2024 brings new LGBTQ Christian books and gifts

Last Updated on April 23, 2024 by Kittredge Cherry

New LGBTQ Christian books are being published in 2024, including theology, Bible, history, memoir, church life and spirituality by diverse authors.

Q Spirit will present summaries of LGBTQ Christian books released this year, plus lists of titles that are coming soon or recently published. This article launches today with the first book. It will be updated continuously during the year. Books on this list cost less than $75 — usually A LOT less.

Added for April

“Queering Black Churches: Dismantling Heteronormativity in African American Congregations” by Brandon Thomas Crowley.

Learn how historically Black churches adapted to welcome and affirm LGBTQ members in a book that examines and synthesizes the experiences of several congregations. It develops bold, practical, systemic models for transforming Black churches to fully include queer people. The author is an African American minister and lecturer at Harvard Divinity School who pastored Myrtle Baptist Church in West Newton, Massachusetts. Published by Oxford University Press.

BESTSELLER AT Q SPIRIT
“Trans The*logy Without Apology: Using Art, Narrative and Historical-Critical Exegesis to Celebrate Transfiguration and Trans Aesthetic in the Bible” by Megan Rohrer.

Trans influence in the Bible and church history from creation to the present is emphasized in a comprehensive, intellectually rigorous exploration. Rare academic material mixes with personal narratives. A section on trans saints in the medieval and early Christian church is especially helpful. With 130 hard-to-find color illustrations, the book includes the author’s international pilgrimages to see sacred art with a trans sensibility, mostly from early Christianity through the Reformation. The author works at Glide Memorial Church in San Francisco after serving as the first openly transgender bishop in a mainline denomination. Children’s books “Faithful Families” and “Mister Grumpy Christian” by Rohrer were popular on Q Spirit’s previous annual lists of the top LGBTQ Christian books. Published by Wilgefortis.

Added in March

“Queering My Religion: Biblical Stories of Queer Love In The 90’s” by Jeff Crim.

Bible stories are re-imagined through a queer lens in the 1990s Midwest with this short-story collection. Fictional characters connect the 20th-century with four scriptural narratives that are favorites of the LGBTQ community: the love between David and Jonathan, Joseph and his “genderqueer bisexual drag” of many colors, the centurion and his boyfriend, and Philip and the Ethiopian eunuch. The literary approach questions traditional assumptions with a fresh, inclusive perspective. Based in Tennessee, the author is an ordained minister in the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA). Independently published.

“Yes Gawd!: How Faith Shapes LGBT Identity and Politics in the United States” by Royal G. Cravens III.

Religion’s role as a catalyst for LGBT political activism is revealed by this comprehensive analysis of diverse survey results. Challenging popular wisdom, a social scientist finds that most LGBT people in the United States identify as religious — and supportive faith communities motivate them to advocate politically for LGBT causes. An activist-turned-scholar, the author is a research analyst at the Southern Poverty Law Center and assistant professor of political science at California Polytechnic State University in San Luis Obispo. Published by Temple University Press.

Hexagonal Rainbow Candle Holders

Honor LGBTQ spirit with rainbow candle holders! The set of seven hexagonal concrete tea-light candle holders is perfect for celebrating LGBTQ Pride, the Rainbow Christ Prayer, Bridge of Light ritual or any other queer spiritual ceremony. Ranging from one to four inches in height, the votive candle holders are suitable for personal devotions or public worship. They are handmade from cement with an on-trend industrial look and imperfections that make each piece unique. Available on Etsy from the Hello Inspiration shop.

Added in February

“Jeza’s Jesus Juice: A Drag Queen’s Christian Devotional” by Jeza Belle.

Drag-queen humor and strong Christian faith blend harmoniously in this distinctive devotional for LGBTQIA+ people and allies. The 30 chapters use personal stories and historical background to shed a queer light on a wide range of topics. They range from LGBTQ-specific subjects such as “homosexuality and relationships” and “PRIDE = Self Worth” to more universal themes of joy, fear, inner peace and radical inclusivity. Every entry includes scripture, an essay, prayer and questions for reflection. The book is peppered with some “salty language” and much male imagery for God. The author is a New York City writer, comedian, producer and speaker who confesses, “I wanted to be a minister, but who would have listened to an effeminate gay man talking about God from the pulpit? So, I became the next best thing . . . a drag queen!” Published by Resource Publications, an imprint of Wipf and Stock.

Recently released

“Sex, Celibacy, and Deviance: The Victorians and the Song of Songs” by Duc Dau. Published by Ohio State University Press.

“Love Is Greater than AIDS: A Memoir of Survival, Healing, and Hope” by Stephen Pieters. Published by Rowman & Littlefield.

“Queer Redemption: How Queerness Changes Everything We Thought We Knew About Christianity” by Charlie Bell. Published by Darton, Longman and Todd.

“UBUNTU and the Word: A Primer for Afrodiasporan Biblical Rhetoric” by Corey L Brown. Published by Writeontime.

“Eleanor Among the Saints: Poetry” by Rachel Mann. Published by‎ Carcanet Press.

“Queering the Prophet: On Jonah, and Other Activists” by L. Juliana M. Claassens, Steed Vernyl Davidson, Charlene Van Der Walt, and Ashwin Thyssen (editors).