The Traveling Mandolin: What I've Been Reading: 2021, Part Twelve

The final books of 2021!

"Heavy Burdens: 7 Ways LGBTQ People Experience Harm in the Church" by Bridget Eileen Rivera

Rivera's book is a much-needed look at how the church has consistently and persistently treated LGBTQ+ people with contempt, fear, ridicule, disdain, patronization, hyper-sexualization, anger, and more— and how the church can do better. It is both personal and historically sweeping, focusing as much on individual stories of queer people in the church as it does the history of Protestant's obsession with sex, the dubious Freudian psychology that barged its way into our Bible translations, and the AIDs crisis of the 1980s that saw the church actively abandoning suffering people. Rivera asks us Christians to confess and repent of the sin we have corporately inflicted up on queer people, and gives both theological and concrete steps we can take to move forward.

I was particularly fascinated by the chapter about the Reformation, which Rivera persuasively argues was the first "sexual revolution," centuries before the one in the 1960s. The chapter discussing where the concept of "homosexuality" (and "heterosexuality") came from in the first place— and how it was used to pathologize people— was also both troubling and deeply informative. The chapter attacking the statement that "the Bible is clear about homosexuality" is an absolute must-read for any Christian.

Rivera doesn't argue for a particular reading of Scripture or a particular theology about the ethics of sex and sexuality. Her point is larger than that: Christians have learned to agree to disagree on countless theological points, from baptism and communion to divorce and contraceptive use. Why do we double down on this one particular point of theology, and demand that queer people in the church subscribe to it or be cast out?

One of my top books of the year, recommended for any Christian but especially those who fear that embracing queer people as people made in the image of God means abandoning or compromising one's faith.

"Wholehearted Faith" by Rachel Held Evans with Jeff Chu

This book is a collection of essays that Rachel Held Evans was working on before her untimely death a few years ago. Her friend, author and reporter Jeff Chu, polished it and published it on her behalf, his gift to us who have been touched by Evans' work. The book is short but full of insight, reflecting on what it means to embody our faith in a world that encourages us to compartmentalize ourselves. If you're new to Evans' work I would start with one of her earlier books (I absolutely loved "Inspired," and "Searching for Sunday" is great too), but if you're familiar with her writings, I highly recommend picking up this one.

"The Gifts of Imperfection: Let Go of Who You Think You're Supposed to Be and Embrace Who You Are" by Brené Brown

When during my counseling sessions I realized that I struggle with some pretty deep-seated shame, I immediately knew who to turn to: Brené Brown, a professional researcher who has dedicated over a decade to studying how shame affects people. This book looked like a good place to start (and was the first that came in at the library), and so I dove in.

It's a quick read, but full of great insights: her writing is short and snappy, but encourages the readers to engage with the stories and think of how they apply to us. I particularly appreciate the way she draws lines between various ideas, such as the connection between gratitude and joy, or how shame and acting like you have it all together are two sides of the same coin. Her insights about how perfectionists rarely admit that they have shame— even though perfectionism is usually driven by it— really hit me between the eyes!

If you struggle with a drive to perform, perfectionist tendencies, or worrying that others won't really like you if they got to know you, I'd recommend this one.

"Falling into the Arms of God: Meditations with St. Teresa de Avila" by Megan Don

I've taken a greater interest in Christian mystics the past couple years, and Teresa of Avila's name kept popping up. I tried to find some of this 16th-century Spanish nun's writings at the library, and stumbled upon this book, which is a series of reflections and guided meditations inspired by Teresa's extensive writings.

The ideas were worthwhile and interesting, and provide a great starting point for entering into the traditional practice of Christian meditation. However, it mostly made me want to read more of Teresa's original words, rather than someone else's thoughts on them! I'm now on the hunt for a book that contains larger chunks of her writing, perhaps with some commentary (I suspect I'll need to use inter-library loan for this). If any Christian mystic lovers out there have a recommendation for a book about her, let me know!

"A Christmas Carol" by Charles Dickens

It had been a few years since I'd picked up this book, and I'd forgotten how great it is! Witty, charming, beautifully-written (and not without critique), it's a classic for a reason. If you have never read it, or it's been a while, it's not too late to pick it up!

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Whew, that's a lot of books! I'll probably post my Top Six sometime soon, but in the meantime, I'm proud of myself for actually finishing this series before the New Year. Happy Reading in 2022 to us all, and to all a good night!

Others in this series:
Part One