I’m not an avid reader of biographies, but occasionally I pick one up. Usually my tastes lean toward well-known personalities such as Lincoln, Hamilton, Jefferson, King and Mandela. Thus when I was offered the opportunity to review, A Gracious Heresey: The Queer Calling of an Unlikely Prophet, by Connie L. Tuttle (Resource Publications, Eugene, 2018) I accepted, but I didn’t jump at the prospect. I thought to myself, what could I learn from reading about the life of Connie Tuttle? I found out I could learn a lot.
Tuttle describes herself as a, “lesbian, feminist, army brat, single mom and an earnestly radical Christian on a mission.” Her story is of a young Christian who feels called by God to serve as an ordained pastor in the Presbyterian Church. Such a call would not have been questioned, in the 1980’s, except for one thing. Tuttle was lesbian who was open about her sexual orientation. The church refused to ordain such a person.
With such a scenario, it would be easy to assume that the book is all about gay rights. Yes, the book does deal with gay rights, but it does much more than that. The book is about Christians who struggle to answer God’s call in their lives. It is about pursuing one’s calling when insurmountable obstacles stand in your way. Tuttle’s life is a story of perseverance, to which we can all relate. It is a tale of accepting and acknowledging our unique personhoods and identities even when everyone else tells us that we need to change. Going beyond the person, the book is also about communities and how those of us in Christian communities address our differences and treat each other when we don’t agree.
I was graciously surprised by this book and I think you will be, too. It doesn’t call us to superhuman greatness like the tomes on “the-greatest-people-who-ever-lived” do. Rather it celebrates our Christian callings and encourages us to be all that we are called to be.
I received this book free from the author and/or publisher through the Speakeasy blogging book review network. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255.