"Extreme Makeover"

NOTE: This Friday, November 11, the Weekly Giveaway will feature a brand new copy of Extreme Makeover: Women Transformed by Christ, Not Conformed to the Culture. Check back on Friday for your chance to win!

Most of the women behind the sexual revolutions thought they were doing a good thing. They saw how women had little control over when they got pregnant and, because of that, were ‘tied-down’ to the home. So it was of course natural, in their minds, that the arrival of contraception should be hailed as their great liberation.

But what they didn’t foresee—though the Pope clearly did—was that contraception brings all sorts of negative effects. Fundamentally, it encourages men to see women as sexual objects. When procreation is separated from sex, sex becomes primarily about pleasure, which makes women a means to an end, a “thing” to be used. It also advances infidelity, makes abortion much more common, and puts a stronger focus on physical appearance.

Over the last half-century, all of these effects have taken hold. Check out any primetime TV show or open up any popular women’s magazine and you’ll find strong emphases on youth, looks, and sexuality. Unfortunately, many women—especially young women—have grown up with this distorted femininity and it’s all they’ve ever known.

Well one cultural commentator thinks it’s time to unveil the truth. In her new book, Extreme Makeover: Women Transformed by Christ, Not Conformed to the Culture (Ignatius Press, hardcover, 212 pages), popular radio host Teresa Tomeo takes on this conventional feminism with passionate verve and sharp insight.

Tomeo’s book emerged from her own early experiences with liberal feminism. She begins the book explaining how she went from hot-shot media personality to struggling newlywed, wrestling with things like contraception, self-image, and the role of family. However her life was transformed and her self-image healed when she discovered the radiant teachings of the Catholic Church on life, love, and true womanhood.

In her mind, the Catholic Church assigns women more dignity and value than anyone else. “There is no better place for a woman to be,” she says, “than in the arms of the Catholic Church.” And she spends the rest of the book leading other women to this same source of freedom.

One of the chapters includes what Tomeo calls a “spiritual detox”, a practical game-plan for spiritual healing. There she provides many practices that any woman can do to not only banish a distorted view of feminism but to replace it with one filled with dignity. Her core message here is that a woman’s value is not tied to her physical appearance nor to what she does, but to the simple fact that God wants her in this world, that she is a “Daughter of the King.”

Extreme Makeover wraps up with a handful of testimonials from women whose lives were similarly changed through discovering their dignity in Christ. It’s fascinating to see how each woman was healed by recovering their own dignity.

Author Meg Meeker claims that “Extreme Makeover will be one of the most significant books for women in the 21st century. It pulls back the curtain on why every woman feels confused and hurt.”

I completely agree with that and think Extreme Makeover can be a key for many women to unlock the prison of false womanhood–a true guide to feminine freedom. It’s a valuable, timely book that should be in the hands of every young woman you know.

Tonight at 8:00pm ET, Teresa Tomeo will be hosting a LiveStream web chat where she’ll talk about her book and answer plenty of questions. And she’ll also be giving away 15 free copies of her book! To participate in the LiveStream event head over to http://www.livestream.com/ignatiuspress at 8:00pm ET tonight.