Extreme Makeover: Women Transformed by Christ, Not Conformed to the Culture

Have the past five decades of fighting for social and economic equality actually harmed women rather than helped them? Tomeo, a syndicated Catholic talk show host and speaker, illustrates with clear examples how this seems to be the case. The author lays out her own conversion story up front, recounting how she accepted hook, line, and sinker the Western cultural message to women that they can have everything with no consequences. After consulting contemporary sociological research to show how women have been damaged by their supposed freedoms, the author then offers the teachings of the Catholic Church as a remedy. Catholicism, she claims, is the true path to freedom for women. The Catholic Church holds up the dignity of women in a culture that communicates overly sexualized messages to young girls and treats women as objects to be used for gratification. Included are personal testimonies from women who share their spiritual life journeys. The author’s passion and appreciation for her faith are commendable, although some may recoil from her conservative views. Still, the cultural challenges she presents deserve a fair hearing. (Nov.)