations of Scripture have distorted women's understanding of God, their bodies, and their place in the world. Faithfully Dissident Daughters invites anyone who has felt unseen or diminished by their faith tradition to reimagine and reclaim what it means to love God and embrace themselves.

Raised in evangelical churches, Chelsea Kim Long had a clear vision of the Christian woman she was born to be: a doting wife and mother, filled with the joy of the Lord and love for her family. But after suffering a traumatic birthing experience, postpartum depression, and further reproductive loss, she found that vision--and her faith in a God who would mandate that singular role for women--shattered.

Working through the pain of these deeply feminine experiences opened her eyes to the broader ways the patriarchal Christian worldview undermined not only her but womanhood in general. The faith she'd been handed had no room for questions or nuance and even less room for the bodies, feelings, or the spiritual authority of women's lived experience.

Through raw personal narrative and rich theological reflection, Chelsea explores the false limits the church has placed on women and how the demand for unquestioning obedience silences women's natural intuition and erodes self-trust. Chelsea shares her search for and embrace of feminine expressions of the Divine, uncovering long-neglected images of God as Mother, Wisdom, and Spirit that have always lived within the Christian tradition. Steeped in Scripture and diverse, historic Christian traditions, this book will inspire and empower readers to become faithfully dissident by stepping into a faith that feels honest and whole through honoring women's bodies, emotions, experiences, and innate wisdom.

Author: Chelsea Kim Long
Publisher: Westminster John Knox Press
Published: 09/08/2026
Pages: 180
Binding Type: Paperback
Weight: 0.55lbs
Size: 8.50h x 5.50w x 0.45d
ISBN: 9780664269456


Review Citation(s):
Foreword 08/27/2026

About the Author
Kim Long, Chelsea: - Chelsea Kim Long is a writer, lay theologian, and meditation teacher exploring Christianity through the lens of women's embodied experiences and contemplative spirituality. Her work invites readers to reimagine Christianity beyond patriarchy and toward a more expansive and inclusive expression of faith. She lives in San Diego with her husband and three kids, where she coleads an intentional neighborhood faith community grounded in belonging and justice. www.chelseakimlong.comCleveland, Christena: - Christena Cleveland Ph.D. is a social psychologist, public theologian, author, and activist. She is the founder and director of the Center for Justice + Renewal as well as its sister organization, Sacred Folk, which creates resources to stimulate people's spiritual imaginations and support their journeys toward liberation. An award-winning researcher and. A former professor at Duke University's Divinity School, Christena's work has appeared in magazines ranging from Essence to Christianity Today.