Holy Queer: The Coming Out of Christ has been received as a work of Black queer theology, memoir, and prophetic Christian witness. The book's public life includes media coverage, theological praise, university engagement, church proclamation, and national conversation.
"This powerful and insightful book exemplifies a deep Black prophetic Christian witness that will touch souls, change minds, and transform the lives of all of us..."— Cornel West
"Holy Queer is beautiful, haunting, disruptive, prophetic, and healing... fashioned in the brave-as-hell style of bell hooks..."— Gary Dorrien
Named one of Religion News Service's Top Religion & Spirituality Books of 2023.
Holy Queer was featured by Religion News Service after publication and recognized among notable religion and spirituality books of 2023. This recognition places the book in the broader field of public theology and religious publishing.
View RNS recognition →Rev. Karmen Michael Smith preached at The Riverside Church Pride Sunday, bringing the theological witness of Holy Queer into one of the country's historic public pulpits.
View Riverside Church materials →Rev. Karmen Michael Smith was featured in "Sacred Harmony: Navigating Faith and Identity," extending the book's public conversation into university and cultural spaces.
View event page →ArtsEverywhere featured Rev. Karmen Michael Smith in conversation about Holy Queer, the Black church, queer divinity, bell hooks, and the sacred imagination of Black queer life.
Read the ArtsEverywhere feature →Recognition is not vanity. Recognition is recordkeeping.
Holy Queer appeared before the current wave of wider public attention to Black queer theology and Black church inclusion. Its recognition is not only about a book. It is about a witness that helped open a public lane for Black queer Christian experience, critique, theology, and resurrection.
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Available in print, ebook, and audiobook formats.