Girl, Arise!

A Catholic Feminist's Invitation to Live Boldly, Love Your Faith, and Change the World

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Pub Date 8 Feb 2019 | Archive Date 16 Oct 2019

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Description

Is it possible to be both a Catholic and a feminist? Claire Swinarski, writer and creator of The Catholic Feminist podcast, believes it is: “I’m a feminist for the same reason I’m bold and honest and sometimes ragey: because Jesus was all of those things.”

In Girl, Arise!, Swinarski reconciles the two identities by demonstrating the strength and abilities women have to share with the Body of Christ, the importance of women throughout the history of the faith, and how the love you experience through Christ and the Church can change you and the world around you.

In Girl, Arise!: A Catholic Feminist’s Invitation to Live Boldly, Love Your Faith, and Change the World Swinarski points out that while both “feminism” and “Catholicism” can mean different things to different people, both feminists and Catholics desire to make the world a better, fairer place. And she shows that by treating women with dignity equal to that of men—by calling them his friends and teaching them—Jesus acted as a feminist as well.

With humor and sass, Swinarski addresses her frustration with the traditional concerns churches ascribe to women, as shown by the many talks directed at women focused on marriage and modesty rather than social justice. But she pinpoints the areas where modern feminism goes too far, arguing against abortion and exploring what it means to serve others rather than focus on our own needs first.

Swinarski also tells the stories of holy women—including Vashti in the book of Esther, Sts. Thérèse of Lisieux and Joan of Arc, Mary Magdalene, and the Blessed Virgin Mary—to show how their faith influenced their actions, even when those actions went against traditional norms and roles of women.

You will be empowered to embrace your God-given abilities as you follow the women who have gone before you in faith who—by announcing Christ to his disciples, believing in God’s promises, and being faithful in hardship—changed the world.

Is it possible to be both a Catholic and a feminist? Claire Swinarski, writer and creator of The Catholic Feminist podcast, believes it is: “I’m a feminist for the same reason I’m bold and honest and...


A Note From the Publisher

Claire Swinarski is a writer who founded and hosts The Catholic Feminist podcast. She served as a FOCUS missionary from 2013 to 2015.

A 2013 graduate of the University of Wisconsin-Madison, she has a bachelor’s degree in mass communication and political science, with a certificate in criminal justice. She has appeared on numerous podcasts, including The Catholic Hipster, Catching Foxes, Girlfriends, and Jesuitical. Her work has been featured in Radiant magazine, Blessed Is She, and FemCatholic. She has written for publications including The Washington Times, Good Housekeeping, Cosmopolitan, Seventeen, Verily, Relevant, and America.

Swinarski and her husband, Krzysztof, live with their family in Brookfield, Wisconsin.

Claire Swinarski is a writer who founded and hosts The Catholic Feminist podcast. She served as a FOCUS missionary from 2013 to 2015.

A 2013 graduate of the University of Wisconsin-Madison, she...


Advance Praise

“Smart, witty, and fearless. For Claire Swinarski, no hot-button topic is off limits. Girl, Arise! is filled with thought-provoking insights into questions Catholic women wish everyone were talking about. Finally we have a guide to navigating the modern world of Catholic feminism.”
Lisa Cotter
Catholic speaker, podcaster, and coauthor of Dating Detox

Girl, Arise! challenges today’s Catholic woman to embrace her moxie—her strength! Claire Swinarski’s shoot-from-the-hip delivery employs scripture, the Catechism, and some pretty hefty saints to make a commonsense case for being Catholic and feminist in a culture that often misunderstands both.”
Maria Morera Johnson
Author of My Badass Book of Saints and Super Girls and Halos

“It is abundantly clear that Claire Swinarski’s ferocious young heart has fallen madly in love with Jesus and his messy, glorious, miraculous Church. If your feminine heart needs a jumpstart—or a shock treatment—Girl, Arise! will read as refining, often humorous, medicine.”
Liz Kelly
Author of Jesus Approaches

Girl, Arise! is a must-have guide for the woman searching for her place amidst Catholic teachings and real life. Claire Swinarski is the relatable, wise big sister we all need, calling forth the strength of women and a new generation of leaders in the Church.”
Samantha Povlock
Founder and director of FemCatholic

“Whether you consider yourself a Pope Francis Catholic or a JPII Catholic, a pro-life Catholic or a social justice Catholic, or more of a Martha or a Mary, Claire Swinarski has a simple but compelling message in Girl, Arise!: You can (and should!) be a feminist, too.”
Ashley McKinless
Associate editor at America and cohost of Jesuitical


“Smart, witty, and fearless. For Claire Swinarski, no hot-button topic is off limits. Girl, Arise! is filled with thought-provoking insights into questions Catholic women wish everyone were talking...


Available Editions

EDITION Paperback
ISBN 9781594718939
PRICE US$14.95 (USD)

Average rating from 7 members


Featured Reviews

I’ll say first of all that I’m a man who, while disliking labels, would be thought of by the Catholic community as, well, Protestant. Claire Swinarski’s book is me trying to broaden my horizons by reading Girl, Arise! which is effectively a full on attempt at a Catholic Feminist manifesto. I say ‘full on’ because the author doesn’t mess about but jumps straight in to argue for the freeing of Catholic women from more traditional roles in the church, and, how can I put it, let them loose to effect change in the world. It reads like a rallying cry to light the fires of “moxie” (energy, determination etc) in the lives of Catholic women. The trouble with lighting fires of “moxie” is that people can be swept along on a tide of emotional energy only to find this extinguished when that initial energy fades. However, I think Swinarski avoids this danger by rooting her feminist theology in the Bible with multiple examples of women in the Old and New Testaments...and in Apocryphal books Protestants would consider non-canonical. There is much to learn here if one is willing to listen. I was particularly taken with Swinarski’s way of dealing with the Apostle Paul and his frequently considered hostility towards woman. Swinarski highlights the cultural and temporal meaning of some of Paul’s views. It is a very fair reading of Paul although the author does say she’d rather deal with Job than Paul (a sentiment probably shared by many)! I found the book thoroughly engaging and would like to revisit it after the dust has settled on a first reading. Swinarski sounds a bit like a civil rights leader or a firecracker which you let loose then stand back and expect a hard hitting fireworks display (which is delivered) but that’s no bad thing. I suspect Paul would very much like Swinarski. I’ve already stated I dislike labels and while I understand the use of the phrase “Catholic feminist” I would have preferred these arguments (battle cries?) to simply come under the banner of ‘living for Jesus’. At the end of the day I don’t think Swinarski would disagree with that. Apparently the author has a podcast and I’ll be intrigued to listen to it now. Recommended reading, primarily presumably for Catholics but others traditions will benefit as well, I did.

Thanks to NetGalley and Ave Maria Press for ARC.

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Claire Swinarski writes like a hard-hitting, no-nonsense, but very bubbly cheerleader. While that voice isn't really my cup of tea (honestly, I felt so OLD at 32 while reading this), I think it's a very needed voice in the Catholic Church, in the world of feminism, and in the world as a whole! She writes powerfully of the need for standing up for women, loving ourselves and others, and fulfilling our mission to serve the world, while gracefully acknowledging that such service is going to look different for everyone. I particularly appreciated her section on being a pro-life feminist, which offered some concrete challenges to those on either side of the debate. (Abortion is a symptom of a problem--a grievous lack of respect and help for women--not the solution...but similarly, an end to that symptom still won't solve the problem, so pro-life activists must challenge themselves to help women much, much more.)
Altogether, GIRL, ARISE was powerful, thoughtful, and honest, and I'd definitely recommend it to anyone who likes a good dose of sass with their inspirational reads.

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I really liked this book! I was excited to get a chance to review a copy through NetGalley. Even though I didn't have to leave a good review, I was already a fan of the author based on her podcasts and postings on social media. This book helps women reconcile their place within the Catholic church. Can you be a Catholic and a feminist at the same time? Yes! This book explains how and why. The conversational style made for a quick and easy read. It does seem a bit more geared toward millennials and I'm outside the demographic, but I still enjoyed it. I would recommend this for anyone who feels left out of the usual Catholic spaces or who thinks they aren't the "right" kind of Catholic. It encourages you to be your real self and find your tribe. Everyone is welcome!

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IF feminism and Catholicism can be mixed this is how you do it.

A very nice read, very eye-opening, and transformative.

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