Struggling in Good Faith: LGBTQI Inclusion from 13 American Religious Perspectives (Paperback)

A multifaceted sourcebook telling the powerful story of reconciliation, celebration and struggle for LGBTQI inclusion across the American religious landscape.

"No matter what stage in the process of change, religious belief is unveiled in all its dynamism in this book.... Wrestling with issues and struggling for better understanding of one's fellow human beings is at the center of every religion, no matter how old or new, narrow or expansive, Western or Eastern, that religion is. The struggle itself is a sign of life in these religious endeavors, and with life there is hope."
―from the Foreword by Bishop Gene Robinson

We are at a critical turning point in American religious and political life over LGBTQI inclusion. How each spiritual community approaches the question will profoundly impact the American political and social climate of the future. This accessible resource explores thirteen faith traditions that wrestle with LGBTQI inclusion, documenting the challenges and transformation of American religion.

Faith Traditions Covered: The Black Church • Buddhism • The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (Mormon) • The Episcopal Church • First Nations (Native American) • Hinduism • Judaism • The Lutheran Church • Islam • The Presbyterian Church • Protestant Evangelical Traditions • The Roman Catholic Church • Unitarian Universalism

Mychal Copeland, MTS, speaks and writes about the inclusion of LGBTQI people and interfaith families in religious life. As Bay Area director of InterfaithFamily, she helps couples navigate diversity of religious and cultural backgrounds, and as rabbi at Stanford University, she led multifaith and Jewish student groups exploring the intersections between religion and sexuality. She also served at Congregation Beit Simchat Torah in New York City, the world's largest LGBTQI synagogue.

D'vorah Rose, BCC, a multifaith healthcare chaplain, rabbi and palliative care and hospice nurse, consults with and advises healthcare institutions throughout the United States and internationally on the intersections of religious and cultural diversity, pluralism and healthcare status, with a specific focus on historically underserved communities, including LGBTQI patients and healthcare providers.

Ani Zonneveld is founder and president of Muslims for Progressive Values. She is also coeditor of Progressive Muslim Identities: Personal Stories from the U.S. and Canada.

The Rt. Rev. V. Gene Robinson was the ninth Episcopal bishop of New Hampshire, being the first openly gay, partnered priest to become a bishop in historic Christianity. He is currently a senior fellow at the Center for American Progress, Washington, DC.