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    Secret Thoughts of an Unlikely Convert: An English Professor's Journey into Christian Faith
    Secret Thoughts of an Unlikely Convert: An English Professor's Journey into Christian Faith
    Secret Thoughts of an Unlikely Convert: An English Professor's Journey into Christian Faith
    Audiobook7 hours

    Secret Thoughts of an Unlikely Convert: An English Professor's Journey into Christian Faith

    Written by Rosaria Champagne Butterfield

    Narrated by Rosaria Champagne Butterfield

    4.5/5

    ()

    About this audiobook

    Rosaria, by the standards of many, was living a very good life. She had a tenured position at a large university in a field for which she cared deeply. She owned two homes with her partner, in which they provided hospitality to students and activists that were looking to make a difference in the world. In the community, Rosaria was involved in volunteer work. At the university, she was a respected advisor of students and her department's curriculum. Then, in her late 30's, Rosaria encountered something that turned her world upside down--the idea that Christianity, a religion she had regarded as problematic and sometimes downright damaging, might be right about who God was. That idea seemed to fly in the face of the people and causes that she most loved. What follows is a story of what she describes as a train wreck at the hand of the supernatural. These are her secret thoughts about those events, written as only a reflective English professor could.
    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherChristianAudio.com
    Release dateNov 15, 2013
    ISBN9781610458214
    Secret Thoughts of an Unlikely Convert: An English Professor's Journey into Christian Faith

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    Reviews for Secret Thoughts of an Unlikely Convert

    4.5/5

    286 ratings26 reviews

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    • 5/5
      Absolutely beautiful writing! I will be listening again! Thank you Rosaria for your openness, humility and desire to see Gods kingdom exalted
    • 5/5
      A helpful read for someone who has grown up in the church as well as those considering Christianity. I am encouraged to examine my own belief structures, love well , and live more sacrificially.
    • 5/5
      Very compelling! Loved hearing Rosaria read it. Highly recommend this book!
    • 5/5
      I'm a construction worker who listens to audiobooks while I work for 8 hours a day. This one was most encouraging and slowed my work down when I had to wipe tears from my eyes multiple times a day.
    • 4/5
      The honesty of this book is refreshing. The author’s raw emotions are heart felt and real. I appreciated the portion about the dangers of a fear-based theology, and her reasoning caused me to question my own theology, and why I believe in the things I believe.
    • 5/5
      Amazing book and testimony! So many rich truths. God is good!
    • 5/5
      An enjoyable life testimony! It's wonderful to see how God works behing the scenes in people's lives.
    • 4/5
      I really enjoyed the author’s testimony before and after her conversion to Christianity. It’s frank, honest and answers a lot of questions I’ve wondered about feminists, liberals and the LGQTB community. Full of compassion and exhortation to love others biblically. I only rated it 4 stars because there was such a jump from her conversion story to fostering and homeschooling. It felt like I had picked up another book. Really enjoyed this and highly recommend it!
    • 5/5
      I really enjoyed this book and hearing the author’s story. So grateful for her honesty and vulnerability in choosing to share it!
    • 5/5
      I loved this book. As an adoptive parent of two special needs children, I felt as though this woman understands the world I live in.

      Additionally, as I was experiencing here testimony. I felt that wanted to sit at her feet and listen. I wanted to gleam every nugget of true that was evidenced by sound doctrine and truth revealed to her by the Holy Spirit.
      Read this book. It is a must.
    • 5/5
      It’s great it helped me understand to be more understanding and how to achieve it.
    • 5/5
      This was such an amazing story of how God changes us and leads us down the roads he chooses for his children.
    • 5/5
      Thank you, Mrs. Butterfield, for sharing very personal testimony that I believe God prepared you to share. This is the very first audiobook I have ever heard and I am very pleased with the recommendation from a friend to read this book. In my search for the readable version, I came across this audio version. You testimony of God’s love and the honest acknowledgment of how painful it was to make public the beginning of your new journey in Christ at all cost is truly inspiring, and you did not stop there. You radically applied it to every aspect of your new life as a repentant Christian woman. God used your testimony to help me with answers to some of my own questions. May the grace of the Heavenly Father and peace and love of Jesus His Son and the Savior continue anointing you and your precious family with the power of the Holy Ghost in every member’s service to Him. Keep the faith, sister in Christ.

      What a truly and exceptionally inspirational book, and you sing those hymns beautifully!
    • 4/5
      "The Secret Thoughts of an Unlikely Convert" recounts the unlikely story of Rosaria Butterfield's conversion to Christianity. In the late '90s, Butterfield was living a contented life as a lesbian professor of English at Syracuse University specializing in "Queer Theory." Butterfield describes herself at the time as not just a lesbian, but a lesbian activist, who viewed Christians as "bad thinkers" and "bad readers" who "bring the Bible into a conversation to stop the conversation, not deepen it."

      Despite being entrenched in a worldview and lifestyle almost as far as one could be on the opposite end of the spectrum from classical Christianity, Butterfield's intention to write a a book about the rise of the religious right set her down a path which ultimately led to her conversion to Christianity. Along with that conversion she ultimately abandoned her lesbianism, feminism, and even her job to become, in her words, just as much of an "out Christian" as she had previously been an "out lesbian."

      But "The Secret Thoughts of an Unlikely Convert" ends up being about much more than just Butterfield's conversion. I estimate that close to 50% of the book is about her post-conversion life as a member of the Reformed Presbyterian church, her marriage to pastor Kent Butterfield, adoption and foster care, and homeschooling. Most of this is simply Butterfield sharing the facts and events of her life with a light explanation of the Biblical ideals which have driven her in these directions after her conversion.

      While I doubt someone in a similar position to Butterfield prior to her conversion would find the book to be a convincing case for converting to Christianity, I would guess that was not Butterfield's intention in writing it. Viewed as simply a autobiographical account of how God can work transforming miracles in even the most hardened sinner, I feel "The Secret Thoughts of an Unlikely Convert" is a success. While I disagree with some of her theological positions--the view that church gatherings should only sing Psalms, for example--there are no issues serious enough to deter me from recommending this book to Christians or non-Christians.
    • 5/5
      The author speaks with such clarity, wisdom and honesty with her words and voice. I found her narration riveting and at time did not want to pull myself away from listening.
    • 5/5
      I loved how she shared her heart. She was very real about her experiences. Great book!
    • 5/5
      Wow, powerful. As a fellow foster mom myself I thoroughly enjoyed this brave story.
    • 5/5
      An incredible testimony. Deep insights and even deeper thoughts - REAL.

      I recommend this book to anyone, regardless of background or belief but please keep in mind, this is a Christian book based on Biblical Truth.

      Some will find it offensive.

      I pray that you chase the thoughts and mine the truths to the inevitable conclusion - God is Holy!
    • 5/5
      This was such a well told story of this author's life story. It was very thought provoking and challenging to me. She is a lady I would love to meet someday. Rosaria was living a very good life as a tenured professor at a large university. She was respected and looked up to by folks in her community of friends. But in her late 30s she encountered the idea of Christianity; "a religion she had regarded as problematic and sometimes downright damaging". But she will come to realize that what they thought about God might be true. Her sudden change in life-style and her testimony for the Lord will greatly affect her friendships. But the transformation and the love and family that follows was a joy to read about. Here is a woman who said herself, "Sometimes in crisis, . . .sometimes our character is simply transformed." I thank the Lord for her testimony and for this book that I read.
    • 4/5
      Rosaria Champagne Butterfield went from being a lesbian feminist university professor to a preacher’s wife and homeschooling mother. This book is the story of her spiritual journey. In a time when many on opposite sides of cultural and political divides cannot manage to be civil to one another, it is refreshing to read about the open and respectful dialogue Butterfield experienced with her new acquaintances in the Reformed Presbyterian Church. Butterfield recognizes the difference between cheap and costly grace. Her conversion to Christianity came at the cost of cherished friendships, career, and community. The themes of repentance and hospitality stand out in this memoir, and hospitality is the major theme of the additional content in the expanded edition.
    • 4/5
      This is an amazing book on how God transforms lives. The author of this book was a radical,lesbian,tenured English professor. Today she is a Christian, has a husband, and home schools her children. The book chronicles her thoughts as she went through this transformation. In reading this book I was constantly reminded of 2 Corinthians 5:17 "Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come."
      I read this book on my Kindle. If anyone else with a Kindle would like to read this book, I can loan it to you. All I need is your email address, and I can send it to your Kindle.
    • 5/5
      This is a forthright and compelling narrative.
      I could not put it down!
      Highly recommended!
    • 4/5
      Amazing testimony that shows the power of what can happen when the church does what the church should do. It's short. Read it! You won't be sorry.
    • 5/5
      A quite surprising book. I was tempted to give only four stars due to the author’s insistence on exclusive psalmody, but as I have some sympathy to that position, and principally because she is so honest, candid, well informed and just plain wonderful both about her conversion and her maturing as a Christian woman, wife & mother, I took an average with the six starts I wanted to give and arrived at five…
    • 4/5
      I cannot remember where I first heard about this book. I skim about 15 blogs a day and have Twitter and Facebook friends who post cool items all the time, so it is escaping me as to where I first learned about this book. And I am pretty sad about that because I feel an overwhelming urge to thank that person. Maybe it was here, or here, or here. Nonetheless, God, through Mrs. Butterfield and through that recommendation, truly blessed me. Greatly. Immensely. Amazingly.

      Here is the publisher's description of the book:
      Rosaria, by the standards of many, was living a very good life. She had a tenured position at a large university in a field for which she cared deeply. She owned two homes with her partner, in which they provided hospitality to students and activists that were looking to make a difference in the world. There, her partner rehabilitated abandoned and abused dogs. In the community, Rosaria was involved in volunteer work. At the university, she was a respected advisor of students and her department's curriculum. And then, in her late 30s, Rosaria encountered something that turned her world upside down-the idea that Christianity, a religion that she had regarded as problematic and sometimes downright damaging, might be right about who God was, an idea that flew in the face of the people and causes that she most loved. What follows is a story of what she describes as a "train wreck" at the hand of the supernatural. These are her secret thoughts about those events, written as only a reflective English professor could.

      This book is encouraging and moving. It is startling in its honesty and its perspective. This book is a quote machine but it does not sacrifice substance for pith. It addresses a wide range of contemporary issues, not the least of which is how God moved her from Lesbianism and, even more importantly, a post modern skepticism that had left her disillusioned with the central truth claims of Biblical Christianity. The story of her conversion is messy, sad, encouraging and exciting. It is brilliantly written and greatly God-honoring.

      I did have a solitary problem with the book. I was concerned with, and put off at times with, how the Regulative Principle of worship was handled. Two issues concerned me. First, the Regulative Principle was presented as the only viable, Biblical approach to Christian worship and that it was definitely the only one that faithfully lived out Sola Scriptura.

      Secondly, and much more of an issue, was the fact that I was bewildered to see such an extensive discussion on this topic in this text. I feel it does a disservice to the book and will cause many who take up reading it to put it down and not return. I, personally, love reading about topics such as this and I was still tempted to abandon it because of the time spent on the topic and the manner in which it was approached. Which is sad. The remaining pages are filled with Gospel-drenched counsel, encouraging stories and a call to reach the unloved unlike any I have ever seen. It encouraged me to continue in the path God has placed before me and my family and challenged me in how I reach out to the hurting and the unloved. I praise God that I pressed through on the Regulative Principle pages and saw the gold awaiting me at the end of this book.

      Doug Wilson, on his blog, noted something special about the book.
      ...while the book is relatively short, it is jammed with passing observations that are priceless. She is a wise woman with a good eye. Not only does she have a good eye, she has a trained outsider's eye. She was converted out of the world, and grafted into Christ. Her description of that is glorious. But she was also converted out of one tribe, and grafted into another tribe, a reality which gave her a good perspective on which aspects of our behavior (in the conservative Reformed world) were about Jesus, and which ones were merely tribal . . . and kind of odd. Consequently, there are observational gems throughout the book, usually just a sentence or two, but which could be developed into chapters or books all on their own. Pay attention to those.
      I cannot think of a better endorsement than the fact that I have already gifted a copy of this book. And, though my "To Be Read" list is immense(and ridiculously impossible, to be honest), I will read this book again. It is that good. To quote Doug Wilson, "Gosh, what a book."
      And Carl Trueman's take is equally appropriate(from a GREAT review of the book),
      I cannot recommend this book highly enough. I do not agree with everything she says; but I did learn from everything she wrote. It deserves the widest possible readership.
      Couldn't say it better myself.
    • 5/5
      A story of conversion to Christ is always refreshing and encouraging, but the story of Rosaria Champagne Butterfield is more than that, it is faith-restoring. Her story reminds evangelical Christians that the saving power of the gospel really is bigger than the contemporary “threat” of homosexuality. The book addresses the homosexual question from the inside out, and illustrates what an incarnated gospel ministry and a church full of people who have the compassion of Christ can accomplish through Christ.Rosaria Champagne was a tenured English professor and chair of feminist studies, at Syracuse University. She was also an outspoken lesbian. She was up and coming and making a name for herself. But then, she was abruptly stopped in her tracks through an encounter with a kind Reformed pastor who took the time to interact with her on a column she had written in the paper. She didn’t know how to classify his letter, it didn’t fit in the fan mail category, nor was it hate mail. Eventually she was drawn into a friendly exchange with him and slowly he began to shatter her perceptions about Christianity. Over time, she was drawn to faith in Jesus Christ, and slowly came to reject her identity as a lesbian and found new life in Christ.Her story is told with honesty and charm in an autobiographical account titled "The Secret Thoughts of an Unlikely Convert: An English Professor's Journey into Christian Faith." In her book, Rosaria Butterfield recounts her conversion and her growth in understanding the Scriptures. She recounts the struggle it was to be accepted as a redeemed lesbian in conservative Reformed circles. She shares her struggles and misteps in forming healthy relationships, and shares some of her steps on the way to marriage. She recounts her husband’s ministry and her involvement as a ministry partner and home-schooling mother. She also opines about problems she sees in Evangelicalism, including our modern obsession with our rights to sex. She also defends exclusive psalmody in worship.This “unlikely convert” speaks with a disarming grace, that educates, inspires and aims to help us all change. She attacks the hidden part of us which may loathe the homosexual, and illustrates how genuine ministry will be messy and will prize making a difference above staying safe. Her story is a call to the church to come out of her cocoon and take the saving gospel of Jesus to the world around us.I listened to the ChristianAudio production of this book. The recording was extra special in that Rosaria read her own book. The emotion and flavor of the audio recording was certainly enhanced with the author as narrator. The book is quite short, but profound. I highly recommend it. It will challenge and inspire, encourage and perhaps unsettle. Above all, it will magnify Christ.Disclaimer: This book was provided by christianaudio.com as part of the christianaudio Reviewers Program. The reviewer was under no obligation to offer a positive review.