Becoming Free Indeed: My Story of Disentangling Faith from Fear

Jinger Vuolo

Jan 2023 · Thomas Nelson · Narrated by Jinger Vuolo

About this audiobook

New York Times Bestseller

Read by the author.

Jinger Vuolo, the sixth child in the famous Duggar family of TLC's 19 Kids and Counting and Counting On, recounts how she began to question the unhealthy ideology of her youth and learned to embrace true freedom in Christ.

When Jinger Duggar Vuolo was growing up, she was convinced that obeying the rules was the key to success and God's favor. She zealously promoted the Basic Life Principles of Bill Gothard,

• fastidiously obeying the modesty guidelines (no shorts or jeans, only dresses),
• eagerly submitting to the umbrella of authority (any disobedience of parents would place her outside God's protection),
• promoting the relationship standard of courtship, and
• avoiding any music with a worldly beat, among others.

Jinger, along with three of her sisters, wrote a New York Times bestseller about their religious convictions. She believed this level of commitment would guarantee God's blessing, even though in private she felt constant fear that she wasn't measuring up to the high standards demanded of her.

In Becoming Free Indeed, Jinger shares how in her early twenties, a new family member—a brother-in-law who didn't grow up in the same tight-knit conservative circle as Jinger—caused her to examine her beliefs. He was committed to the Bible, but he didn't believe many of the things Jinger had always assumed were true. His influence, along with the help of a pastor named Jeremy Vuolo, caused Jinger to see that her life was built on rules, not God's Word.

Jinger committed to studying the Bible—truly understanding it—for the first time. What resulted was an earth-shaking realization: much of what she'd always believed about God, obedience to His Word, and personal holiness wasn't in-line with what the Bible teaches.

Now with a renewed faith of personal conviction, Becoming Free Indeed shares what it was like living under the tenants of Bill Gothard, the Biblical truth that changed her perspective, and how she disentangled her faith with her belief in Jesus intact.

Ratings and reviews

I love she hasn't left God to live in the city. She is still her. Her parents should be proud. Change is growth. Being a Christian, isn't always easy. Because a lot of times were taught that God was someone to be fearful of. That if you wore certain items or said certain words or did certain things God would strike you down. So by Jinger coming out and telling what she knows now as apposed to everything she was taught, I hope it does change the fears we were all taught. I too was raised on those fears, but I have my own way with God and faith now. I believe in the oneness I have and I believe in the power of prayer. But I no longer attend a secular church who only made me fear God instead. I'm hoping after reading Jingers book, what I now know will be enhanced even more. I encourage others to not be so close minded as to not read or listen to what she has to offer, but to be open minded that what she has to say could make you feel a bit closer to God and his love.

Absolutely loved it.

About the author

Jinger Duggar Vuolo grew up on TV. From the age of nine until twenty-seven, she appeared on her family's hit TLC reality shows, 19 Kids and Counting and Counting On. She is an author whose books include New York Times bestseller Becoming Free Indeed, her personal memoir The Hope We Hold and a children's book, You Can Shine So Bright. She now lives in Los Angeles with her husband, Jeremy, and their two daughters, Felicity Nicole and Evangeline Jo. In her free time, Jinger enjoys traveling, hiking, and anything to do with good food.