By Amy L. Peterson
What happens to your faith when your spouse deconverts from the religion you once shared? Stina Kielsmeier-Cook’s debut book Blessed are the Nones: Mixed Faith Marriage and my Search for Spiritual Community offers an intimate glimpse into just such a marriage. Vulnerable and irenic, she shares the way her faith shifted as her husband (who grew up as an evangelical missionary kid) lost his faith. A relationship with an order of nuns in her urban neighborhood expands her understanding of God’s love and calling and helps her trust in the wideness of God’s mercy for us all.  For me—a woman training for ordained ministry in an era where the number of interfaith marriages is growing—this book is invaluable resource, and one I expect to be recommending for years to come.
Kielsmeier-Cook writes:
“Loving each other doesn’t mean giving up our distinct beliefs and practices. Loving each other means we seek to understand and honor what the other holds sacred.”
The book is available here or wherever you buy your books.
What are you reading, listening to, or watching that’s giving you hope right now?
Let us know what’s helping you through and why, and we might feature your suggestion in this series! (If you’re not yet a member of the Faith+Lead Learning Lab, you’ll be prompted to join before sharing.)
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