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In her sermon last Sunday, Pastor Alison shared about how impactful it was — during her years at Union Theological Seminary — to learn from classmates who came from a wide variety of Christian traditions. Alison said this: "[Prior to seminary] I had primarily spent time in evangelical and post-evangelical contexts. So, while I had become quite familiar with how things worked in those particular worlds, I hadn’t had much exposure to how diverse Christianity really is — how many different expressions of Christianity have existed throughout history, around the world, and even in our own country right now. Part of what I found so exciting about this discovery was that it challenged the narrative that any one group of people — no matter how big or loud they are — owns the Way of Jesus. I also found it really heartening to realize that I wasn’t alone in the questions I was asking or the yearnings I had for a more beautiful, liberative expression of Christianity than the dominant versions we see represented in our media today. It was so encouraging to me to discover that Christians have been wrestling with doubts and questions since the beginning of the faith; that there is actually great diversity of thought within the Christian tradition; and that there is so much wisdom to be gleaned from fellow travelers who have walked and are walking the Way of Jesus in the world." This week's resource, Holy Troublemakers & Unconventional Saints, is one that can help us learn from and be encouraged by a range of Christian role models, as well as "people of diverse faiths working for more love, kindness, and justice in their corners of the world, even when that means rocking the religious boat." The book is marketed as middle-grade nonfiction (ages 9 and up), but in our experience it is also great for teens and adults. We used the companion curriculum with RiverYouth a few years back and it was an enriching experience for our youth and our adult volunteers alike!  About the Book
Holy Troublemakers & Unconventional Saints is an illustrated children's book about people of diverse faiths working for more love, kindness, and justice in their corners of the world, even when that means rocking the religious boat. With original portraits from more than two dozen artists and engaging profiles of people from different faiths and different eras, these are stories that inspire, educate, challenge, and encourage. (There is now a companion curriculum also available for home or church use.) Some of the people featured in this book are well known, like the beloved St. Francis of Assisi (a favorite of Hufflepuffs everywhere for his love of animals), who gave up a wealthy inheritance to serve the poor, Rumi, the Sufi poet, and Thich Nhat Hanh, the beloved teacher who developed the concept of engaged Buddhism. Some are well known, but the deep faith motivating their work is lesser known, such as Harriet Tubman, Florence Nightingale, and Mr. Rogers. Others are less known such as Bayard Rustin, an American Quaker whose role in the civil rights movement of the 1960s is often downplayed because he was a gay man; Maryam Molkara, an Iranian Muslim transgender rights advocate; and Regina Jonas, the first female rabbi to be ordained whose story was almost lost to history. In particular, Holy Troublemakers & Unconventional Saints emphasizes the stories of women, LGBTQ people, people of color, Indigenous people, and others who are too often written out of religious narratives. These stories move us towards more love and a faith that works for the common good of us all. Holy Troublemakers & Unconventional Saints is a middle-grade nonfiction (ages 9 and up) book. You can read several sample profiles here. About the Author This book is written by Daneen Akers, a writer, producer, teacher, and mother who believes deeply in the power of stories. Her past projects have explored faith, identity, and belonging. She is the mother of two children who are the true inspiration for this book. Daneen found that most of the books she’d read as a child that had anything to do with faith were not compatible with the type of faith she now has as an adult and parent. She knew she needed better stories for her own children, stories that help us transcend fears, connect with each other, engage in justice, and model an expansive and fully inclusive view of the Divine. She'd removed a lot of faith-based materials from her home that no longer fit, but she realized there weren't a lot of options for replacing those resources. As a storyteller, the clearest place for her to start adding back to their bookshelves was to tell stories about people of faith who have been motivated by a vision of a loving, just, and compassionate Divine, people whose faith works for the common good of us all. Some of Daneen’s previous projects include the Seventh-Gay Adventists documentary and Outspoken short documentary film series. About the Publisher Holy Troublemakers & Unconventional Saints is published by Watchfire Media, a nonprofit 501(c)(3) public charity. Watchfire Media produces life-affirming, spiritually expansive books and films for the spiritually unconventional who have children in their lives whom they want to be comfortable with the big questions of faith and meaning, awed by the beauty of the world and her people, and ultimately committed to love, kindness, courage, and justice. Free Copies As part of our non-profit mission, we are happy to be able to offer a free copy of Holy Troublemakers & Unconventional Saints to anyone who would like this book as a resource but for whom funds are a challenge currently. Just use the Contact page to send us a mailing address (or an email to send a free digital version to for non-U.S. mailing addresses). Thanks to our donors who make this program possible.
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