diff -r 9f8b5053e30d Lib/test/test_bool.py
--- a/Lib/test/test_bool.py	Sun Nov 01 17:14:27 2015 +0200
+++ b/Lib/test/test_bool.py	Sun Nov 01 18:40:37 2015 -0500
@@ -314,6 +314,16 @@
                 return -1
         self.assertRaises(ValueError, bool, Eggs())
 
+    def test_from_config_str(self):
+        self.assertRaises(TypeError, bool.from_config_str, 42)
+        self.assertRaises(ValueError, bool.from_config_str, '42')
+        trues = ['true', 'yes', 'on', '1']
+        falses = ['false', 'no', 'off', '0', '']
+        for expect, check in [(True, trues), (False, falses)]:
+            for val in check:
+                self.assertEqual(expect, bool.from_config_str(val))
+                self.assertEqual(expect, bool.from_config_str(val.upper()))
+
     def test_sane_len(self):
         # this test just tests our assumptions about __len__
         # this will start failing if __len__ changes assertions
diff -r 9f8b5053e30d Objects/boolobject.c
--- a/Objects/boolobject.c	Sun Nov 01 17:14:27 2015 +0200
+++ b/Objects/boolobject.c	Sun Nov 01 18:40:37 2015 -0500
@@ -3,12 +3,37 @@
 #include "Python.h"
 #include "longintrepr.h"
 
+static const char *config_strs_true[] = {"true", "yes", "on", "1"};
+static const char *config_strs_false[] = {"false", "no", "off", "0", ""};
+
 /* We define bool_repr to return "False" or "True" */
 
 static PyObject *false_str = NULL;
 static PyObject *true_str = NULL;
 
 static PyObject *
+bool_from_config_str(PyTypeObject *type, PyObject *input)
+{
+    if (!PyObject_TypeCheck(input, &PyUnicode_Type)) {
+        PyErr_SetString(PyExc_TypeError, "input must be string");
+        return NULL;
+    }
+
+    const char *str = PyUnicode_AsUTF8(input);
+
+    for (int i = 0; i < 4; i++)
+        if (!strcasecmp(str, config_strs_true[i]))
+            return Py_True;
+
+    for (int i = 0; i < 5; i++)
+        if (!strcasecmp(str, config_strs_false[i]))
+            return Py_False;
+
+    PyErr_SetString(PyExc_ValueError, "invalid config string");
+    return NULL;
+}
+
+static PyObject *
 bool_repr(PyObject *self)
 {
     PyObject *s;
@@ -89,6 +114,22 @@
 The builtins True and False are the only two instances of the class bool.\n\
 The class bool is a subclass of the class int, and cannot be subclassed.");
 
+PyDoc_STRVAR(bool_from_config_str__doc__,
+"from_config_str(s) -> bool\n\
+\n\
+Converts the given string s to a bool.\n\
+Returns True if s is 'true', 'yes', 'on', or '1'.\n\
+Returns False if s is 'false', 'no', 'off', '0', or ''.\n\
+Throws ValueError if s is any other string.\n\
+Throws TypeError if s is not a string.\n\
+Comparisons are case-insensitive.");
+
+static PyMethodDef bool_methods[] = {
+    {"from_config_str", (PyCFunction)bool_from_config_str, METH_CLASS | METH_O,
+     bool_from_config_str__doc__},
+    {NULL,              NULL}   /* sentinel */
+};
+
 /* Arithmetic methods -- only so we can override &, |, ^. */
 
 static PyNumberMethods bool_as_number = {
@@ -158,7 +199,7 @@
     0,                                          /* tp_weaklistoffset */
     0,                                          /* tp_iter */
     0,                                          /* tp_iternext */
-    0,                                          /* tp_methods */
+    bool_methods,                               /* tp_methods */
     0,                                          /* tp_members */
     0,                                          /* tp_getset */
     &PyLong_Type,                               /* tp_base */
diff -r 9f8b5053e30d README
--- a/README	Sun Nov 01 17:14:27 2015 +0200
+++ b/README	Sun Nov 01 18:40:37 2015 -0500
@@ -187,7 +187,7 @@
 -------------------------
 
 If you have a proposal to change Python, you may want to send an email to the
-comp.lang.python or python-ideas mailing lists for inital feedback.  A Python
+comp.lang.python or python-ideas mailing lists for initial feedback.  A Python
 Enhancement Proposal (PEP) may be submitted if your idea gains ground.  All
 current PEPs, as well as guidelines for submitting a new PEP, are listed at
 http://www.python.org/dev/peps/.