What people are saying about
Seeking Imperfection: Body Image, Marketing and God.

“Can we be made in the image of God and still be imperfect? This conundrum has troubled – even plagued – contemporary Christianity for far too long. In addition to the damage to our body images this false gospel of Christian embodiment has offered, even worse is that our religious systems have created a commodity out of making empty promises that their brand of Christianity is the cure-all for our brokenness, doubt, struggles and suffering.

Rev. Evan Dolive achieves two important things in “Seeking Imperfection.” First, he takes such toxic religious messages head-on, offering a much-needed alternative to the illusion of Christian perfection. Second, he reclaims the pursuit of accepting ourselves as we are, imperfections included, so that we may first learn to love ourselves before we take on the audacious (but critical) command to love others likewise.

Rev. Dolive’s book will offer both a challenge and a release to those seeking another way to live, ,both as human beings and beings of spirit. In doing so, he reflects a far more Christlike alternative to what so much of Christianity has become.” —Christian Piatt, Director of Growth and Development at First Christian Church (Disciples of Christ), Portland, Oregon and author of postChristian (Jericho Books, 2014)  and The Banned Question Series (Chalice Press).

“In Seeking Imperfection Evan Dolive offers clear-eyed analysis of the thorny issue of body image in our culture. His contention that the church has a responsibility not only to confront the destructive tendencies of hyper-sexualized marketing, but to counter those tendencies by reminding us how we have been created in God’s image, is a welcome word to a culture preoccupied with how people look. Anyone in the church who fears the church has lost credibility with emerging generations would do well to take seriously Dolive’s challenge to develop communities capable of the honest communication necessary for the difficult conversations this issue provokes.” –Rev. Dr. Derek Penwell, Senior Minister at Douglas Blvd. Christian Church (Disciples of Christ), Louisville, Kentucky as well as the author of The Mainliner’s Guide to a Post-Denominational World (Chalice Press, 2014).

“​With the passion and determination of a young father, Rev. Dolive tackles the issue of body image from a perspective of Scripture, today’s media, and personal stories. The book is well-designed for group study, as each chapter ends with excellent questions for reflection and conversation. This comprehensive overview is a fresh look at the understanding of one’s self as Imago Dei, the image of God, in the shadow of a 21st-century culture.”– Rev. Dani Loving Cartwright, Associate Vice President for Operations, National Benevolent Association.

Rev. Dolive’s book invites us into the safety of a conversation about body image. If marketing tells us how we should look, conversation invites us to explore how we might be and become as a person. As a father, Christian minister, and friend, Rev. Dolive wants this conversation to be made sacred by asking what it means to be created in the image of God (Imago Dei) and to be formed by a community of compassion (Body of Christ). He offers poignant stories, discussion questions after each chapter, and examples of how to respond to the deluge of a marketing culture. Youth groups, parents and grandparents, and clergy will find this book to be the place to begin this crucial exploration.” — Rev. Dr. Steve Monhollen, Associate Minister for Pastoral Care at First Congregational United Church of Christ, Greenly, CO