Father Shannon Kearns is familiar with liminal spaces. He’s lived in them his whole life. And while his experience as a transgender man has often made it difficult for him to fit in—especially in the context of Christianity—it has also shaped his perspective in important ways on complicated, gender-transgressing aspects of theology and Scripture.
In the Margins weaves stories from Shannon’s life into reflections on well-known biblical narratives—such as Jacob wrestling with the divine, Rahab and the Israelite spies, Ezekiel and the dry bones, and the transfiguration of Jesus. In each chapter, Shannon shows how stories have helped him make sense of his own identity, and how those same stories can unlock the transformative power of faith for those willing to listen with an open mind and stand alongside him in the in-between.
No one ever taught Shannon Kearns how to be a man. As a trans man, Shannon was presumed female at birth and constructed his relationship with masculinity after his transition, using bits and pieces he gathered from the world around him: male behavior, pop culture portrayals, and cultural expectations for men that seemed to be in the air he breathed. But rather than separating him from the experiences of cisgender men, Kearns’s self-taught approach to masculinity connected him with other men in surprising ways. As he lived more and more in the world of men, he discovered that cis men’s relationship to masculinity was similar to his. No one taught them how to be a man either. They worried they were doing it wrong. And they were almost universally worried about being “found out,” exposed as not being a “real man.”
In No One Taught Me How to Be a Man, Kearns takes masculinity head-on. He uses his experience to “see” gender in ways cis men cannot, making masculinity visible. Without arguing that masculinity should be done away with, or that there is no real difference between men and women, he bravely points toward a form of manhood built for the well-being of the world, and for people of all genders.
Right from the start of his time on Earth – Jesus chose to hang out with and work with the most unlikely people. As word spread about his amazing choices and teaching, the invitation was offered: Come and See.
So forget what you think you already know and take up the invitation for yourself – to come and see this Jesus.
Grounded in scholarly understandings of Scripture, and opened up in a way that makes sense today, Come and See tackles questions of fairness, justice, inclusion, friendship, doing the right thing, and care for community.
Journey with Shannon T. L. Kearns in 40 different encounters in the Bible. There are reflections, journaling and action prompts that root the Bible teaching into real life – so ‘Come and See’ how Jesus’ message is just as revolutionary, exciting and relevant today.