| |
Event
Berkeley Arts & Letters presents Megan Phelps-Roper / Unfollow: A Memoir of Loving and Leaving the Westboro Baptist Church
Berkeley Arts & Letters and The Greater Good Science Center at UC Berkeley co-present an evening with Megan Phelps-Roper for her debut book Unfollow: A Memoir of Loving and Leaving the Westboro Baptist Church.
At the age of five, Megan Phelps-Roper began protesting homosexuality and other alleged vices alongside fellow members of the Westboro Baptist Church in Topeka, Kansas. Founded by her grandfather and consisting almost entirely of her extended family, the tiny group would gain worldwide notoriety for its pickets at military funerals and celebrations of death and tragedy. As Phelps-Roper grew up, she saw that church members were close companions and accomplished debaters, applying the logic of predestination and the language of the King James Bible to everyday life with aplomb which, as the churchs Twitter spokeswoman, she learned to do with great skill. Soon, however, dialogue on Twitter caused her to begin doubting the churchs leaders and message: If humans were sinful and fallible, how could the church itself be so confident about its beliefs? As she digitally jousted with critics, she started to wonder if sometimes they had a point and then she began exchanging messages with a man who would help change her life.
A gripping memoir of escaping extremism and falling in love, Unfollow relates Phelps-Ropers moral awakening, her departure from the church, and how she exchanged the absolutes she grew up with for new forms of warmth and community. Rich with suspense and thoughtful reflection, Phelps-Ropers life story exposes the dangers of black-and-white thinking and the need for true humility in a time of angry polarization.
-----
Megan Phelps-Roper is a writer and activist. She left the Westboro Baptist Church in November 2012 and is now an educator on topics related to extremism and communication across ideological lines. She lives in South Dakota.
-----
Please note:
>> Presentation to be followed by a Q&A. Important signing details to follow.
>> Tickets are non-refundable and non-transferable.
>> This event is all ages. Accessibility is important to us! If you have special needs of any kind, please write events AT booksmith DOT com and we will do our best to accommodate you. If the cost of admission would be a financial hardship that might prevent you from attending, please let us know.
|
|
 |
LocationHillside Club (View)
2286 Cedar Street
Berkeley, CA 94709
United States
Categories
| Kid Friendly: Yes! |
| Non-Smoking: No |
| Wheelchair Accessible: Yes! |
|
Contact
|
