Becoming Free Indeed

My Story of Disentangling Faith from Fear

By: Jinger Duggar Vuolo, Corey Williams

Narrated by: Jinger Duggar Vuolo

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.

©2023 Jinger Vuolo (P)2023 Thomas Nelson

Exactly what I have felt!

Thank you for sharing this story, I think there are a lot of adults wandering around not knowing that their Christian upbringing wasn't a true relationship with God. It was refreshing to hear a clear, no nonsense story of truth that listening to yourself, the world, your leaders, but learning you need to be accountable to your creator only. Seeking and leaning into God's word and living your own path is more important than any set of rules.
Jinger does a great job reading. It does not judge or preach, she's done her homework in choosing a co-author, the Bible verses quoted are used very well.

Humble and BRAVE!

Thank you for answering the call to share your story. I loved the balance between calling out the fallacies of the IBLP while remaining humble, gracious, and kind. While the story- your story- is a journey of disentangling from the IBLP movement, there are far too many denominations and sub-denominations inside of Christianity that place biblical and spiritual merit/value in man based rules and legalism and it was refreshing for a voice to speak out while doing so with such love and Grace (instead of condescending judgement). I pray the Lord uses this personal journey to encourage others to seek TRUTH and seek GOD and His Glory above all man-made Christianity. Thank you for your vulnerability and transparency, your bravery, and your willingness to honor God. May the Lord use these words to breathe life into dry bones that fill the pews of too many churches today!

Crushing all I thought I knew

I was a regular watchers of 18 Kids +, and after hearing Ginger’s story I feel like I’ve just discovered a good friend’s secret struggles. I will always love the Duggars but pray they all can recover from their struggles and reality tv.

Keep Jesus. Disentangle the rest. That is the theme of this book.

Jinger’s voice is so calming. She should narrate more! I enjoyed the book. My own journey was different but I too was infected by the same poison. Don’t throw Jesus out with the crap you were taught to believe more them Him. That is the theme of this book.

Well done Jinger! And thank you.

Excellent book addressing false teaching!

This book is so well done! From addressing direct false teaching from Bill Gothard, to how to understand if you’re under false teaching, to “simple” twists of Scripture you may have been taught to believe, Jinger does an excellent job explaining how life with Christ has nothing to do with a list of dos and don’ts. The danger of deconstruction is real and Jinger’s story of disentangling is an excellent one. It’s not about “what does the Bible say about me?” but “what does the Bible say about God?” Incredibly practical applications can be taken from this book, but most notably that absolutely everything should be compared to Scripture, that’s always the first step. Excellent work Jinger and Cory!

Interesting and inspiring

Great book! Easy read. Candid authenticity and a willingness to be vulnerable while seeking the truth. God Bless your journey.

Great book!

I really enjoyed this audio version. I stayed connected the whole time. Highly recommend it!

Read it!

This book was very interesting. I always follows the shows in TLC and I am near the same age as Jinger as well. I didn’t grow up with the same morals as the Duggars but I found this book very insightful and a must read.

Good for her!

I'm genuinely happy for Jinger! As a Christian, this is the story you want to hear for someone who has been lost for so long. I grew up watching the Duggar's shows so I've watched her and her siblings grow up and it's sad knowing she was struggling all that time, but despite it all, she's really beat the odds! I think anyone would find this story interesting, but even more so for faith believing people and especially for people who've grown up in conservative Christian circles and are now questioning things, I'd recommend this book.

Fantastic!

Absolutely fantastic! I previously didn’t know anything about IBLP and did not realize the IBLP was based on false teachings. I had no idea Jinger had gone through the experiences she shares in this book. I loved hearing her story from her own perspective. She tells it with humility, gentleness, and respect. This book is biblically accurate as well. 10/10 recommend to anyone, from any background. Excellent!