Rosaria Champagne Butterfield's The Secret Thoughts of an Unlikely Convert: An English Professor's Journey into Christian Faith ~ Reviewed

The Secret Thoughts of an Unlikely Convert: An English Professor's Journey into Christian Faith
By Rosaria Champagne Butterfield
Crown & Covenant Publications
2012
ISBN B0097G05F8


BACK COVER:


Rosaria, by the standards of many, was living a very good life. She had a tenured position at a large university in a field for which she cared deeply. She owned two homes with her partner, in which they provided hospitality to students and activists that were looking to make a difference in the world. There, her partner rehabilitated abandoned and abused dogs. In the community, Rosaria was involved in volunteer work. At the university, she was a respected advisor of students and her department's curriculum. And then, in her late 30s, Rosaria encountered something that turned her world upside down-the idea that Christianity, a religion that she had regarded as problematic and sometimes downright damaging, might be right about who God was, an idea that flew in the face of the people and causes that she most loved. What follows is a story of what she describes as a "train wreck" at the hand of the supernatural. These are her secret thoughts about those events, written as only a reflective English professor could.

MY REVIEW:

First off, I'm not usually a non-fiction reader. Oh, I slog through several a year because "they're good for you." Whatever. This one, however, didn't take much slogging because it reads more like a story.

Probably because it is.

The Secret Thoughts of An Unlikely Convert reads like a piece of fiction because it is the story of Rosaria Champagne Butterfield's life. She is a highly intellectual woman with the skill of breaking down lofty thoughts into words that the average Joe can understand (no offense to any Joseph's out there). Coming from a lesbian background, she tells about her conversion to Christianity. It's quite the life changing event.

She offers insight on many topics besides homosexuality, such as worship, homeschooling, and adoption. If you're looking for a fresh perspective on these issues, give this book a whirl.

Reviewed by: Michelle Griep