Coming out of Fundamentalist Christianity: an Autobiography Affirming Sensuality, Social Justice, and the Sacred

Coming out of Fundamentalist Christianity is an autobiographical account of onewoman's journey from growing up in a rigid, troubled fundamentalist Christianhome where she discovered at an early age her attraction to women, and how shesurvived and fled the oppression of her family of origin, later coming to terms withand joyously embracing her sexual orientation and a life-affirming spiritual path. Itis an account of foolish errors and wise choices on the way to embracing all partsof herself and her total humanity-the people, places, and experiences thatshaped those choices and helped form and inform who she is today. Her currentdeep engagement in social justice activism is informed by and echoes herdaunting journey and reverberates through the last section of her book as shetakes to task not only Christian fundamentalism, but what she considers the naïveand irrelevant politics of the gay and lesbian community. Reflecting on her personalexperience she states, "As a young-adult fundamentalist Christian, agonizing overmy sexual orientation, I might have found liberation, comfort, and affirmation had Ihad access to a book that blessed it and illumined its compatibility with myunquenchable heart's desire for the sacred."An honest account of a woman accepting herself as a lesbian despite afundamentalist Christian upbringing. As a gay couple we feel less isolated becauseCarolyn isn't afraid to criticize the LGBT community for their lack of interest incompelling issues beyond same-sex marriage and AIDS.-Philip Botwinick & Tom Nielsen, Organizers of the 2006 Local SolutionsTo The Energy Dilemma Conference, NYC, Woodhaven, New YorkDr. Carolyn Baker's riveting personal experience and keen intellect combine toilluminate the untruths, oppressions and mean-spirited culture that pervades oursociety, politics, and religious institutions."Coming out" stories are legion, and each and every one is to be celebrated. Bakergoes