The River Beyond the Dam: Shooting the Rapids of Progressive Christianity
A Memoir
A modern, ex-Christian, tree-hugging American woman comes up against a strange wish for church–but only if it could be radically different from what she’s known. It would have to be one steeped in women’s equality and freedom of thought. Unexpectedly, she finds herself on a journey like a canoe trip. The journey will heal her past, widen her present world, and offer hope for the future. Guided by her experiences in river canoeing–navigating the river, learning its currents, and riding its sparkling energy–her story unfolds through twelve years of pointed questions, congenial fellow travelers, and zesty discoveries.
She experiences firsthand what she cannot get from a solo journey, including what it is to support Native Americans, and how Black womanist theology can make her a better white ally of Black women. Paddling the river, she is helped around fallen trees of biblical mistranslation and anti-woman dogma. After a cold-water crash, she repairs her canoe and emerges joyful again with a new, more flexible strength. Looking ahead, she follows clues about how the river is changing other churches–renewing and making them better neighbors and climate activists.
Watch Jean’s Intro Video
Reviews
“Growing up, going to Church was just something I had to do. . . Church was an obligation, and as I grew older, I questioned more and more about it, drifting further off and away. Much like Jean Waight’s canoeing analogies, I felt stuck on a rock or headed for waters that just were not part of the enjoyable experience I had heard about and hoped for. As I grew older, my distrust and dislike for patriarchy and intolerance of LGBTQ+ issues caused me to drift further away from Christianity.
One of the first things readers will notice is the woodblock prints that open each chapter. They are like a small window into what is to come. Reading Jean Waight’s memoir, The River Beyond the Dam: Shooting the Rapids of Progressive Christianity, I felt like I was talking to a friend, someone who really got what I was thinking when it came to Church.
Her blunt and direct approach to sharing her story was inspiring. In her book, she reminds readers what the real purpose of community is. It is not sitting in a building singing hymns; it is coming together to improve the community by buying diapers for those in need or taking on the coal industry standing with the Lummi. She does not just accept that men take leadership roles in the Church; instead, she brings feminism to the forefront of the discussion, saying it isn’t enough just to have women in leadership roles; they need to actually be treated as equals and allowed to hold leadership positions over men. Jean actively questions the dogma surrounding religion . . . not settling for the status quo.
The River Beyond the Dam is not a book that readers can pick up and read cover to cover. If they do, they are missing a great deal. Each chapter is a chance for reflection and unpacking preconceived notions. Jean references multiple resources, providing insights that back up her thought process. Providing a full bibliography at the end of the book allows readers to continue their own research and personal journey after reading this memoir. For those who feel the Church is a lost cause, her story offers a glimmer of hope, a chance that, while slow, change can come if enough people put in the work.”
–Literary Titan
About the Author
Jean Waight writes memoir with a sociological bent, often exploring the tension between the individual and social belonging. She holds an M.A. in sociology and has worked in communications and community relations. She is also the author of In Timberline’s Embrace: What An Old Lodge Taught Me about What’s Worth Keeping (2025). She lives in Northwest Washington among tall conifers and rhododendrons. Visit her website here.