the Empathy List #170: Kristen LaValley Wants You to Know that God Doesn't Hate You, Not Even a Little Bit

Also, lighten up a bit.

Hi friends, Liz here.

I do not generally think Christian influencers are… funny. We tend to be serious, earnest, bleeding hearts. But Kristen LaValley is funny. So is her new book, Growing Up Saved, which documents her experience growing up as a pastor’s kid in the 2000s Evangelical Industrial Complex that so many of us know by heart.

I talked to her around the time of her book launch, way back in March, and we had a LOT of fun talking about our experiences as painfully earnest evangelical teenage girls and as women who both grew up in, um, less than healthy households. We’re both now moms and nearly 40-somethings, which means we now, finally, have some perspective on our young selves. Mostly, we think those young women needed more hugs.

We also get into parenting, post-evangelicalism, and BOY, do we want our kids to inherit a different Christianity!!!!!!!! (Working on it.)

Anyway, enjoy this goofy conversation between myself and a new friend of mine. We hope it makes you laugh. And go buy Kristen’s book! ;-) (Especially for a young woman you know!)

Thanks for reading, pals.

Warmly, Liz Charlotte Grant

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About the Author

Kristen LaValley is a writer and storyteller whose words offer a refreshing perspective on faith and spirituality and resonate with those who carry tension in their faith. She offers insights that intersect doubt and belief, hope and suffering, beauty and heartache. With a deep love for the Christian faith and a willingness to explore its complexities, Kristen’s writing offers nuanced conversations that challenge readers to think deeply and wrestle with important questions. Kristen lives in Massachusetts with her husband, Zach, and their five children.

Follow Kristen LaValley at the liminal way and on Instagram.

And, of course, you can buy Kristen’s book!