A refrain heard relentlessly by gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender people of faith is: "God hates fags!" Whether it's hurled as a direct insult or stated more subtly in a "Love the sinner, hate the sin" theology, the message to GLBT ears is the same: "God hates you and so do we!" From this kind of blatant attack, to "ex-gay" ministries, to faith-based arguments for a proposed amendment to the U.S. Constitution against "gay marriage," to the divide in churches like the Episcopal Church over a gay bishop, the faith of gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender people of faith is constantly under assault. In such a toxic religious environment, many GLBT people abandon their faith, believing that God hates them or at the very least will not love them unless they give up or deny their sexual orientation.

Bulletproof Faith: A Spiritual Survival Guide for Gay and Lesbian Christians will help the reader reclaim the spiritual self that criticism from society and religion has led them to give up. There are lots of books on gay and lesbian spirituality and/or Christian faith. Most are apologetics or debate-like responses to Christian conservative viewpoints. But there aren t any books that are simply a guide to being Christian and gay--how to do it, not by having the best apologetic or proof-text but by shoring up the inner life and one s self-esteem as one who is loved by God regardless of what others have to say on the subject. Bulletproof Faith empowers readers to withstand even the most aggressive assaults without fear, doubt, or anger by providing:

*A useful working knowledge of biblical history

*Solid, proven tactics that can be used successfully when faced with an attack

*Spiritual practices (such as meditation and prayer) that enhance and strengthen faith

*Practical tools to discover one's "authentic self": the bulletproof part of each of us

*Guidance on how to turn attacks into opportunities for spiritual growth

The best thing about Bulletproof Faith is that it doesn t argue; instead the author s approach--born out of 10 years of being on the frontlines in the controversies surrounding gay and Christian identity--is to teach readers to draw on their own inner strength and to return abuse with the spiritual Aikido of gentleness, compassion, reverence--and strength.