Soul of a Second Skin: The Journey of a Gay Christian Leatherman

by Hardy Haberman

Can a Christian be kinky? That's a question that is rarely asked. More specifically, can a gay leathermen be a Christian? That is the key question that this book seeks to answer. Nationally known and respected leatherman, author and speaker Hardy Haberman reveals his spiritual journey and gives readers both kinky and straight insight into the soul of his beliefs. His views on the BDSM lifestyle and Christianity are enlightening, entertaining and sometimes controversial, but the story of his journey is sure to be thought provoking. For anyone seeking to reconcile their religious and spiritual beliefs with their sexuality and kink, this book is a valuable resource. For people unfamiliar with the Leather/BDSM/Fetish community, this book offers a glimpse into the world of radical sexuality. For Christians, it is witness to the extravagant grace of God and a testament to an unconventional pathway to abundant life. Yes, it is not only possible to be a gay Christian leatherman, but it can be

126 pages, Paperback

First published October 1, 2007

Reviews

[Ellis Billington · Rating 3 out of 5]

There was a lot of good material in here, but I can't stop thinking about how much the book would have been improved by a better editing hand. For one thing, it was filled with typos that got super distracting at times. For another, at only a little over 100 pages, it felt like a lot of topics weren't fleshed out as much as they needed to be. At times, it felt like Haberman was holding back quite a bit. His conversion from Judaism to Christianity wasn't explored in depth as much as I would have liked it to be, for example. It also felt like he shied away from getting too theological, with the excuse that he himself is not a scholar--but I don't know, it seems like he's done his reading on enough topics around spirituality and sexuality that he could have shared a lot more than he did. Speaking as someone with one fancy seminary degree and working on another... some of my favorite people to talk to about theology are laypeople! So I wish Haberman had shared more.

Where this really shone for me was where Haberman talked about the ways the BDSM/leather subculture changed during and after the AIDS epidemic. This was really important historical context for me to have, and reading from the perspective of someone who went through it makes it feel all the more authentic.

Overall, I really loved the tone of Haberman's writing too. Something about his humor and his willingness to be critical of some of the ways the leather subculture has changed over the years reminded me a lot of many queer elders I know. I just wish he'd hired a proofreader!