Bringing Our Whole Selves to Worship: Kaitlin B. Curtice

Identity is complex under the best of circumstances. But how are we to respond when the church asks us (in spoken words or in silent expectations) to leave some or all of our identity at the door? This is the question that our guest Kaitlin B. Curtice began wrestling with some years ago, when she decided to embrace her heritage as a citizen of the Potowatami Nation.

Her recent book, Native: Identity, Belonging, and Rediscovering God, is a chronicle of her journey back to herself. In it, Curtice draws on her personal journey, poetry, imagery, and stories of the Potawatomi people to address themes at the forefront of today's discussions of faith and culture in a positive and constructive way. She encourages us to embrace our own origins and to share and listen to each other's stories so we can build a more inclusive and diverse future.

Kaitlin Curtice is a Native American Christian author and speaker. As an enrolled member of the Potawatomi Citizen Band and someone who has grown up in the Christian faith, Kaitlin writes on the intersection of Indigenous spirituality, faith in everyday life, and the church. Her first book was titled Glory Happening: Finding the Divine in Everyday Places.

Photo by Amy Paulson Photography