“Sweet-hearted, funny, and honest, <i>Churched</i> had me reminiscing about the little boy searching for God that I once was…” <br>—<b>Dan Merchant</b>, writer/director of <i>Lord, Save Us From Your Followers</i><br> <br><br><i>Churched </i>details an American boy's experiences growing up in a culture where men weren't allowed to let their hair grow to touch their ears (“an abomination!”), women wouldn't have been caught dead in a pair of pants (unless swimming), and the pastor couldn't preach a sermon without a healthy dose of hellfire and brimstone.<br> <br>In 1978, when Matthew Paul Turner was five, his family became sold-out members of an independent Baptist church, joining without any firsthand knowledge of Christian fundamentalism, only his parents' sincere desire to follow God. In <i>Churched</i>, with wit and careful observation, he reveals the tenderness and grace that managed to seep through the cracks and a young man who, amidst the chaotic mess of religion falls in love with Jesus.<br> <br>“<i>Churched</i> is funny, poignant, and surprisingly moving.”<br>—<b>Sara Miles</b>, author of<i> Take This Bread</i><br> <br>“A memoirist who doesn't take himself or the world too seriously, but still writes profoundly and beautifully, Turner gave me a belly-laugh on almost every page.” <br>—<b>Lisa Samson</b>, award-winning author of <i>Quaker Summer</i>, <i>Embrace Me</i> and <i>Justice in the Burbs</i>