The Thousand-Petaled Lotus: Growing Up Gay in the Southern Baptist Church

by Michael Fields

Growing up in a strict Southern Baptist community can be challenging for a child whose sexuality is considered a sin. In The Thousand-Petaled Lotus: Growing Up Gay in the Southern Baptist Church, Michael Fields takes readers on a hilarious and thought-provoking journey through his Nashville childhood, one filled with Southern characters, sexual awakening, anguished prayer, and an exhilarating search for truth. In the Hindu tradition, the thousand-petaled lotus is the saharara chakra at the top of the head, which blossoms at the moment of enlightenment. The Thousand-Petaled Lotus is structured as just that, a lotus of many petals unfolding. Fields' journey to reconcile his faith with his sexuality is a captivating story that blossoms when he finds what Jesus called the kingdom of heaven and sees that it is here now. The Thousand-Petaled Lotus is a rare story of personal and spiritual discovery, complete with metaphysical reflections, droll wit, and storytelling full of Southern charm.

290 pages, Paperback

First published May 1, 2014

About the author

Born Nashville, Tennessee. Raised, the same. Deep Springs College, California, graduated from Columbia University, New York City, with a major in English literature. Masters Degree from Fordham Graduate School of Social Service. Has lived in New York City for nearly forty years, most of them with his husband, John, a costume designer. A social worker by profession, he works as a program director at the Department of Veterans Affairs.

But the truth behind the biographical details is that the One Thing takes many forms. Michael Fields is just one of them.