Bulletproof Faith: A Spiritual Survival Guide for Gay and Lesbian Christians

Chellew-Hodge, a former journalist, is a UCC pastor who runs the online magazine Whosoever.org. Her experiences as a gay Christian searching for how to live with integrity while contending with sometimes hateful opposition inform this book. The “spiritual survival tips” that conclude each chapter serve not only as summaries but also as direct points of advice for GLBT persons coping with inevitable conflict. She also includes brief meditation exercises. Chellew-Hodge offers a realistic voice of experience filled with compassion and love—not just for her intended audience but also for their attackers. Although some may find her impulse to forgive premature, Chellew-Hodge does not naïvely excuse much less accept the abusive language and behavior of antigay Christians. This is not a book explaining relevant Bible passages and their interpretations, though Chellew-Hodge advocates biblical literacy beyond literalism. Instead, it is a confident, sensible approach to handling the opposition and self-doubt that can undermine a GLBT person's sense of worth and belonging as a Christian. (Oct.) (Publishers Weekly, August 11, 2008)

"Bulletproof Faith by minister Candace Chellew-Hodge helps readers reclaim the spiritual self…This book is not an argument against Christian conservative viewpoints, but instead a guide to being Christian and gay. It focuses on how to strengthen your inner life and self-esteem as one who is loved by God regardless of what others have to say on the subject." —The Phoenix (Nov 2008)