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Stumbling
a sassy memoir about coming out of evangelicalism
If you’re happily sitting in church on Sundays and contentedly attending Bible study on Thursdays, you’ll likely hate this book. However, if you doubt and you’re angry, if you’re confused and hurting, if Sundays feel weird and the word “Christian” makes you wince, this book is for you.
As millions exit the church due to its politics and treatment of LGBTQ+ people, Flanery brings us Stumbling: A Sassy Memoir about Coming Out of Evangelicalism, giving us a glimpse into why he and others are leaving and to show us the hope he’s found on the other side.
Flanery drank deep of the evangelical waters: growing up in a megachurch, working as a missionary and pastor, all while wearing a purity ring and Relient K t-shirt. Flanery gave his life to the church, but everything changed once he came out.
Using moving and candid anecdotes, Flanery shares stories of hitchhiking and sex, betrayal and forgiveness, despair and hope, all with a sarcastic-yet-sincere sense of humor that will have you snort laughing about religious trauma. Ultimately, it’s a story of rediscovering and forging oneself post-evangelicalism, inviting you, the reader, to find your own way, a way that’s absolutely not perfect but definitely good. Happy stumbling!
Praise for Stumbling…
“I haven’t read a more honest, vulnerable, and therefore a more delightful and disturbing personal account of a queer believer’s struggle with their own self, spirituality, family, friends, the Church, and their God. I am certain Stumbling will help other LGBTQIA+ Christians through their own stumbling, but I also hope it will help those who cause them to stumble and change their hearts and minds to a posture of love and therefore affirmation.”
David Hayward, a.k.a. NakedPastor, artist and author
“With wit and raw tenderness, Brandon Flanery’s memoir is offered as an invitation into healing for so many other LGBTQ+ Christians who have walked the path of coming out. Flanery offers permission to doubt, rage, and perhaps even find hope in the midst.”
Rachel McClair, author and co-pastor of Highlands Church, Denver
“Raw, riveting, and healing. Stumbling is an intimate and inspiring look into the Flanery’s journey through the rigid and repressive world of evangelical faith towards authenticity and an expansive faith as a queer wanderer. His writing is captivating, his experiences enthralling, and the lessons he shares are truly universal. If you’re on a journey through the deconstruction of your religious identity, this book will serve as a much needed companion along the way. Flanery is a wise guide and this book is a true gift.”
Brandan Robertson, pastor and author of Dry Bones and Holy Wars
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