Content BOOK REVIEW - Sanctified: An Anthology of Poetry for LGBT Christians, Edited by Justin Canon
Last Updated on Monday, 27 October 2008 09:59 Written by Ashley Wildes Friday, 24 October 2008 23:00
The anthology, that tricky blend of writing that only a few editors can manage to get right, is sometimes a cache of fantastic writings. Yet, though beating a dead horse, it is used to help gain readership in the sometimes-forgotten world of poetry. This collection, “Sanctified: An Anthology of Poetry by LGBT Christians,” was actually a smart move on the part of editor Justin R. Cannon. For the first time ever, there is poetry presenting the religious journey of the LGBT community.
No longer should lifestyle be the decider of the faithful. Saint Peter will have to find another method for sending people away from those infamous pearly gates. Everyone in this book believes in God, trusts God, and knows that they have every right to do so, regardless of sexuality. Poets such as J. Michael Braiden, in his poem “Irrepressible,” show how an abundance of faith can keep anyone going. Faith should, after all, support personal growth.
New voices in poetry help to define queer theology in the genre of poetry. The Christian God is a God of love. Through praise, through faith, and even through unfounded prejudice, poetry, in this case, can be a means to become closer with Him. In the words of Al-Antony Moody, “… Mercy and Kindness upholds his heavenly throne.”
ISBN 1438247850/9781438247854
Paper $15
http://www.sanctifiedanthology.com
