Rachel Held Evans, a best-selling Christian author who was unafraid to wade into fierce theological battles over issues such as the role of women, science, LGBT issues and politics on … Rachel Held Evans, a popular, progressive Christian writer who challenged the traditional evangelical views, died Saturday, her husband confirmed in a blog post. The New York Times best-selling author of "A Year of Biblical Womanhood" wrote about faith, doubt and life in the Bible Belt. She was 37. Rachel Held Evans was a progressive Christian writer and humorist who died at the age of 37 on May 4. Evans was hospitalized in April with the flu and had been in a coma for a time. The death of best-selling author Rachel Held Evans this past weekend came so quickly and mysteriously that it left many struggling to understand how such a … She was 37.