Description
“Nagassar writes with the clarity of a prophet and the tenderness of a healer. Whole and Human is a timely invitation to resist the soul-numbing pace of modern life and embrace a liberating spirituality rooted in embodiment, justice, and love. These meditations are invitations into restorative practice that helps deconstruct harmful forms of capitalism, reclaiming rest, presence, and sacred worth as acts of resistance.”
~—Terence Lester, founder of Love Beyond Walls and author of I See You, When We Stand, All God’s Children, Zion Learns to See, and From Dropout to Doctorate
“Nagassar has the gift of fostering welcome within the world around us, but he also encourages readers to step into the work of making space within ourselves. Whole and Human is an embodied journey that expands what has contracted and restores the parts within that have decayed. These reflections feed the fire of our spirituality so that we have the strength and compassion we need to help warm a cold world.”
~—Jenai Auman, writer, contemplative, and author of Othered: Finding Belonging with the God Who Pursues the Hurt, Harmed, and Marginalized
“Nagassar writes with such tender fire. Whole and Human not only guides us deeper into concepts and embodiments of spiritual decolonization, but invites us more deeply into our own stories. These pages call us to step out of the harm perpetuated by the church and reclaim our own sacred spirituality, wholly and fully.”
~—Kaitlin B. Curtice, award-winning Potawatomi author of Native and Everything Is A Story
“Nagassar returns us home to both the humanity and sacredness of Scripture—no small feat in a continually hardened world where all of this is at stake. Meditative books often speak to individual self-improvement, but with little for the what-next: communal action, collective healing, actionable justice. Whole and Human reminds us that we cannot be separate from one another, just as our spirits and bodies cannot be separated in themselves. For this very moment, Nagassar brings us back and forward.”
~—J. S. Park, BCC, interfaith hospital chaplain and author of As Long As You Need: Permission to Grieve
“Nagassar’s writing allows readers to gaze at liberation as the pursuit of small realizations leading us towards bigger movements of change. His reflective nature and pastoral heart are like having a friend walk alongside on a journey inviting us into the depths of ourselves. This is an intimacy with Jesus that many are seeking but few are able to grasp.”
~—Camille Hernandez, poet laureate of Anaheim, California
“Nagassar invites readers into a faith that truly seeks justice and loves mercy. Take this forty-day journey alone or with friends and allow it to transform you in the best possible ways.”
~—Patty Krawec, author of Becoming Kin and Bad Indians Book Club and cofounder of the Nii’kinaaganaa Foundation
“Whole and Human boldly challenges Western Christendom’s doctrines of disembodiment so we can reclaim our inherent goodness and pursue collective liberation. By centering trauma, land, and marginalized voices, this theology moves beyond personal repentance to demand a systemic reckoning within the church. It is a gift for anyone on the journey of discovering a faith that honors our humanity rather than denigrating it.”
~—Drew G. I. Hart, associate professor of theology at Messiah University and author of Making It Plain: Why We Need Anabaptism and the Black Church
“Whole and Human is kinda angry. And, hear me out, don’t we need some anger in our devotionals right now? The societal clock is turning back to colonialism, segregation, and blatant hatred, and we want to know if God cares. Does the Lord see? Does Yahweh still free the oppressed? Does Jesus still want to bring the year of the Lord’s favor and pull the beauty of heaven down to earth? Is it okay to even ask these questions?
Yes, it is okay! It is in the tradition of the psalms, prophets, and Jesus on the cross to ask these questions as we wrestle with faith in the shadow of empire. It’s okay to ask questions and to bring lament as well as worship, it’s okay to be angry at injustice, and it’s okay to draw near to the Lord. Whole and Human prepares a table for both body and soul and invites the reader to bring their whole selves to participate.”
~—Sharifa Stevens, author of When We Talk to God: Prayers and Poems for Black Women
“We are living in a terrifying time, battling toxic ideologies, theologies, and oppressive systems. These refreshing meditations are gentle, loving, firm, and nuanced, affirming the dignity of humanity and the created order. I wholeheartedly endorse this guide for how to keep grounded in these days and in this time.”
~—Robert Monson, public theoethicist, cohost of Three Black Men Podcast, and host of Black Coffee and Theology Podcast
