The River Beyond the Dam (Paperback or Softback)

A modern, ex-Christian, tree-hugging American woman comes up against a strange wish for church—but only if it could be radically different from what she’s known. It would have to be one steeped in women’s equality and freedom of thought. Unexpectedly, she finds herself on a journey like a canoe trip. The journey will heal her past, widen her present world, and offer hope for the future. Guided by her experiences in river canoeing—navigating the river, learning its currents, and riding its sparkling energy—her story unfolds through twelve years of pointed questions, congenial fellow travelers, and zesty discoveries.
She experiences firsthand what she cannot get from a solo journey, including what it is to support Native Americans, and how Black womanist theology can make her a better white ally of Black women. Paddling the river, she is helped around fallen trees of biblical mistranslation and anti-woman dogma. After a cold-water crash, she repairs her canoe and emerges joyful again with a new, more flexible strength. Looking ahead, she follows clues about how the river is changing other churches—renewing and making them better neighbors and climate activists.