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{"id":95790,"date":"2015-04-03T21:26:59","date_gmt":"2015-04-04T03:26:59","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/admin.patheos.com\/blogs\/lookingcloser\/?p=95790"},"modified":"2015-04-04T12:04:05","modified_gmt":"2015-04-04T18:04:05","slug":"wearing-god-lauren-winners-new-book-is-full-of-surprises-about-god","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/lookingcloser\/2015\/04\/wearing-god-lauren-winners-new-book-is-full-of-surprises-about-god\/","title":{"rendered":"Wearing God \u2014 Lauren Winner’s New Book is Full of Surprises About God"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<\/head>

These are just a few of the subjects explored in the new book by Lauren F. Winner.\u00a0 Order this book<\/a>\u00a0\u2014\u00a0Wearing God<\/em>\u00a0\u2014\u00a0for yourself, and for those you love.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Full disclosure:<\/em> Lauren Winner \u2014 author of\u00a0Girl Meets God, Mudhouse Sabbath,\u00a0<\/em>and Still \u2014 <\/i>is currently my mentor in Seattle Pacific University\u2019s MFA in Creative Writing program.<\/p>\n

Fuller disclosure:<\/em> She was one of several who encouraged me to enroll in the program, as a master\u2019s degree might open new doors for me and my writing in the future.\u00a0At the time, I was intent on pursuing my degree in fiction, but circumstances led me to change my mind, and now I am delighted to discover that Lauren Winner is now my MFA mentor. So one might be led to suspect that I\u2019ll promote her books in order to\u00a0win her favor. One would be\u00a0wrong <\/em>about that,\u00a0<\/em>but still.<\/p>\n

Even fuller disclosure:<\/em> I was part of a small group that \u201cworkshopped\u201d \u2014 provided criticism and recommendations for revision \u2014 one of the chapters in the book, and I\u2019ve heard chapters in various degrees of revision read aloud. But no, I\u00a0gain nothing from the book\u2019s success except some happiness.<\/p>\n

Fullest\u00a0disclosure<\/em>: I was already a fan of Winner\u2019s writing before I met her, having followed her articles in Books and Culture<\/em> for years. So this is not\u00a0just a case of me promoting a friend\u2019s work to you.<\/p>\n

So I think you can trust me to some extent in what I\u2019m about to say: In a world that \u2014 let\u2019s face it \u2014 needs fewer<\/em> books about God,\u00a0Wearing God\u00a0<\/em>is a fascinating and necessary book.<\/strong><\/p>\n

In it, Winner explores some of the most-overlooked images of God we\u2019re given in the Scriptures: God as a nose\u00a0<\/em>(that is, as one who smells). God as garments. God as fire. And more. She does so with insight, wit, and revealing research. And it\u2019s a blast to read.<\/p>\n

I had the privilege, last week, of attending the first public reading of\u00a0Wearing God,\u00a0<\/em>and it was an exciting occasion. The finished book is beautiful, and Lauren is contagiously enthusiastic about it. She should be.<\/p>\n

I highly recommend it to you all. Trust me.<\/p>\n

Here\u2019s Part One<\/a> and Part Two<\/a> of an interview by Mary Kenagy Mitchell of Image<\/em>, asking Winner about the book.<\/p>\n<\/body><\/html>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"