I Fired God: My Life Inside—and Escape from—the Secret World of the Independent Fundamental Baptist Cult

Raised in the secret world of the Independent Fundamental Baptist (IFB) church, Zichterman aims here to shed light on a faith that is largely unknown in mainstream America although it has hundreds of thousands of followers. The IFB movement grew out of the Doctrine of Separation conceptualized by Bob Jones (founder of Bob Jones University) in the 1950s, teaching believers to separate from other faiths, including other Christian sects, to avoid being secularized and compromising the true faith. The IFB approach can spawn paranoia in its adherents and give rise to fear. Children in the IFB are mostly homeschooled so that they only learn what the church wants them to know. Followers present a perfect image of godly living while terrible stories of abuse lurk under the surface. In this compelling autobiography, Zichterman candidly describes the physical and emotional abuse she experienced at the hands of her father, noting that hers was not an isolated case. While her resentment with the church from which she has now escaped is clear in the writing style, her courage in speaking out against this network of believers and offering clear documentation is laudable.