Rachel Held Evans, progressive Christian apologist, writer, and speaker, died on May 4 after an illness. I had heard she was ill and in the hospital. Still, like so many, I was shocked to hear the news that at 37, she left behind two small children, a husband, and a community of “doubt-filled” believers who love her.

As the news of her death spread, it has become clear what her “brand” of Christianity meant so much to so many people. With the hashtag #BecauseofRHE, writers, friends, members of the LGBTQ community, and well-known members of the Christian community have been remembering her fierce voice in the public sphere, encouraging emails as a friend or colleague, and her relentless crusade to bring marginalized, scorned, hurt people to Christianity. Because of her popularity and the outpouring following her death, it’s worthwhile to understand just why people are reacting with such visceral emotion.