I was a fan of Tiffany Bluhm before I really knew Tiffany Bluhm.
Now, I’ve read two of her books, I’ve spent a couple of weekends with her, and I share space with her over Google Meets every week now.1 She was also one of the first people I interviewed for Church Camp and she didn’t disappoint: her thoughts as an immigrant, Indian-American woman raised in the charismatic tradition were imperative to me in the writing process (and certainly, in the book as a whole, as she show up in two different scenes in chapter 1).
So when I say that Tiffany is the real deal, Tiffany is the real deal. Wise beyond her years, she is a leader, a fighter, an engager of humans, and an advocate for living our most whole and healthy lives. Her newest book, The Women We’ve Been Waiting For, somehow captures each of the characteristics that embody who Tiffany really is as a human being.
After all, as she writes in the book, “Self-care equips us for social change.” If that’s not the truest thing I’ve read in a long time, I don’t know what is.
I’m glad to welcome Tiffany into this space today to chat about the book, dare each one of us into a little bit of holy imagination, and glean a little bit of wholeness and flourishing for all.
Enjoy!
Cara: Tell us a little bit about yourself, in a nutshell.
Tiffany:
I'm an Indian American writer, speaker, and faith leader who lives in the Seattle area. love to eat, read, and listen to M.I.A. while I work out. My greatest passion is researching, writing, facilitating, and speaking about women's liberation! I've written six titles with my latest as a devotional that certainly stretches the idea of what one might call a devotional. Also, I live in a fraternity with my husband and two sons. So I'm doing my best to raise little feminists.
Tiffany, I believe this is your sixth book. Tell us why you wrote The Women We’ve Been Waiting For. Why now? Why this book?
I had so many ideas swirling around for this latest work but I loved the idea of featuring as many stories as possible rather than zeroing in on one specific theme which fit the devotional framework quite well. Additionally, I brought in contributors to help stretch a readers understanding of what it looks like to root yourself in the Divine while pushing for communal flourishing. My last book was about abuse of power at a woman's expense (not exactly a beach read) and while my devotional certainly isn't flowery, it's equal parts self-care and/for social change.
As a writer, I often have an image of a singular person I’m writing to when it comes to audience. Who’s the one person you pictured as you wrote this book?
What a great question. Truthfully, the person I'm writing for has evolved as I have. I wrote this book because it was the kind of devotional I wanted to read. One that melded our political, spiritual, and communal responsibilities as women. One for women who aren't afraid to fuse their faith with their convictions even if that looks like righteous defiance or building boundaries where one hasn't before.
I suppose it goes without saying that we should dig into the title and wonder who the women we’ve been waiting for really are. So, who are they?
It's each and every one of us. It's been us all along. We have so many women in scripture and history to glean from, who light the way. Matriarchs and mothers who provided a holy imagination for communal flourishing that first looked like taking care of themselves.
This is a different format from many of your previous books in that it’s a 40-day devotional. Is there one devotional that haunts you to this day, that sticks with you more than anything else?
What a great question. Not sure if haunt would be the right word but I loved Sacred Belonging by Kat Armas and The Modern Saints which you are featured in! Also, Common Prayer by Shane Claiborne. Such great ones!
Any hints as to future book projects?
It may feature everyone's favorite neighbor in a red sweater. Or may not. At this point, it's just an idea my agent loves. Who knows what the feature holds!?!