Böcker av Jan Haen

"Being a Roman Catholic priest was my vocation in life. But it was impossible for me to ignore that I was a gay sexual being."A gay Roman Catholic priest reveals his adventurous life and ministry in this cartoon-style memoir. During a half-century of priesthood, Jan Haen found surprising ways to unite his inclusive spirituality, queer sexuality, and monumental artistry across the globe in Europe, Africa and the Caribbean. He sparked both admiration and controversy by showing same-sex couples in his religious art.After ordination in 1969, Haen discovered his gay identity against the backdrop of a tradition-bound church. His struggles led him through a transformative personal odyssey, including a period of vulnerability when he became a mental-health patient at the same hospital where he once served as chaplain. Guided by faith and bolstered by support from the Redemptorist order in the Netherlands, Haen found courageous, creative ways to live authentically. At the heart of his narrative is his enduring partnership with a man named Ton, his beloved companion of nearly four decades.Haen worked with local people to paint murals in churches, schools, and public spaces, often amplifying untold stories. Beyond his artistic endeavors, Haen's legacy is advocacy and action. He fought for racial justice in South Africa, sailed the Caribbean as a Dutch naval chaplain, illustrated LGBTQ Christian literature, and much more. Short, accessible prose lets the pictures tell his inspiring journey of gay faith.

Queer people have bravely faced conflicts with church and society throughout history and around the world, including during the 2022 invasion of Ukraine. Heavenly LGBTQ+ highlights the role of LGBTQ+ people in the Russia-Ukraine war and puts it into a broader context. Illustrated biographies tell the stories of seventeen diverse international LGBTQ figures from Alvin Ailey to Xenia of St. Petersburg. They include saints, activists, martyrs, ministers, writers, and performers from North and South America, Africa, Asia, and Europe. Most lived in the 20th and 21st centuries. Their courage inspires hope for LGBTQ+ people.Short, accessible text lets the pictures tell their stories. Lively commentary reflects on how sexuality, gender, and religion impacted the war in Ukraine. The book's deceptively simple comic-book style conveys sophisticated understandings. Large, colorful illustrations on every page present a fresh, unsentimental perspective on uplifting people who faced tough times. Intended for adults, the book naturally includes occasional nudity and violence, as they are part of history. Heavenly LGBTQ+ is the sequel to Jan Haen's first book, Heavenly Homos.Jan Haen is a Dutch visual artist and Redemptorist priest who has ministered in the Netherlands and South Africa. His art appears frequently in the LGBTQ Saints blog series at Qspirit.net. He painted murals in schools, churches and public places in Africa and across Europe. Haen is an active member of the Werkverband van Katholieke Homo-Pastores, an association of gay Catholic pastoral leaders.

Saints and heroes of the LGBTQ community come alive through bold artwork in "Heavenly Homos, Etc" by Dutch priest Jan Haen. He paints diverse people of faith, courage, and love who can inspire readers with new models of queer holiness. The clear, concise style packs a whole pantheon of saints into a single user-friendly volume. Dozens of saints and historical figures from all over the world are presented, including popular favorites such as Sebastian, David and Jonathan, Joan of Arc, Sergius and Bacchus, Harvey Milk, and Matthew Shepard. Less famous but richly deserving people are also canonized by Haen's paintbrush. Short, accessible text lets the pictures tell their stories. The book's deceptively simple style conveys sophisticated understandings of sexual orientation and queer Biblical scholarship. Large, colorful illustrations on every page present a fresh, unsentimental perspective on saints and other uplifting people. Intended for adults, the book naturally includes the occasional nudity that is needed to tell the history."Queer saints danced in my soul when I read 'Heavenly Homos, Etc.' Let the heavenly homos encourage you by revealing their place in human history and in God's creation."-Kittredge Cherry, publisher of Qspirit.net, author of Art That Dares and The Passion of Christ: A Gay VisionJan Haen is a Dutch visual artist and Redemptorist priest who has ministered in the Netherlands and South Africa. He painted murals in schools, churches, and public places in Africa and across Europe. Haen is an active member of the Werkverband van Katholieke Homo-Pastores, an association of gay Catholic pastoral leaders.