Finally finished this one because I was working on a sermon about Acts 8 and I knew he had some thoughtful things to say. A good book for looking at scripture through a trans lens and for encouraging Christians and churches to prioritize inclusion and welcome.

Thank you to NetGalley and Westminster John Knox Press for this reader's copy. In exchange, I am providing an honest review.

I am so grateful to Austen Hartke for sharing parts of his story and shining a light on the lives of transgender Christians.

Much like Matthew Vines did in his book, God and the Gay Christian, Hartke dissects scripture for the truth of the words and dispels what humans have said certain passages mean. And he does so with ease and with other personal stories from transgender Christians. It's so well done that I sat there after several chapters thinking, "Duh, why didn't I see that before? Like years before?" Vines book found me in a similar state.

Admittedly, the transgender community has flummoxed me a bit in the past. However, as is the case so many times - it's not open or shut especially when you personally know and love someone who transitions from their assigned gender to the one they know themselves to be. It's hard for cisgender people to understand the gender dysphoria that our fellow siblings experience when they don't relate to their assigned sex. It's hard because cisgender DO relate to their assigned sex. But if we could just pause for a few moments and imagine how uncomfortable we would be if we didn't feel like we fit or belonged in the body, and therefore culture, we were inhabiting. I think about how uncomfortable I am when I am too heavy when I am wearing too much weight for my frame. That is seriously uncomfortable but not near as uncomfortable as it would be to live life as a female, for example, but feel like a male. I know someone who was born with male genitalia but as young as 2 years old showed a preference for all things female. As he got a little older and was able to verbalize himself more it was made clear through his choices that he felt like a female trapped in a male body. His parents and brother honored his wishes and by the end of second grade, he had come out and made it known that he was actually a she. His teachers and classmates supported him, everyone switched pronouns. She was so much happier. And there was proof. All the pictures taken of her prior to her coming out show little life in her eyes, the smile isn't quite there, she looks dissatisfied, she looks like she is carrying a burden. Pictures of her taken after she was allowed to express herself? Huge, authentic smiles. Eyes aglow with life. A freedom, a weight lifted. It is beautiful. It is so much fun now to see her interact with life. I personally know two transgender people, the girl I just spoke about and someone else. His story is inspiring. Look up Brian Michael Smith, he's an actor and activist. He is one of my most favorite humans on this planet and I'm lucky to get to know him. My point in sharing this is the discomfort these two felt in the bodies they were born into when their brains were telling a different story about who they were. I can't, and I shouldn't, argue against that or invalidate it just because I'm a cisgender who doesn't feel uncomfortable with her assigned sex.

Austen Hartke has me chewing the cud, so to speak, over some of the most familiar Bible passages of all time. Being raised an evangelical I know these stories like the back of my hand but the meaning of them, up until now, has been cloaked in a very toxic God. Not that God is toxic but he has been presented as such by his followers - specifically the white, rich men of this world. I've been able to separate who God really is from the toxic version the evangelical world presents but I never have thought about the stories I grew up with any differently. I am now, thanks to Austen. Two specific parts Hartke discusses I am processing beyond finishing the book. The story of the Ethiopian eunuch and Isaiah 56:3-8. Okay, well actually I am processing a lot more than those two specific discussions but those are the two that are on the front burner, so to speak. A deeper look at the facts of what particular words mean and what the culture was like is so illuminating. Coloring a story or a person with what you THINK it should mean is deceitful. I felt this way once I read Vines book as well. We all want things to mean or stand for what we THINK they should but the reality is most of the time they don't. Most of the time they represent something we are afraid of, intimidated by, insecure about, etc and if we can embrace the reality of that thing instead of what we wish it would mean then we grow as humans.

Hartke says, "For every trans Christian who feels alone; for every parent caught between a rock and a hard place; for every church and every ministry professional committed to holding the door open - this book is for you." I would humbly add to Hartke's statement, "For every Christian who wants to love and grow in love - this book is for you."

This book speaks about the experiences of transgender people and the church. It educates the reader about terms related to transgender. It shares stories of transgender people and their journey of figuring out how they fit into the church. It shares interpretations of various scripture passages that affirms transgender people in Christianity.

It was a very educational book. I appreciated the primer on what various terms mean and the explanations of scripture passages. I also appreciated the people willing to share their faith journeys.

It's a shame that this entire movement has grabbed on wholesale to the idea that "grace" (so understood and defined) overrides nature. This book, much like its own movement, will be long forgotten when the entire project crumbles beneath the weight of its own irreverent, illogical, and irresponsible foundation.

I'm giving this book 3 out of five stars because I think it is well written and is a good treatise on how the Christian Community needs to show love and care for those of the lgbtq community, especially as relating to those who are transgender and all those who want to be a part of a Christian community and who state that they want to follow Jesus and biblical teachings. I cannot give five stars because I do not believe that the author makes his case from the bible that God is pleased with those who want Him to put his seal of approval on those who choose to follow their desires to be and do that which does not fit with biblical teachings on the roles of men and women. Plus, I don't think one can reconcile the "clobber passages" regarding sexual behavior without chopping many verses out of the scriptures.

The author comes across as very likeable and he presents well the internal difficulties of those who are not comfortable with the God assigned gender identities of their birth. These people often feel shunned by those who are not willing to compromise on the clear teachings of scripture. And, I must say, the people who are unkind and shun the lgbtq people are just as guilty of sinning as the one's they look down on. Sin is sin and we are all sinners in need of the saving grace of Jesus Christ and without repentance it's impossible to please God.

I may be wrong, but it seems most lgbtq people refuse to see their rejection of God's gender identification in scripture as sinful. I also get the impression that they think nothing of having sexual relations of one sort or another before and in lieu of marriage, which is now legal, so no excuse for not following scripture there. Jesus clearly states that fornicators (any sex outside of marriage) and adulterers will not inherit the kingdom of God. How do you get around those passages? I can understand how most lgbtq people just throw out the bible and certainly evangelical Christianity, but it's hard to see how they can embrace it without messing with what is clearly taught in scripture.


I wish I could see truth in the author's arguments from scripture that God accepts lgbtq behaviors but I think it comes down to rewriting or ignoring those biblical passages that don't fit with the lifestyle one wants to pursue.

If it was up to me, I hope that all of the lgbtq population who truly desire to follow the Jesus of the bible will receive Him to be saved and then see where He leads. I don't doubt that there are many fine caring people who identify as other than their God assigned gender … my fear for them and for every human is that any of us would miss the mark and end up being part of the broad way that leads to destruction and miss the narrow way that leads to eternal life (Matthew 7:13). I don't want to be part of those who meet Jesus on judgement day only to hear "I never knew you, depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness" (Matthew 7:23, Luke 13:27). The bible says that "the heart is deceitful above all things and desperately wicked, who can know it" (Jeremiah 17:9) so we best not follow our hearts but rather God's Word to us. Whatever our gender identity, the bible tells us all to examine ourselves to see if we are truly in the faith (2 Corinthians 13:5).

As I said previously, I think this is a reasonable and well written book and I think it would be a good one for many churched people and so called evangelical Christians to read so as to hopefully, develop a more compassionate heart for those of the Lbgtq community who want to know and follow Jesus. Some of us cannot affirm you in believing that you are following scripture but DON'T HATE US for that … we may not be able to come to agreement on what the scripture teaches, but we can still love one another. As you said at the end of your book "Soli deo Gloria." (glory to God alone!).

[I received a copy of the book from the publisher with the expectation of an honest review.]

Before saying anything at all about Hartke’s thought-provoking book, I should offer a full disclosure so my biases are known. I am a Christian; I am gay; and the idea of transgender and the phrase “I identify as male/female” makes me rather uncomfortable but not so much that I can’t have a reasonable discussion about it.

“There are more things in heaven and earth, Horatio….” Anybody who does not realize that the world is far more complex than they are capable of understanding simply is not well suited for living in the real world. The biggest conceptual mistake we can ever make is to pretend that our understanding is sufficient to describe reality, that we know everything. I remember when I was maybe four years old, standing in the front yard looking at the world all around me. Voila! I had an epiphany. I rushed inside to tell my mother, “Mommy, Mommy, I know everything!” Oddly enough, she laughed at me.

That event was my whole life in one moment. I have never stopped thinking I know everything, and the universe has never stopped laughing at me. I have learned less humility from this than one might expect, but a little bit—enough that I get suspicious whenever I find myself “knowing something” with no actual evidence, learning, or experience to back it up. And since I have never said the words “I identify as...” (in fact, have no real point of contact to understand them), since I don’t really know what it would mean to feel I am supposed to be a woman rather than a man, I am forced to admit that whatever I may think I know about the subject is … well, sometimes I’m still a four year old who thinks he knows everything.

One of the clues I picked up fairly easily is the fact that some people are getting kicked out of their families, losing their jobs, spending enormous sums of money, enduring anguish, and undergoing medication and really severe surgery to make their physical body correspond with their emotional and mental conception of themselves. It is possible that people might do all of this because they are just bored, but as soon as I start thinking that way, I deserve to kick myself for an idiot. Of course this is something real to these people, real in a way I simply do not and can not understand. The tiny bit of humility I have learned forces me to admit that I just don’t know what they are going through; I don’t know what it feels like; I don’t really know anything at all. The Golden Rules is very clear in this case: I need to shut up and listen. Nothing else will do. The Lord who teaches me “Do to others what you want them to do to you,” leaves me no other option. So I will shut up and listen, and fortunately Hartke steps in as someone patient, clear, and articulate to listen to.

Hartke begins with a careful exploration of the concept of sex and gender as expressed in the creation stories of Genesis. It has been normal to read those chapters as meaning that each and every human is precisely and entirely male or precisely and entirely female, that each person is and must be heterosexual, and that the whole point of it is procreation. In chapter 4, “And God Said, Let There Be Marshes,” he does a good job of deconstructing the binaries we imagine the Bible requires. Although there is a clean distinction between, e.g., light and dark, day and night, ocean and dry land, just as there is with male and female, it never occurs to anybody to assume this means that the Bible is saying there is no dusk or no swamps, even though it is normal to assume the story means that there is nothing besides the male/female duality. But it is simply a fact, he points out, that there are in-between areas, mixed zones. He asks the reader to consider the possibility that the “male/female” duality is no more meant absolutely than is the “day/night” duality. It is a difficult idea for some; but Hartke brings to our attention the testimonies of people who tell us what it is like to live with that as a reality of life. The biblical interpretation might not carry the weight of the argument on its own, if one were inclined to fundamentalism, and the personal testimonies might not, but the two together are presented to full effect and are compelling. At the very least, this reviewer finds it difficult to believe that anybody could read the section without at least a little grudging acknowledgment that there is a case to consider.

OK, now it is time for confession. Although I can have a reasonable discussion about the topic of “non-binary” and transgender people, I find myself uncomfortable with the dismissal of the male-female duality as a normal part of how the vast majority of humans perceive themselves and their humanity. I am uncomfortable with the dismissal of biological categories based on reproduction as normative for the common animal (including human) experience. I think I would have an easier time hearing someone like M, one of the transgender people whom Hartke quotes, if they did not say things like, “To say that you’re nonbinary innately suggests there is a binary, and my whole point is that there’s no such thing. We’ve created this formula and forced our understanding of gender into it.” While I very much need to hear M’s story, and listen respectfully and carefully to what it feels like to go through life as they do, I nonetheless resist when told that the lived experience of humans and other animals as male and female is “created” by humans, imaginary. M needs me to understand that their experience is real and valid; I need M not to insist that they are representative of the norm. It would make it easier to hear; it would help me realize I am talking to a person who is living in the real world. Part of the rhetoric of transgender and non-binary coming out has the unfortunate consequence of telling those of us who see ourselves as complex and multifaceted but nevertheless “male” or “female” that our self-perception is wrong and non-existent. That Hartke naturally furthers this rhetoric interferes with my ability to listen respectfully, and I do not like that.

If you are a Christian who is transgender or think you might be, read this book for a comforting and strengthening reexamination of Christian theology. If you are Christian and not transgender, read it to have your horizons expanded and your assumptions questioned. Read it to hear to voices of people who experience themselves differently than you do. Read it to obey the Golden Rule. In spite of the discomfort is caused me, and my objection raised above, I am grateful to Hartke for having written this book. Having read it, I am sure I will be able to be a better friend to the non-binary and transgender people in my life.

I always struggle with LGBTQ issues and what I've been taught by traditional values. I also struggle with love thy neighbor commandment. This book helps bridge rhat gap.

I’m not finished yet but wanted to comment on the 53% I’ve read so far. I am a Christian and I think the subject of God and sexuality/gender is the one I struggle the most to understand because I want to get it right. I don’t want to judge or eliminate or offend anyone. I really like what I’ve read so far. I appreciate the honesty of those who are in the book. I’m not a bible scholar, so I don’t always know if scriptures are being interpreted correctly, but honestly, who does. I do believe in love and love of all. #netgalley #transforming
I received a complimentary copy from NetGalley for an honest hour.

I really enjoyed Transforming. I loved to see first hand what Christian life is like for those who are transgender. As a supporter, I learned a lot about their psychological and spiritual growth as well as the best way for me to help support them. It was fascinating looking at the scripture included and reading so much more into them; these were ideas I never saw before in many of them.
I encourage every single of you to read this. For those struggling with their gender, this will assure you that you are not alone and God loves you. I encourage supporters to get a first-hand look at life. And I encourage those who not agree with the issue to read this; to meet these people; to understand their love for Jesus.

This is a book for Christians by a Christian and it beautifully presents the topic at hand. I'm learning, Austen. Thank you for being such a good teacher.

Questions related to transgender issues are at the forefront of the next big conversation the church is having. Hartke's book provides a good starting point with a blend of personal experiences (from a number of people) and some exegetical work.

The personal experiences were more compelling, helping to put narratives to and actual people into the discussion. The exegesis raised plenty of interesting ideas but sometimes seemed to miss the main purpose of the given passage.

The book's worthy of a wide read, both by those affirming and those non-affirming, and Hartke's clear writing and fast pace make it a good entry point.

I really enjoyed this book. It was nice to read a book that covers trans* life and Christian life that didn't sweep either gender issues or Bible verses under the rug. The point of the book wasn't to do this, but it would have nice if a little bit more attention was served to trans* and gender non-conforming people who have left the Christian church because of the bigotry they faced while there. But this book would be encouraging for any trans* or gender non-conforming Christian who felt hurt or broken by the Christian church. I enjoyed that Hartke actually brought in hermeneutics as I've run into too many books of this type that only focus on "trouble" verses without confronting them. It was good to have Hartke bring in verses that encouraged them or others in their gender questioning.

Heartwarming and affirming. I feel moved and warm inside at the end of this tale.

I knew nothing of this author at the time of picking up this book, and each page I've read, everything I've experienced through his eyes and words, and those of the various people he's come into contact with, has me in awe of him as a true Christian, and of a human being.

This book is NOT heavy on the bible, in case you're wondering, though of course, there are quotes and more, which AH ties in with his own views and modern day life. It's heartwarming to hear of the churches that are proving to be truly Christian, marrying 'live and let live' with Christian values, and celebrating all.

I may be nothing but an LGBT ally, but this book has made me think deep and hard about how...different life is for those of us that who are on a path to find themselves, as all those portrayed in here have been. Their journeys, their lives, their drive, are what makes them true to themselves, and it feels like I've been privileged to share in all.

ARC courtesy of Westminster John Knox Press and NetGalley, for my reading pleasure.

Wow. This book is much needed for the conversations of today.

Austen vulnerably shares his story as a transgender male who is also a Christian. Religious circles are not known for their acceptance of minorities. Thank you for your courage, Austen.

From a psychology perspective, I already knew that those who identify as LGBTQIA+ are more likely to attempt and complete suicide. These statistics are a red alert for the culture that we have both in secular and Christian communities. There are people in so much distress that they see suicide as the only way out of the daily tension that they live with over their sexuality, gender identity, or gender expression.

"Transforming" offers a new perspective to Christians who are used to the typical two gendered culture. I am still figuring out what I believe theologically, but research is important and I appreciate Austen for sharing his story. Above all, every person is worthy of love and respect. Transgender Christians who come to any church should be welcomed and loved.

Thanks, NetGalley, for the read.

In this space, we have generally committed to not reviewing books before they were actually out and on shelves. But you and I both know that your head is all Holy Week and Easter- all the time. Or maybe too many funerals. Or perhaps community support in election season or with the March for Our Lives. Whatever your plate is full of right now, let’s pray for you to have a break in about three weeks, around April 7.

Present Me is offering Present You a chance to give Future You a gift. Slide on over to your bookseller of choice and pre-order Austen Hartke’s Transforming: The Bible and the Lives of Transgender Christians. I know you’d like to read it right now, but you’ve got liturgy to write and a few freezer meals to cook for yourself so it’s not all fast food all the time (or no food all the time) on Good Friday. Pre-order that book and know that it will be waiting for you right as resurrection rest becomes a real thing in your life.

I received a review copy of the book from NetGalley and it’s so good. Hartke has woven together the writing, research, and life stories of transgendered Christians into a book that is eloquent, informational, and readable. That’s the holy trinity of accessible publishing. This isn’t the book I would buy to try to change someone’s mind. It’s the book I would give to a well-meaning ally who needs help fleshing out their reasoning, understanding the biblical precepts, and for a deeper and broader theological vision across a faithful life.

The last chapter of the book is “The Transaffirming Toolbox”, but- frankly- the whole book is a toolkit. The Christian who is willing to sit with the pain of the stories, the stress, and the rejection of other children of God and willing to be a part of creating together a brave, welcoming, and healing space for Divine Love will be equipped by this book.

Like the best theological books, the biblical lessons are not simply plunked down- like a too-large, too-stale communion wafer for you to swallow, dry-mouthed and confused. Instead, they are integral to the lesson Hartke is teaching. The Bible is full of stories of people, places, and situations that are not binary, but are both/and/other/same. His exegesis of Scripture, with reflection on original languages and audiences, leads the reader not in a straight line, but on a carefully structured scavenger hunt. It is at the conclusion of this hunt that, treasures in hand, that the reader can understand that the blessedness of all creation lies within its vast mystery and reality, not in neatly categorized “facts” that are neither factual or truth.

I serve a congregation that has worked and is still working to be as inclusive, welcoming, and broad as possible. We’ve hosted workshops on understanding language and are active in being a safe place and supporting brave witnesses. But I know that I don’t know everything. I found Transforming to be the most helpful book I’ve read on the topic of being faithful to God alongside my transgender Christian neighbors, friends, and fellow travelers on the Way. I highly commend this book to you.

Transforming is such a necessary resource. Hatke uses personal experiences, facts, intimate stories, and Scripture to paint an honest picture of the current culture in our churches and in our communities in regards to LGBTQA issues. Hatke advocates for inclusivity in the Christian culture. It's goal is to bring light to an issue that many Christians are not willing to encounter. Grateful for Hatke's voice in this space.

Hartke has an easy, conversational style whether he's inspecting Scripture and its historical and cultural contexts or sharing personal stories. Hartke includes conversations with and the experiences of other trans and nonbinary Christians, which ends up giving the book a truly intersectional lens (and that is vital when discussing about trans issues).

Transforming is honest about the ways the church has failed trans and nonbinary folx and the challenges they face. Cis readers will gain insight and hopefully, empathy. But Hartke's infectious optimism combined with plenty of positive experiences shared give the book a hopeful, "share the good news!" tone throughout.

Excellent, necessary book. I'm a Christian, and grew up in a very conservative evangelical environment; one that's not very friendly to LGBT+ people. This book is very well-written and I think every Christian should read this. Mainstream Christianity has not done right by the LGBT+ community, but hopefully this book will help Christians make their churches and their own personal faith more inclusive

As a cisgender person who no longer attends church or is religious, I'm not really the target audience for this book, but I was curious as to what the author had to say. The book is well written and engaging; I read it all in one go. From his time at Bible college and conversations with other trans christians, the author makes a case for the kind of loving, inclusive and life-giving community that I always wished church could be when I used to attend.

In a time when trans people are at huge risk of mental health problems, discrimination and violence, the church- especially the religious right in America- has been right at the forefront helping cause these problems. This book explores the potential for the church to be loving and accepting of minority groups, as Jesus was, and gives real life examples of the benefits which abound when churches live up to this potential, both for trans christians and the church as a whole.

The book would be useful for any christian, trans or cis, whether they know a lot about gender studies or if they feel they have little knowledge of trans issues or how to be supportive and affirming to fellow christians who are trans, or trans people interested in attending or joining their church. The author explains gender related terms which people may be unfamiliar with and addresses both the passages which are often used against trans people (he calls them "clobber passages") and also goes beyond this to explore biblical parallels for trans people's experiences and the way they can and should be welcomed in to the church to enjoy community and abundant life that Jesus promised.

There is a section at the end with practical advice for churches looking to be more inclusive, cis allies looking to help educate their church and make it a more welcoming place for trans people, and for trans people on how to find a safe and supportive church to join. This last section is very US-centric, but hopefully future editions will include suggestions from readers in other countries too.