Austen Hartke, the author of Transforming: The Bible and the Lives of Transgender Christians, and creator of the YouTube series Transgender and Christian,” will be sharing his experience of coming out as a transgender Christian, at Virginia Wesleyan University on Thursday, November 21 at 11 a.m.
Hartke will share his experiences from his childhood in non-affirming churches to the Bible stories that gave him strength as an adult in seminary in his talk, Transgender and Christian: A Coming Out and Coming Home Story. This event is free, open to the public and is sponsored by the Center for the Study of Religious Freedom and Women’s and Gender Studies at Virginia Wesleyan University.
Hartke is a graduate of Luther Seminary’s Master of Arts program in Old Testament/Hebrew Bible Studies, and is the winner of the 2014 John Milton Prize in Old Testament Writing from the same institution. Austen is a 2019 Bush Foundation Fellow and is currently researching best practices for rural and small-town churches that are interested in becoming LGBTQ2A-affirming. As a transgender person of faith, Austen’s greatest passion is helping other trans and gender-non-conforming people see themselves in scripture.
Immediately following the 11:00 a.m. talk, Hartke will sign copies of his book that may be purchased for $15 each. Check, cash, and credit cards are accepted.
