2026 brings new LGBTQ Christian books

Last Updated on May 1, 2026 by Kittredge Cherry

New LGBTQ Christian books are being published in 2026, including theology, Bible, history, memoir, church life and spirituality by diverse authors.

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

This year LGBTQ Christian books seem to be going the way of society overall: polarized, with a surge in high-end, expensive, well-researched scholarly books on one extreme and a flood of bargain-priced independently published reflections on the other. Meanwhile the search process for books has gotten harder. “Under these tough conditions, I’m being more selective to find and showcase the gems for smart readers who seek excellent content at an affordable price,” said lesbian Christian author Kittredge Cherry, who compiles the booklist.

Added in May 2026

“Queer Joy: A Mosaic of Self-Love, Community, and Resistance” by Bethany Meier-Evans.

Ways for LGBTQ people to love ourselves, heal from religious trauma, find support, and make justice are presented in “Queer Joy: A Mosaic of Self-Love, Community, and Resistance” by Bethany Meier-Evans. The author is an interfaith minister ordained by the United Church of Christ. Published by Tehom Center Publishing.

Added in April 2026

“Inclusive Love: Seeing the Black Church in the Rainbow” by Ralph Basui Watkins.

A Black seminary professor shares how he revolutionized his heart to support “the full inclusion of my LGBTQ+ siblings as members of the African American church” in this memoir that blends personal story with theological reflection. Foreword by Yvette Flunder, senior pastor at City of Refuge, a radically inclusive church in Oakland, California. The author is professor at Columbia Theological Seminary in Decatur, Georgia. Ordained by the African Methodist Episcopal church, he has held a variety of pastoral positions in churches. Published by Judson Press.

Added in March 2026

“The Story of Bob: The Life and Times of Rev. Robert W. Wood” by Steven C. Law.

A trailblazing gay pastor shares his life journey in his own first-person voice in a biography based on years of recorded interviews conducted by the author. In 1960 Robert Watson Wood urged churches to welcome lesbian and gay people in America’s first book on homosexuality and Christianity, “Christ and the Homosexual.” An ordained United Church of Christ (UCC) minister, he became the first clergy to picket for LGBTQ rights, wearing his clerical collar at 1965 protests. His advocacy for LGBTQ rights continued throughout his long life (1923 – 2018). Foreword by Bennett Guess, first openly gay head of the United Church of Christ. The openly gay author is a retired pastor with a degree from Colgate Divinity School, founder of a Massachusetts art gallery, and president of the Law Stroud Foundation. Published by United Church Press, an imprint of Pilgrim Press, the official publishing arm of the United Church of Christ.

“The Gospel of Lilith and Eve: A Gnostic Gospel” by Katy Thomas.

Some religious traditions say that Eve, the Biblical first woman, was rivals with Adam’s rebellious first wife Lilith, but the two women are lesbian lovers and equals in this creative fictional gospel. It blends the sacred feminine with queer theology to envision humanity’s origin not as a fall, but as remembrance of a time before the world learned to fear female power. The author is an astrologer based in Kansas City. Independently published.

Added in February 2026

LATE ADDITION
BESTSELLER AT Q SPIRIT
“All My Eyes See: The Artistic Vocation of Father William Hart McNichols” by William Hart McNichols and Christopher Pramuk.

A renowned icon painter/priest reveals his personal story, including his long journey to accept his gay identity, in a new biography that unfolds as a series of interviews with a theologian. The book focuses on William Hart McNichols’ early life and AIDS ministry, before he was called “among the most famous creators of Christian iconic images in the world” by Time magazine. Like his teacher Robert Lentz, he sometimes creates icons with social-justice themes. He was rebuked by church leaders for making LGBTQ-affirming icons of martyrs and saints not approved by the church. McNichols generously shares his art work with Q Spirit and a book by its founder, “Art That Dares.” Ordained in 1979, he was a Jesuit from 1968-2002 and continues to serve as a priest in New Mexico. Co-author Christopher Pramuk is a theology professor at Regis University in Denver, Colorado. How did I miss this book in 2024?! Published by Orbis books.

Recently released

“Confessions of a Gay Christian” by Crispin Reese. Published by JMS Books. (Added 4/18/1026.)

“Against the Current: Father Tom Oddo and the New American Catholic” by Tyler Bieber. Published in Dec 2025 by Unencumbered Press. (Biography of early LGBTQ Catholic leader) (Added 4/19/26,)

“A Queer Christmas” by Jeff Hood. Published by New Theology School Press. (added 4/18/2026.)

“Such a Busy Sunday” by Lawrence Schimel (author), Mati Ark (illustrator) Published by Abingdon Press. For ages 3-8.

“Not My Grandmother’s Hymnal: Composing a Curious Faith” by Rebecca Wilson. Published by Tehom Center.

“Boy, Interrupted: A Southern Memoir of Faith, Identity, and Becoming” by William C. Scandrett. Published by Swift Creek Publishing Company, Queer Black boy finds faith can evolve while growing up in rural Georgia. How did I miss this in 2025?

“The Unholy Hours Prayerbook: As Written for the Technicolor Monastery” by Keats Miles-Wallace. Independently published. How did I miss this in 2025?!

“Dead Dance – The Trans Bible: Transsexuality in the Mirror of the Resurrection of Identity, Society, and Theology” by Eureka Circe. Published by Books on Demand.

“GlitterBlessed: Blessings for Queer and Trans Lives” by Sean Neil-Barron (editor). Published by Foothills Unitarian Church.

“God Never Misgendered You: A 30-Day Devotional for Trans Women Learning to Trust God Again” by Open Table Press. Independently published.

Coming soon and available for pre-order

May 5, 2026
“Conversion Therapy Dropout: A Queer Story of Faith and Belonging” by Timothy Schraeder Rodriguez. Published by Broadleaf Books.

May 12, 2026
“Born Again Queer: A History of Evangelical Gay Activism and the Making of Antigay Christianity” by William Stell. Published by Princeton University Press.

July 7, 2026
“A Queer Lectionary: (Im)proper Readings from the Margins – Year B” by Peter Carlson (Editor). Published by Seabury Books.

Sept. 1, 2026
“No Longer Male and Female: A Biblical Guide for Our Questions about Gender” by Will Brown. Published by Westminster John Knox Press.

Nov. 24, 2026
“Beyond Affirming: Ministry in LGBTQIA-Inclusive Churches” by Cody Sanders and Art Wright. Published by Westminster John Knox Press.

Dec. 1, 2026
“Reading the Bible Through Queer Eyes: Good News for LGBTQ+ People from Genesis to Revelation” by Brian G. Murphy and Shannon T. L. Kearns. Published by Harper One.