Lee Professor Publishes His Memoir

Tuesday, April 17, 2012
Dr. Kevin Brown
Dr. Kevin Brown
The memoir of Lee University Associate Professor of English Dr. Kevin Brown, “Another Way: Finding Faith Then Finding it Again,” was published by Wipf and Stock Publishers.

Dr. Brown’s memoir describes his spiritual journey from his first faith to the loss of faith, to the way he found back to a Christianity where he can ask those questions, a different way than he knew before. He still has questions and doubts, but he also has faith in spite of and because of those questions and doubts. 

When asked about the memoir’s inception, Dr. Brown said, “I started writing the book about a year and a half ago based on some conversations I was having with students.  They were asking questions about their faith, and I was looking for a book to suggest that they read.  I couldn't find any that dealt with their particular journey, but I realized that my path was very similar to theirs.  I sent one a brief article I had written, and she found it helpful, so I decided to flesh it out much more and turn it into a memoir.” 

Like many young Christians, Dr. Brown had what he believed to be a strong faith, one that provided answers to all the questions he had and might encounter. He even attended a Christian college and considered becoming a youth minister. While there, though, he began having doubts about his faith, began asking questions that came from discussions both in and out of the classroom—questions he couldn't find answers to. When the church told him he shouldn't be asking those questions, he left the church and his faith behind. 

He kept asking questions, though, and kept looking for a faith that would allow him to have questions and doubts, yet still believe. What he found may offer an answer to the religious divide in our society—one that separates evangelical from progressive Christians, one that separates sacred from secular.

Jon M. Sweeney, author of “Almost Catholic and The Pope Who Quit,” said of Dr. Brown’s book, "What I like most about ‘Another Way’ is the author's ability to see his past clearly, express/confess where he stands today, and explain that every spiritual journey is part of God's mystery beyond our understanding. Kevin Brown gets it."

Dr. Brown received his PhD in English from the University of Mississippi and his master's degree in English from East Tennessee State University. He has a second master's degree in Library and Information Science from the University of Alabama and a bachelor’s degree in English from Milligan College. He is currently working on a Master of Fine Arts degree in Creative Writing from Murray State University.

Dr. Brown has published several articles that explore how contemporary authors portray biblical figures in their attempts to re-tell the gospel story.  Dr. Brown has published critical articles on Ralph Ellison, Kurt Vonnegut, and John Barth, and essays on writing, religion, teaching, education, and movies.

“Another Way” is available at https://wipfandstock.com/store/Another_Way_Finding_Faith_Then_Finding_It_Again. Dr. Brown’s memoir and books of poetry can also be found at http://www.kevinbrownwrites.com.


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