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Reading Secrets: A Queer Inheritance of Life and Scripture
A trans pastor’s fascination with the Scripture inherited from his closeted, fundamentalist father.
When his dad died, Malcolm Himschoot inherited his father’s Bibles. He chose to re-read them, examining his dad’s notes in the margins, teasing out the details of his upbringing and gender identity amid the structures and forms of biblical narratives. For Malcolm, coming out meant exile and verbal excommunication; he embodied all his gay father tried to hide. In Reading Secrets, he travels alongside the ghost of his father, exploring their inherited homophobia and the American culture that shaped their triumphs and tragedies. With these poetic and evocative meditations, Malcolm transforms the Scripture he inherited, and finds a place in it for himself.
When his dad died, Malcolm Himschoot inherited his father’s Bibles. He chose to re-read them, examining his dad’s notes in the margins, teasing out the details of his upbringing and gender identity amid the structures and forms of biblical narratives. For Malcolm, coming out meant exile and verbal excommunication; he embodied all his gay father tried to hide. In Reading Secrets, he travels alongside the ghost of his father, exploring their inherited homophobia and the American culture that shaped their triumphs and tragedies. With these poetic and evocative meditations, Malcolm transforms the Scripture he inherited, and finds a place in it for himself.
184 pages, Paperback
Published June 24, 2025
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
June 10, 2025
I highly recommend Malcolm Himschoot’s new memoir Reading Secrets: A Queer Inheritance of Life & Scripture. It’s personal history and family history artistically blended with references to Bible passages. One of my favorite aspects of his text, which is presented poetically, is the historical context of the Bible passages.
Reading Secrets is inspiring as well as heartbreaking because we learn about his relationship with his father and his father’s tumultuous relationship with himself. We also ponder death, metamorphosis, oppression, liberation, colonialism, growth, and healing. Those relationships are revealed as the author peruses his father’s Bibles and reveals connections to other themes in our modern (though not advanced) world:
“Ribbon bookmark, black, for “the wages of sin is death.” Romans 6
Pay attention to wages, he taught me.
Make sure you’re getting paid fairly.
The immigrants who found nursery jobs were Black and Brown.”
Himschoot also reveals his place in Christianity as a trans minister as a continuation of ancient tradition:
“…But how caste was simultaneously rejected and held up by the church.
While others did their mischief in between.
A woman merchant named Lydia has no husband mentioned.
She wore purple.
A certain man carried jugs of water.
Queer.”
Queer indeed.
I’m grateful I pre-ordered and read this story. I’m grateful Malcolm is here to share these and nurture new connections, relationships, and covenants.
Reading Secrets is inspiring as well as heartbreaking because we learn about his relationship with his father and his father’s tumultuous relationship with himself. We also ponder death, metamorphosis, oppression, liberation, colonialism, growth, and healing. Those relationships are revealed as the author peruses his father’s Bibles and reveals connections to other themes in our modern (though not advanced) world:
“Ribbon bookmark, black, for “the wages of sin is death.” Romans 6
Pay attention to wages, he taught me.
Make sure you’re getting paid fairly.
The immigrants who found nursery jobs were Black and Brown.”
Himschoot also reveals his place in Christianity as a trans minister as a continuation of ancient tradition:
“…But how caste was simultaneously rejected and held up by the church.
While others did their mischief in between.
A woman merchant named Lydia has no husband mentioned.
She wore purple.
A certain man carried jugs of water.
Queer.”
Queer indeed.
I’m grateful I pre-ordered and read this story. I’m grateful Malcolm is here to share these and nurture new connections, relationships, and covenants.
November 7, 2025
Reading Secrets is NOT a memoir. It is more akin to looking into chards of a broken mirror and trying to understand what has happened: a small glimmer of truth here, a hint there.
For many, this introduction into the difficult world that transgender people face regularly in our world is daunting! Malcome Himschoot is an amazing man. I just missed hearing him in person when his plane was delayed by many hours. For people familiar with what transgender is, this is a good complimentary work as it goes deeper into the painful struggle of growing up and not belonging.
For many, this introduction into the difficult world that transgender people face regularly in our world is daunting! Malcome Himschoot is an amazing man. I just missed hearing him in person when his plane was delayed by many hours. For people familiar with what transgender is, this is a good complimentary work as it goes deeper into the painful struggle of growing up and not belonging.
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews