Rainbow in the Word: LGBTQ Christians’ Biblical Memoirs

Ellin Sterne Jimmerson (Ed.), 2017 (format: book)

Rainbow in the Word is a resource that you will find useful in your personal devotions, to find new perspectives on the Biblical witness, and in sermon writing. This collection is described by Viki Matson, Director of Field Education and Assistant Professor of the Practice of Ministry at Vanderbilt Divinity School, in the forward of the book:

As LGBTQ folks come of age, there are many authorities, institutions, and moral codes to be navigated. It requires a formidable kind of soul-searching and wrestling. Essential to this process are honesty with oneself and others, an intellectual curiosity and willingness to rethink long-held assumptions, deep respect for the mystery of God, and courage to claim one’s own life. It is no wonder then that among the wisest, most integrated, and genuine people I know are a fair number of LGBTQ folk. The furnace of struggle has been a refining one.”

Rainbow in the Word: LGBTQ Christians’ Biblical Memoirs includes the marks and memories of this struggle, particularly as the struggle involves the Bible. Some writers reflect on a particular text, wondering if there are ways to understand it that reveal a liberating rather than a punishing God. Others identify with a particular character in the Bible, diving deeply into their story to unearth what might be hidden or neglected. Some speak of the ways they have been wounded by Scripture, while others speak of being freed by it. Additionally, within these pages you will find genres as disparate as those contained within the Bible itself: narrative, confession, poetry, biography, and calls to action.”