I am committed to writing at least a little bit about every book I’m reading in 2016 but I’m woefully behind. On top of that I managed to clock in several books this summer for my Book Bingo challenge, so am even more behind. But here’s a little catch up.
Title: Rescuing Jesus: How People of Color, Women, and Queer Christians are Reclaiming Evangelicalism

Authour: Deborah Jian Lee

Read in: June 2016

One-sentence summary: Writer/journalist talks to several Christians of diverse backgrounds (African-American, Gay/Lesbian, Asian-American, etc) about reconciling the religion they were brought up in (or came to love) with who they are or have become.
I learned about the author and book through church, obviously. But I suppose it might not be obvious if you aren’t aware that a) I am actually a very regular attendee of a church and b) said church is among the few evangelical churches that have welcomed the LGBTQ community.
I’m not going to get into my “faith journey” here. I’m still traveling it. But I can say this about the book: I was seeking more answers than this book gave. This more than anything recounted stories and experiences of people from different backgrounds struggling with their faith. Excellent reporting, and the author shares her own experiences as well. But I think I was hoping for something I could use to open discussion on topics with people who perhaps are more closed off, and I’m not entirely sure I found that here. It was disheartening to read about the lack of progress that we seem to be making in accepting all humans.

Recommended for: People who are to read personal stories about Christians battling age-old beliefs alongside the changes we see in the world today.