Family of Origin, Family of Choice: Stories of Queer Christians (Paperback) (ISBN-13: 9780802878571)

First-person testimonies from LGBTQ+ Christians about coming out and navigating their family dynamics

What happens in a family when one member comes out? How does LGBTQ+ identity affect relationships with parents and grandparents, siblings and cousins? What does Christian love require and make possible for families moving forward together?

A social scientist and a pastor, both from Galileo Church on the outskirts of Fort Worth, Texas, asked their LGBTQ+ friends from church to help them understand how they navigate relationships with their affirming, non-affirming, and affirming-ish families of origin, even as they also find belonging in other families of choice. The resulting stories, crafted from interviews with fifteen queer Christians and family members, kept anonymous at their request, are as varied as the colors of the rainbow. Over the years, some grew closer to their families of origin; others grew more distant. Some were surprised by the hardness of heart they encountered; others were amazed by the breadth of their family's love. Most all describe a trajectory, a journey, from the coming-out moment till now and beyond, as their families of origin, like all families, remain a work in progress.

Author: Katie Hays, Susan A. Chiasson
ISBN-10: 0802878571
ISBN-13: 9780802878571
Publisher: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company
Language: English
Published: 04/20/2021
Pages: 162
Format: Paperback
Weight: 0.55lbs
Size: 8.40h x 5.40w x 0.50d

Review Citation(s):
Publishers Weekly 03/01/2021
Booklist 03/15/2021 pg. 19
Library Journal 04/01/2021 pg. 67