Books We Recommend
Church
The Gospel of Inclusion: Reaching Beyond Religious Fundamentalism to the True Love of God
by Bishop Carlton Pearson
This book is the story of one man's turning his back on fifty-plus years of religious teachings and on a "family" of millions to preach a new truth-The Gospel of Inclusion. In this book, Pearson shows that all of God's children are already saved by the sacrifice of Christ-gays, Muslims, Jews, atheists, everyone. Weaving theology, biblical scholarship and cultural history, Pearson asserts that the dogma of Hell is nothing more than a device to control the faithful, that authoritarian religion is at the heart of the world's troubles, that God is not a Christian, but indeed belongs to all humankind.
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Trans-Gendered: Theology, Ministry, and Communities of Faith (Center for Lesbian and Gay Studies in Religion and Ministry)
by Justin Edward Tanis
Dr. Tanis provides the reader with a solid argument about the validity of gender variant people in our churches and in our society through the use of personal stories of his journey and the journey of others as well as solid scriptural evidence.
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Pagan Christianity?: Exploring the Roots of Our Church Practices
by Frank Viola
Have you ever wondered why we Christians do what we do for church every Sunday morning? Why do we "dress up" for church? Why does the pastor preach a sermon each week? Why do we have pews, steeples, choirs, and seminaries? This volume reveals the startling truth: most of what Christians do in present-day churches is not rooted in the New Testament, but in pagan culture and rituals developed long after the death of the apostles. Coauthors Frank Viola and George Barna support their thesis with compelling historical evidence in the first-ever book to document the full story of modern Christian church practices.
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Transgendering Faith: Identity, Sexuality, And Spirituality
by Leanne McCall-Tigert, Maren Tirabassi
Transgendering Faith is a resource to help churches respond with love and care to transgender people in our society, both those within the Christian community and those who find themselves--unhappily--outside its doors. It is also a book for transgender Christians, their families, and pastoral counselors. The first section, "The Basics for Everyone," includes essays written by professionals and therapists who give readers a basic understanding of the transgender issue. Part Two--"In Our Own Words"--features stories of transgender persons from diverse denominational, age, ethnic, and racial backgrounds.
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John Boswell's National Book Award-winning study of the history of attitudes toward homosexuality in the early Christian West was a groundbreaking work that challenged preconceptions about the Church's past relationship to its gay members—among them priests, bishops, and even saints—when it was first published twenty-five years ago. The historical breadth of Boswell's research (from the Greeks to Aquinas) and the variety of sources consulted make this one of the most extensive treatments of any single aspect of Western social history. Christianity, Social Tolerance, and Homosexuality, still fiercely relevant today, helped form the disciplines of gay and gender studies, and it continues to illuminate the origins and operations of intolerance as a social force.
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Lesbian Nuns: Breaking Silence
by Rosemary Curb and Nancy Manahan (editors)
The stories, contributed by former and current nuns, are mainly reflections on life as a lesbian in the convent, what possessed them to join or remain and the circumstances of departure.
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Same-Sex Unions in Premodern Europe
by John Boswell
A scholarly work on an important element in the history of same-sex relations.
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Made in God's Image: A Resource for Dialogue about the Church and Gender Differences
by Ann Thompson Cook
Ann Thompson Cook communicates a gently assertive expectation that we as Christians need to get up to speed on something too rarely discussed but very important for the life of the church and its ministries. Combining valuable information, personal sharing, and resources, this booklet is a perfect starting place for any congregation, family, or individual seeking to better understand transgender issues and to provide a supportive environment for all of God’s children.
Uncommon Calling: A Gay Christian's Struggle to Serve the Church
by Chris Glaser
Gay Christians will recognize elements of their own stories in Glaser's narrative. And the whole church may discover its own uncommon calling to fully welcome gays into the family of faith.
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Omnigender: A Trans-religious Approach
by Virginia Ramey Mollenkott
Mollenkott's omnigender paradigm would honor the diversity of the gender rainbow. This book presents cutting-edge gender theory in a way that is non-threatening, imminently readable, and just plain fun. The many facts that Mollenkott invokes to explain and buttress her thinking are like shining jewels.
"Omnigender" has won the Lambda Literary Award in the bisexual/transgender category and also the Ben Franklin Award of the Publishers Marketing Association
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Breaking the Conspiracy of Silence: Christian Churches and the Global AIDS Crisis
by Donald E. Messer
Drawing on his own involvement in global AIDS education in Asia, Latin America, and Africa, Messer uses stories, basic factual information, and theological insights to motivate lay and clerical Christians to assume leadership and form partnerships with Christians around the world in this struggle. Just as individuals must change their behavior to prevent and eliminate AIDS, so must congregations and church leaders. Compassion, not condemnation, is desperately needed, says Messer. But financial resources for education and prevention programs are also urgently required from churches. Messer shows how churches can partner with ecumenical organizations, relief agencies, volunteer mission programs, healthcare programs, and other agencies to engage global AIDS directly and effectively. From Amazon.com.
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Red Letters: Living a Faith That Bleeds
by Tom Davis
The Gospel wasn't only meant to be read--it was meant to be lived. From the HIV crisis in Africa to a single abused and lonely child in Russia, the Church must seize the opportunity to serve with a radical, reckless abandon. Author Tom Davis offers both challenge and encouragement to get involved in an increasingly interconnected, desperate modern world. From Amazon.com.
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Fulfilling the Dream: Confronting the Challenge of Racism
by Ronice E. Branding
Rooted in faith and hope, this book first examines the nature and effects of racism - including racism in the church - through stories, candor, analysis, and wit; then it presents a vision for racial justice in church and community, with a wealth of "chewable bites" for congregations seeking to be faithful and inclusive in today's arena of emerging diversity.
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