As many open and affirming churches prepare for Pride Month, I’m excited to feature several books by queer authors in Belief Behind the Book. This month is Trent Clifford’s inspiring “Reclaiming Faith: Learning to Reimagine Church, God, and Ourselves.”
Belief Behind the Book is a feature that gives readers a behind-the-scenes glimpse at the beliefs—or what I call “the WHY”—behind books written by progressive spiritual leaders. Inspired by the Ministry from the Margins Books program, Belief Behind the Book shines a spotlight on why authors write the books they write, offering up practical tips for readers to apply to their own belief systems.
“I’m not religious; I’m spiritual.” How many times have you heard this, or even said it yourself?
“Reclaiming Faith” is a tender yet practical approach to uniting the spirituality you love with the religion you’ve lost. After surviving marital abuse and religious discrimination, Clifford reconciled his sexual and spiritual identities and now vulnerably invites you to learn from his journey.
Modelled after his own process of healing, Clifford teaches you how to:
- Read the Bible as though you live among its pages
- Worship as though “church” is a personal sanctuary, not a public one
- Look inside yourself as though God actually dwells there (because God does!)
Trent Clifford (MDiv) is a poet, speaker, spiritual director, abuse survivor, proclaimer of truth and reclaimer of faith. As a writer and spiritual director, he seeks to provide a ministry of rest for people who are processing their trauma, a ministry of inspiration for those who are looking to return to the faith that hurt them, and a ministry of imagination for anyone who needs to look upon God through new eyes.
When Clifford was asked why he wrote “Reclaiming Faith,” he responded:
“‘Reclaiming Faith’ is the culmination of a deeply personal spiritual journey, as I sought to uncover why this thing called faith remained so important to me, despite the ways it had so deeply hurt me. Untangling my experience in the church as both a gay man and a survivor of domestic violence wasn’t easy, and a resource like ‘Reclaiming Faith’ would have helped tremendously.”
When I asked him for practical advice for readers, Clifford added, “Readers will learn trauma-informed techniques that allow them to trust themselves anew, as they’re taken on a journey of re-crafting their faith in the image of a Creative God, rather than an established order.”
So, beloveds, as we step into the sacred season of Pride, may Trent Clifford’s “Reclaiming Faith” be both balm and beacon. May it remind you that your story is holy, your questions are sacred, and your queerness is not a detour from divinity—it is a doorway.
Go now, not in search of faith handed down in harm, but to reclaim a faith that rises up from your own truth. Go in boldness. Go in beauty. Go in peace.
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Award-winning author of ten books, including The Authorpreneur Handbook. Founder and CEO of Tehom Center Publishing, a nonprofit press publishing feminist and queer authors, with a commitment to elevate BIPOC writers. Rev. Dr. Yarber’s work has been featured in Forbes, HuffPo, NPR, The Advocate, Ms. Magazine, the television show Tiny House Nation, and more. She travels the world speaking, preaching, publishing, and writing, but she can always be found at www.tehomcenter.org
