Becoming Free Indeed by Jinger Duggar Vuolo
You may recognize her maiden name from the hit TLC show 19 Kids and Counting. For seven years, Jinger Duggar Vuolo’s daily life was documented on national TV in front of millions of viewers. Throughout the show’s duration, the Duggar family demonstrated their adherence to the strict laws of Bill Gothard’s Basic Life Principles. But while she publicly followed Bill Gothard’s teachings, in private Jinger was terrified of falling short of these insurmountable expectations. It took an outside perspective for her to search her faith and learn what teachings the Bible truly held. Her resulting discovery, captured in Becoming Free Indeed (Thomas Nelson), is one of freedom, clarity and a newfound conviction for her faith.
We got a chance to speak with Jinger about her present approach to her faith, as well as the hope that she can help readers discover a more positive relationship with God.
Q: What inspired you to tell your story in Becoming Free Indeed?
A: I first had the idea to write Becoming Free Indeed after leaving fear-based religion. Sadly, so many have been harmed by teachers who claim to speak for God but don’t. It can have such negative lasting effects on how you view God and the Bible. My desire has been to share my journey in hopes that people would discover a true relationship with Jesus.
Q: You mention that it was your brother-in-law’s influence that first caused you to question your upbringing. Was there a specific watershed moment for you in your search for the Biblical truth? And how did you explore this in your book?
A: I talk about that in the book quite a bit. I don’t think that there’s one particular moment, but the effect of several relationships that led me to examine what I believe and why I believe it. Obviously, my brother-in-law, Ben, as well as my now husband, Jeremy. Seeing people who loved Christ but didn’t follow the same teachings I was under opened my eyes to realize that maybe Bill Gothard’s teaching was not the way.
Q: How would you describe your outlook on faith now, versus what it looked like during your childhood?
A: It’s more my own now. I have had to make my faith my own. The only way to do that is to go to God’s word and examine it for myself. I realized that the faith of my childhood wasn’t built around mercy and grace, but a fear of His rejection.
Q: What was the most impactful part of your book to write?
A: I really think that the parts when I dipped into my own life experiences were the most difficult to write because I had to go back and re-enter my childhood and young adult years. I had a wonderful childhood, but re-examining my faith during those years was more impactful than I thought it would be. I have been very encouraged by how many people have reached out to me, having read the book, saying they resonated with my experience.
Q: What advice would you give to people in a similar situation with their faith?
A: Don’t let go of Jesus, but rather, discover who He truly is. Go to the Bible and read about who He is, what He has done and what He has promised to do for those who love Him. So many people try to twist Jesus’ words to use them for their own advantage — for control and power, or money — but that doesn’t reflect who Jesus truly is. He is a kind Savior and gracious friend. I want people to know that and discover it for themselves.
Q: What do you hope readers will take away from your book?
A: I hope readers will walk away with a renewed desire to explore their faith! A broken heart, for all those I love who have walked away from Jesus because of false teachers, is one of the reasons I wrote Becoming Free Indeed. I want my readers to discover the beauty of their faith! If my story can help them do that, then I’m happy.
Jinger Vuolo grew up on TV. From the age of 9 until 27, she appeared on her family’s hit TLC reality shows, “19 Kids and Counting” and “Counting On”. She is an author whose books include 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 (4) and Evangeline Jo (1). In her free time, Jinger enjoys traveling, hiking and anything to do with good food.
