Manifestations of Violence

From 2015 to 2016, the Rev. Dr. Jeff Hood-a radical theologian, activist, and vocal opponent of the death penalty-lived through and witnessed repeated manifestations of violence: state executions in Texas, police killings, hate crimes against marginalized communities, racial terror, and the everyday brutality of systemic oppression. In this unflinching collection of daily writings, short reflections, poems, prayers, and sermons, Hood confronts the intersections of death penalty abolition, queer theology, racial justice, LGBTQ+ liberation, and radical Christian love in the face of profound evil.

Spanning intense personal moments (including the birth of children amid chaos), public activism (rallies, vigils, and pilgrimages against executions), and theological provocations (from "The White Jesus is a Serial Killer" to queer reinterpretations of scripture and Christmas), these pieces document a turbulent era of American violence while calling readers to embody dangerous, liberating love.

Part of The Collected Writings of Jeff Hood series, Manifestations of Violence: The 2015-2016 Writings is a raw, prophetic testament to surviving-and resisting-in a world soaked in blood, offering hope through unapologetic queerness, mercy, and the refusal to kill. Ideal for readers interested in abolitionist theology, queer Christianity, social justice, and confronting the intersections of faith and systemic harm.