The Girl Who Baptized Herself

“Meggan Watterson writes with a prophet’s vision and a mystic’s heart.”—Arianna Huffington, founder and CEO, Thrive Global

“Watterson invites us to reclaim the parts of ourselves that we’ve been told to hide for centuries, reminding us of who we really are: holy, whole, and free.”—Elise Loehnen, New York Times bestselling author of On Our Best Behavior

“In Watterson’s telling, Thecla epitomizes ‘the ascendancy of the powerless.’ Watterson shares the message for the sake of other women who have not yet learned how to believe in themselves. There is an enduring appeal to this teenage saint’s story, someone written off by others who finds an unconditional source of love and power within herself.”—Sojourners

“Now more than ever, we need this two-thousand-year-old story to remind us that our power is not in any external force, but within. And that it is with our own self-authority, our own self-blessing, and our own naked revolt to claim it. This isn’t a story; it’s a playbook.”—Holly Whitaker, New York Times bestselling author of Quit Like a Woman

“In Watterson’s telling, Thecla epitomizes ‘the ascendancy of the powerless.’ Watterson shares the message for the sake of other women who have not yet learned how to believe in themselves. There is an enduring appeal to this teenage saint’s story, someone written off by others who finds an unconditional source of love and power within herself.”—Sojourners

“Thecla’s story is a compelling road map for readers to live authentically and challenge the patriarchal norms that have silenced women’s voices for centuries. Watterson’s book illuminates a path to epiphanies and empowerment.”—Shannon Watts, founder of Moms Demand Action and author of Fired Up

“Our women ancestors across traditions show us how to labor for a world of love and liberation for all. Watterson gifts us with a lost treasure—a little-known gospel of a girl whose story unlocks our deepest courage. Let Thecla ignite your heart, as she has mine.”—Valarie Kaur, bestselling author of See no Stranger

“Immediate gnostic knowing and feminist fury: This is writing and conviction at their best. We desperately need Meggan Watterson right now.”—Jeffrey J. Kripal, J. Newton Rayzor Professor of Religion at Rice University, and author of How to Think Impossibly

“Reading Meggan Watterson is like remembering a world that has always existed within you and finally knowing you’re not alone. The Girl Who Baptized Herself is living proof that no matter how deep the truth is buried, it always acts as a seed, and finally we get to see it bloom.”—Jake Wesley Rogers, artist, songwriter, and queer storyteller

“Watterson is masterful and brilliant, weaving words together in a way that has you craving more. She immerses you in feminist fire while also quenching your theological thirst.”—Rahiel Tesfamariam, award-winning activist and author of Imagine Freedom

“A vibrant and creative reframing of traditional Christian power paradigms.”— Publishers Weekly

“A bold, feminist exploration of spiritual awakening … Through Thecla’s courage and resistance, readers are encouraged to reclaim autonomy, speak truth, and live authentically, even when doing so defies cultural expectations.”—Booklist

Meggan Watterson is a renowned feminist theologian and the Wall Street Journal bestselling author of Mary Magdalene Revealed. She has a Master of Theological Studies from Harvard Divinity School and a Master of Divinity from Union Theological Seminary at Columbia University. She created The House of Mary Magdalene-a spiritual community that studies sacred texts left out of the traditional canon. Her work has appeared in media outlets such as The New York Times, The Huffington Post, TEDxWomen, and Marie Claire.

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