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Coming Out Spiritually: The Next Step |  | Author: Christian de la Huerta
Creator: Matthew Fox
Publisher: Tarcher
Category: Book
List Price: $15.95
Buy Used: $3.08
as of 9/8/2010 03:18 CDT details
You Save: $12.87 (81%)
Seller: media-prime
Rating:  reviews
Format: Bargain Price
Media: Paperback
Pages: 256
Number Of Items: 1
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.6
Dimensions (in): 8.8 x 6 x 0.7
Dewey Decimal Number: 291.17835766
ASIN: B001G8WL5M
Publication Date: May 24, 1999
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
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| Editorial Reviews:
Amazon.com Review
Coming Out Spiritually is structured by author Christian de la Huerta's idea that gay people have traditionally assumed 10 spiritual roles or archetypes, and continue to assume them today. These include, among others, "creator of beauty," "mediator," "shaman," and "healer." This understanding of gay people's spirituality draws on a number of religious traditions, including Buddhism, Christianity, Hinduism, Judaism, Sufism, and Taoism. After establishing his theoretical understanding of gay spirituality, de la Huerta suggests spiritual practices (ranging from meditation to healing to Sufi dancing) that can help readers achieve greater spiritual integrity. Perhaps the most interesting passages in the book consider how sex itself can express spiritual devotion. "When we learn to reunite sex and Spirit in our lives, we will experience change and healing beyond our wildest dreams," de la Huerta writes. Coming Out Spiritually describes a mode of spirituality that has previously been explored in the work of Andrew Harvey and Matthew Fox, among others. Christian de la Huerta is equally passionate, and his message--that the coming-out process, when understood in spiritual terms, never ends--is an important one. This book may be a bit confusing to gay people just beginning to come out. (Like Harvey and Fox, de la Huerta sometimes uses jargon that obscures his arguments.) For gay people who have a pretty good sense of who they are, however, Coming Out Spiritually can be an important resource for continuing the process of learning to live honestly with their desires. --Michael Joseph Gross
Product Description
A spiritual leader in the gay community delivers a clear perspective and an optimistic and ambitious vision of the role gay people can play in the world for the benefit of all.
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| Customer Reviews:
 Must read for anyone seeking own spiritual identity April 2, 2010
Miriam Esther (Watertown, Massachusetts United States)
'Coming Out Spiritually' is the unique spiritual guide, and indispensable encyclopedia of living spiritual landscape of humanity. Anyone looking for clarity and advancement in their personal growth and fulfillment, queer and non-queer alike, will find themselves transformed by it. Concise and lively written, this masterpiece is, indeed, 'The Next Step' in our spiritual evolution.
First published more than 10 years ago, in it's eighth printing now, this book continues to inspire, change lives and empower. If you want to know what and who you are, and get crystal clarity about your purpose in life, simply read it: Coming Out Spiritually: The Next Step
A masterful, indispensable tool for self-empowerment September 7, 2008
William Courson (Berea, Kentucky USA)
8 out of 8 found this review helpful
"Coming Out Spiritually" by Christian de la Huerta was named one of its top ten religion books of 1999 by Publisher's Weekly. Now in its eighth printing, the book has provided gay and lesbian people and their friends and allies with a thorough and thoughtful synthesis of their queer and spiritual selves.
Born in Cuba, de la Huerta is a passionate proponent of the special role he sees gays and lesbians playing in today's society. He believes that gays and lesbians are meant to be catalysts for the world's spiritual evolution, and that the time has come for them to embrace this joyous responsibility. Graduating with honors from Tulane University, the author has been a therapist and group facilitator for the past dozen years and is founder and president of "Q-Spirit", an international network of gays and lesbians in spirituality.
For many years, de la Huerta contends, gays and lesbians have been forced by organized religion to separate their sexual identities from their spiritual identities. The resulting spiritual fragmentation, according to the author, has been devastating to gay people and barely less costly to their larger community. This book discusses a number of ways of "coming out," focusing on a spiritual foundation for that process.
De la Huerta begins his book with a story from taken from a meeting of people from around the world intending to form an organization known as United Religions (a faith-based analogue of the United Nations), with a purpose of finding common ground among the world's religious traditions. At this conference the author spoke about the "Wild Faith," the queer spiritual tradition and about including gay people in the orgaization's efforts. From the positive reception de la Huerta received, he continued discussions and developed a methodology and resources for this book
According to de la Huerta, homosexual and other gender-variant people have always served a spiritual function in their communities, particularly in times of radical social transformation. Like physicians, they are (and always have been) there to preside over the death of the old, assuring a peaceful and pain-free passing; like midwives, they attend the birth of the new, assuring a safe delivery and a welcome into the world. The author elaborates ten specific ways in which gay people and other gender-variant folk have for millenia lent their spiritual gifts to the world, presenting evidence of these roles (copiously documented and substantiated with a wealth of footnotes) throughout history and in different cultures: these archetypes include the Transformer, the Outsider, the Risk-Taker, the Sacred Clown, the Preserver of Beauty, the Caregiver, the Mediator, the Priest/Shaman, the Divine Androgyne and the Gatekeeper.
"Coming Out spiritually" introduces readers to many of the world's religions, including Buddhism, Christianity, Hinduism, Judaism, Sufism, and Taoism, and investigates the teachings of these traditions and their attitudes towards homosexuality. The large majority of books published on the subject of queer spirituality are written from an exclusively or predominantly Christian or Judaeo-Christian point of view.
Happily, in this book there is included an exploration of a wide variety of faiths and belief systems. This is one of the few books encountered that doesn't use the adjectives "religious" and "spiritual" as interchangeable synonyms, clarifying the fact that spirituality is a quality that comes from within rather than - as is the case with 'religion' - from without, a phenomenon tied to the trappings of dogma and creeds that institutionalized religions expound. Because of the great - often, lethal - injury that some organized religions have inflicted (and continue to inflict) upon sexual minorities, many in our community have closed themselves off to the very essential and very human spiritual sides of themselves. In essence, by associating spirituality only with religion, our kindred have metaphorically "throw the baby out with the bathwater."
This is one of the most important books I have read on the subject of queer spirituality, or spirituality generally, in a good many years. I heartily recommend it to students of queer history, particularly in its spiritual aspect, for individuals curious as to what they (we) bring to the world in terms of distinctive and important spiritual gifts, and - particularly - for queer folk who have been injured by protracted exposure to all-too-abundant toxic religion and have turned their attention away from their spiritual selves.
Christian de la Huerta has authored a masterful, indispensable, tool for gay self-empowerment.
My Revew of Conming Out Spirtually July 11, 2007
John Simonian (WOODSIDE, NY United States)
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
I feel that the author has made a signifcant positive contribution in my journey of self acceptance and self love as a gay person. The book puts into perspective the worlds's religions. It shows that religion and sexuality are not mutually exclusive. It serves as another portal to understanding religion undiluted by messages of self hatred and guilt.
I have found my place in the spiritual world July 9, 2007
Nora OConnor (Los Angeles, CA United States)
I had the honor of listening to Christian de la Huerta speak and discuss Coming Out Spiritually, The Next Step. I bought the book for two reasons: The Title and the Gay Man behind the title. This was "The Next Step" for me ... I had struggled and been brought to my knees time and time again as I walked the bumpy road of fully embracing myself (and "coming out") as a beautiful lesbian. Now, I needed to fully find my place in spirituality and "come out" again - as a spiritual lesbian. I listened to (and watched) Mr. de la Huerta speak about his journey and how the book Coming Out Spiritually came to be ... he was articulate, passionate, engaging, intelligent, easy going, touchable and loveable. I felt all of this from my seat in the audience. I not only was eager to read his book (and get his autograph) but I wanted this beautiful gay man in my life. The same stunning man I listened to - came fully alive in each page of his book. It's an accessible book - that made me think, challenged my religious beliefs, helped me create spiritual beliefs & values, and made me thirsty for more queer spiritual knowledge. I thoroughly enjoyed reading The Faces and Passion. I am learning how to bring together sex and spirit. Also, Appendix 1 - was very educational (A Quick Guide to the World's Spiritual Traditions for Queer Seekers). Finally, Mr. de la Huerta drove me to understand my place in the world as a queer person of faith. I knew that it was time to "Come Out Spiritually." I grew to step more fully into my role as a queer spiritual healer. I carry no shame as I talk freely about my role in the world as a spiritual lesbian. I have read and re-read Coming Out Spiritually over the years. I have bought this book for dozen of friends over the years. Please give yourself the gift of purchasing this book ... Give yourself a chance to go to The Next Step and find your place as a queer spiritual person. Allow this Mr. de la Huerta to be your guide ...
Stunning Tool June 19, 2007
W. Bailey (Avon, CT USA)
1 out of 2 found this review helpful
Christian's prose inspires our community and opens our hearts and soul's to who we are. I highly recommend this book to serve as a handbook for your journey, referring back, again and again. Thank you Christian for writing such a pertinent work.
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