Hops and Hope: Book and Discussion Group

Join us each month as we read a book on faith, justice and what it means to find hope in Christ amid a messy and complex world. Each month we will read a book and will gather at a local brewery to discuss and explore how the words we read impact the lives we live. All are welcome to join, whether you finish the book or not.  Meetings are usually the last Monday each month -  locations and books will be posted here.  Contact Deacon Savannah for more information.

June 2025

Disciples of White Jesus: The Radicalization of American Boyhood by Angela Denker   

Join us Monday, June 23 at 6pm at the Immanuel fire pit as we join together to discuss chapters 1-5 of Rev. Angela Denker’s new book, Disciples of White Jesus: The Radicalization of American Boyhood. Please feel free to bring snacks and drinks (beer, wine or non-alcoholic) to share! 

White boys and men are dangerous.

White boys and men are struggling.

Both of these statements are staggeringly true in America today. By far, most large-scale mass shooters are white men. White men also die by suicide more often than any other demographic. In this sensitive, searing, and unsparing look at American boyhood, journalist, mother, and pastor Angela Denker investigates the sometimes-tragic stories of boyhood across the United States.

Disciples of White Jesus is a comprehensive look at the rise in radicalization among young white men in America, especially focused on the role of right-wing Christianity in the increase of religious-based hatred and violence. Denker goes deep into the online rabbit holes of right-wing Christian influencers and conservative Christian ideology to understand how the preaching of "traditional gender roles" and "submission of women" has led to anger, outrage, loneliness, depression, and limiting identities for young white Christian men across America.

Casting her journalist's eye across the US, Denker retraces the steps of a racist South Carolina mass shooter and a Phoenix skinhead turned Evangelical pastor, interviews middle school teachers and coaches in the Midwest, and introduces us to young men across the country who will both confirm and confound our ideas about American boyhood--stories about boys and men who are forging new identities grounded in kindness, grace, respect, and even joy. A must-read for parents, grandparents, educators, coaches, faith leaders, researchers, and all who care about the state of American families, boys themselves, and the safety of American society at large.

Ordering Books

Savannah will be ordering a copy of each for the Immanuel library if you’d like to borrow it, or if you prefer to buy a copy of your own, here are a couple links that help you support local bookstores through your purchase. If you’re looking to support a Native owned bookstore, Birchbark Books in Minneapolis is a great option!

• Bookshop - online book retailer with lots of inventory, and you choose the bookstore that will be supported through your purchase  
• Book Store Link - helps you order directly from local bookstores (can either have them delivered or picked up)
• Take a look at a list of some possible books, but there are many more options out there!

Some ideas for topics include (but aren’t limited to):

• Racial Justice / Womanist or Black Theology
• Liberation Theology
• Mujerista Theology
• Native/Indigenous Theology
• Immigration and Welcoming the Stranger
• Asian Theology
• Interfaith / Global Perspectives
• Faith and Sexuality
• Environmental Theology
• Women’s Rights / Feminist Theologies
• Food or Economic Justice
• Theology and Mental Health

Questions?

Please contact Deacon Savanah Olaphson, savannah@immanuel.us