Praise for Saffron Cross

Now at the Patheos Book Club
Saffron Cross
The Unlikely Story of How a Christian Minister Married a Hindu Monk
By J. Dana Trent

What People Are Saying

"Dana Trent puts a human, and often humorous, face on the growing reality of interfaith marriage. From her struggles to become a vegetarian to her Hindu husband's efforts to understand prayer, Trent's account reveals an east-meets-west partnership that succeeds in mutual respect and love."
—Jana Riess, author of Flunking Sainthood and The Twible: All the Chapters of the Bible in 140 Characters or Less

"Trent takes an exceptional story and makes it somehow universal. Funny, endearing, challenging and illuminating, Saffron Cross describes the interfaith future of our global village."
—Susan Katz Miller, author of Being Both: Embracing Two Religions in One Interfaith Family

"Trent's remarkable memoir is a compelling exploration of love at the edge of the spirit. This story points toward a revolution in brand-name religion that may be a hallmark of America's religious landscape in the not-too-distant future. I heartily recommend you read this book."
—Rabbi Rami M. Shapiro, award-winning author, poet, liturgist, and Director, One River Foundation

"As a multiracial democracy, America is only a teenager. As a multifaith society, we're just a toddler. I'm deeply grateful for my Baptist sister Dana, who loves Jesus with all her heart and also loves her Hindu husband. We need stories like this one to help us imagine who we might become. The good news of this book is the hope that Christians can know Jesus better by loving the spiritual stranger next door."
—Jonathan Wilson-Hartgrove, author of Strangers at My Door

"Saffron Cross is a heartfelt, beautiful story of an already faithful Christian being pulled closer to Christ through the most unlikely teacher. This book has the capacity to make you yearn for a life in which Jesus really is at the center as you journey through a budding romance, the crowded streets of India, and a nearby temple where you may find yourself bowing to a strange (but faithful) altar as well."
—The Rev. Dr. Donna Claycomb Sokol, Pastor, Mount Vernon Place United Methodist Church, and blogger

"Ordained Baptist minister Dana Trent engagingly uses her own experience (including both eHarmony and spirituality) to inform and enrich the lives of others. This is a wonderful lesson for living!"
—Lucy Daniels, PhD, psychologist, author, and Guggenheim Fellow

"An articulate, seasoned author, Dana Trent's writing style is engaging and her memoir descriptive. On almost every page, one finds deep truths colorfully and effortlessly conveyed through everyday adventures. Here is a person who really understands the nonsectarian and pluralistic component of Gaudiya Vaishnavism, not merely on an intellectual level but through real-life experience. Trent's work is a gift that will be cherished for generations."
—Steven J. Rosen (Satyaraja Dasa), author of 31 books on Vaishnavism, including Christ and Krishna: Where the Jordan Meets the Ganges

"Saffron Cross was a stimulating, and joyous adventure that I could barely put down. It is a sincere, painfully honest account that is sure to charm readers. Considering Dana's background as a Baptist minister, I found her encounter with Gaudiya Vaishnava theology and practice especially courageous, proving that by love, sincerity, and intense prayer, we can understand that which is beyond both material reasoning and religious formularies. Dana's journey with her husband to find spiritual unity in diversity was a struggle, and yet their success together in honoring both faith traditions demonstrates the grace of God. This book can encourage others who embark on an interfaith marriage, reminding us that we will notice what we focus on with faith, either disparities or harmony."
—Karnamrita Das, Bhakti practitioner, spiritual teacher, hope broker, and author of Give to Live