Timothy Kurek, a Portland, Oregon based author and speaker is tackling some of the front burner issues of our day. His unrestrained style of immersion lends a uniquely empathetic perspective, engaging his audiences with empathy, humor, and refreshing candor.
To contact Timothy: www.Facebook.com/TimothyKurek
The Cross in the Closet
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From the Back Cover
Timothy Kurek, raised within the confines of a strict, conservative Christian denomination in the Bible Belt, Nashville, Tennessee, was taught the gospel of separation from a young age. But it wasn't long before Timothy's path and the outside world converged when a friend came out as a lesbian, and revealed she had been excommunicated by her family. Distraught and overcome with questions and doubts about his religious upbringing, Timothy decided the only way to empathize and understand her pain was to walk in the shoes of very people he had been taught to shun. He decided to come out as a gay man to everyone in his life, and to see for himself how the label of gay would impact his life. In the tradition of Black Like Me, The Cross in the Closet is a story about people, a story about faith, and about one man's "abominable" quest to find Jesus in the margins.
About the Author
Timothy Kurek, a Portland, Oregon based author and speaker is tackling some of the front burner issues of our day. His unrestrained style of immersion lends a uniquely empathetic perspective, engaging his audiences with empathy, humor, and refreshing candor.
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
108 of 111 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
I have held the concept of this book at a distance since I first heard about it. Lying about being gay as a social experiment? I wasn't sure I could endure reading a book that retells the tale of lying about sexuality in order to make a point.
But then I read the book. And I discovered that Timothy Kurek was not conducting a social experiment, but was on a quest, a deeply personal quest to identify with a community of people he once abhorred and condemned. Perhaps in some ways it was also a quest of penance to redeem himself from his past homophobia. The stories he tells certainly thread together into a tapestry of renewed thinking and changed perspective.
Even though I had my qualms about Tim concealing who he really was even to family and friends in his quest of discovering "the other," his storytelling reveals that he was experiencing what many gay citizens around us already know : that concealing who you are is detrimental to your soul. It was a brilliant reversal of a straight man putting his straightness in the closet and acting gay in order to be associated and accepted among the gay community in Nashville. It is well established that many gay men and women act straight for the same reason.
The book is a quick read. Tim is a great storyteller. It's a memoir, not a definitive authority on gay culture or theology which he is quick to point out. Written with candor, grit and stripped of the all-too-familiar sanitized tone of most Christian books, The Cross in the Closet is a refreshing book.
This book could be especially helpful for those who care to see the human drama under all the debates about whether or not being gay is a sin. Tim brings the reader into his quest as he discovers not just the cross in the closet, but also humanity.
But then I read the book. And I discovered that Timothy Kurek was not conducting a social experiment, but was on a quest, a deeply personal quest to identify with a community of people he once abhorred and condemned. Perhaps in some ways it was also a quest of penance to redeem himself from his past homophobia. The stories he tells certainly thread together into a tapestry of renewed thinking and changed perspective.
Even though I had my qualms about Tim concealing who he really was even to family and friends in his quest of discovering "the other," his storytelling reveals that he was experiencing what many gay citizens around us already know : that concealing who you are is detrimental to your soul. It was a brilliant reversal of a straight man putting his straightness in the closet and acting gay in order to be associated and accepted among the gay community in Nashville. It is well established that many gay men and women act straight for the same reason.
The book is a quick read. Tim is a great storyteller. It's a memoir, not a definitive authority on gay culture or theology which he is quick to point out. Written with candor, grit and stripped of the all-too-familiar sanitized tone of most Christian books, The Cross in the Closet is a refreshing book.
This book could be especially helpful for those who care to see the human drama under all the debates about whether or not being gay is a sin. Tim brings the reader into his quest as he discovers not just the cross in the closet, but also humanity.
60 of 65 people found the following review helpful
By David
Format:Paperback
It's not often I find myself interrupting my reading with shouts of "finally a straight guy who gets it!" This is a wonderfully empathic true story about Tim's immersion experiment: living with the label of gay. As a gay man who was raised in the conservative faith I found myself feeling a kinship with Tim as he uncovered the reality of my own frustrations of living, both before and after I came out, as a gay person in the Church and in society. I am certain that this work will be an eye-opening and challenging book to those who are attempting to wrestle with these issues. Thanks, Tim, for being so brave!
36 of 38 people found the following review helpful
Format:Kindle Edition
I am amazed that Tim was able to stick with his commitment through everything. It seems like it would have been so easy to walk away and quit. It is inspiring to see someone care so much about the "other" in his life that he is willing to work so hard to try and understand just a small part of their life. If only more people would do this with other issues in life that separate them from their neighbor. What an inspiration.
Most Recent Customer Reviews
2.0 out of 5 stars
The Crossed-Up Guy in the Closet Should Have Stayed There
It's hard to like a book if you find the main character repugnant, especially if it's written in the first person. Read more
Published 11 days ago by Kathryn C. Newton
5.0 out of 5 stars
Must Read! It could change your life!
Wonderful book! Well written...touching...thought provoking!!! I too, grew up in an extremely religious family & always taught that being gay was like the worst sin ever... Read more
Published 13 days ago by Thomas L. Dalton
5.0 out of 5 stars
An enjoyable and insightful read
I'm not a Christian, so this provided a fascinating insight into a very loving and open Christian mindset. Read more
Published 15 days ago by T. Santamaria
5.0 out of 5 stars
Thought it was brilliant :).
I'm not good at writing reviews, so I hope someone else has justified the review for me :P. Thanks Timmy. I really enjoyed this book :).
Published 15 days ago by viriama
5.0 out of 5 stars
Prepare to have your heart opened wide!
If you can finish reading this account of one man's journey to overcome his own fears, bigotry & blind hatred of the gay community without needing a few tissues, you truly are the... Read more
Published 20 days ago by SteveCampsOut
5.0 out of 5 stars
Beautifully written
I heard the author on a local radio station right before the book was released and since I am an avid non-fiction reader always on the lookout for something new, I picked it up the... Read more
Published 22 days ago by Deborah Ann Frenchik
5.0 out of 5 stars
Though provoking, challenging book.
This man tells a story of how he goes undercover ("in the closet") to live life as a gay man. His revelations about his own shortsightedness and preconceived notions have caused me... Read more
Published 27 days ago by Jackson Hearn
5.0 out of 5 stars
Truly an Amazing Story
This book was just an incredibly brave one to write. Author Timothy Kurek decided to proclaim himself as a gay man for one year – despite being straight – to see what gay men and... Read more
Published 27 days ago by Karie Hoskins
5.0 out of 5 stars
Wonderful and thoughtful insight.
This book has taken on an amazing journey. I am gay, but I do follow the Christian faith, but have always felt like a "second class" citizen for both the reasons. Read more
Published 29 days ago by phantasypoet
5.0 out of 5 stars
I learned a lot from this.
When a person speaks from their own personal experience without much theoretical baggage the work becomes unarguably factual. Read more
Published 1 month ago by David Bean
