“A Time to be Silent, and a Time to Speak” : Finding my Voice in the Volatile World of my Religious Childhood

Abstract

The author presents an original piece of creative nonfiction in six chapters that revisits her childhood in the Christian Reformed Church and Christian schools. “In telling my story, it is my goal to explore both the benefits and deficits of this set of teachings, as well as to make a statement for the first time about where I now stand and what I believe to be true. The following chapters are topics on which I have long been accumulating experiences and opinions, and on which I wish to share my thoughts and memories to you--whether you are from a background similar to mine, or you are on the outside looking in.” She responds to the tenets of Calvinism, and how that community approaches race, education, gender, sexuality, LGBTQ rights, and youth participation in the church.