Rachel Held Evans was a popular Christian writer who authored a variety of successful books on topics concerning womanhood and faith. Such works included Faith Unraveled in 2010, A Year of Biblical Womanhood in 2012, Searching for Sunday in 2015, and Inspired in 2018.
A Year of Biblical Womanhood , which details her journey to better understand the female figures of the Bible by living like them for a whole year, went on to reach No. 19 on The New York Times best sellers list. She also served as a writer for CNN, composing articles for the Belief Blog .
Evans passed away on Saturday morning after being placed in a medically induced coma for constant seizures, according to CNN . She was just 37-years-old.
Evans, originally from Dayton, Tennessee, frequently wrote about what life was like growing up in a state within the Bible Belt, in a community that was highly religious. In her work, she discussed the ways religion and faith in modern American society has changed in recent years and how it will look in the future. She spoke of her own Christian faith, its ups and downs, and how to combat dealing with doubt in terms of one’s belief system. At times, she touched upon more controversial topics such as the LGBTQ+ community, its relationship with evangelicals, and the reason why less young people are attending church or affiliated with a belief system.
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In mid-April, Evans’ husband, Daniel, informed fans via his wife’s website that she had been hospitalized. While she was being treated for an infection, doctors discovered she was suffering constant seizures. The situation escalated quickly and doctors placed Evans into a medically induced coma. Unfortunately, she never awoke. Her brain quickly began to swell and while doctors did what they could, it was too late to save her.
In an emotional post, Daniel thanked fans for the support they’d offered him and the couple’s children.
“The team worked until Friday afternoon to the best of their ability to save her. This swelling event caused severe damage and ultimately was not survivable. I keep hoping it’s a nightmare from which I’ll awake. I feel like I’m telling someone else’s story. I cannot express how much the support means to me and our kids. To everyone who has prayed, called, texted, driven, flown, given of themselves physically and financially to help ease this burden: Thank you. We are privileged. Rachel’s presence in this world was a gift to us all and her work will long survive her.”
