Biography

What Academics and Social Educators are saying about "A Life of Unlearning"

In 'A Life of Unlearning' Anthony shares his life with us with all the colour that a story-telling evangelist can capture. The honesty of his story is compelling. Many Christians love to argue, gaining a sense of safety out of "being right". Anthony doesn't do that, he simply tells his story. You can't argue with it. It is neither right nor wrong, it simply is.

You can feel the genuineness in trying to build a relationship with God and the internal tensions of sexual guilt and self-rejection. The tension between his truth and his sense of value and worth is the key battle. We see Anthony rising to success as a popular preacher only to fall with scandal when his truth comes out. His pain deepened as others got hurt, including his wife and daughters.

Even as he left the "safety" of religion and ventured into the homosexual world, he learned the spirituality of honesty and the caring of each other beyond what he had experienced in his denomination. Anthony deals with Fundamentalism by reverting to the fundamental of LOVE. His story faces the hard issues, HIV/AIDS, Suicide, Sexual Assault, Relationships, Marriage, Parenting, Domestic Violence, Loneliness, Guilt, Shame, Rejection, Love and Sex. He has nothing to hide and it is refreshing.

I recommend this book as a non-threatening way to understand and process the issues of sexuality and spirituality; however, I can't say you may not experience discomfort as the honesty in these pages invites you to be honest in your own life. Read it if you dare.

Dr Wendell Rosevear - Psychologist O.A.M., M.B.,B.S., Dip. RACOG., FRACGP
1998 Order of Australia Medal
1996 Brisbane Citizen of the Year
1996 A.M.A. National Award for "Best Individual Contribution to Health Care in Australia"

"By providing powerful, personal and accessible insights into how an individual experiences the tensions, meshings and meeting points between religion, spirituality, sexuality and family, 'A Life of Unlearning' is essential reading for students and teachers of social sciences, religious studies, family studies, psychology and health studies at both upper secondary and tertiary levels."

Dr Maria Pallotta-Chiarolli
Author and Senior Lecturer in Social Diversity, Health and Education School of Health and Social Development Deakin University, Melbourne Australia

"'A Life of Unlearning' is a thought-provoking and disturbing insight into the oppressive stereotyping of 'acceptable' maleness in Australian culture. This stereotyping has ruined the lives of so many men (and their partners and families) and which, causes years of unhappiness, often severe psychological damage and - just as disturbingly - a denial of the possibilities of the rich life of thought and culture. Venn-Brown has been able to free himself from its limiting constructions and bovine constrictions. This brave book is a 'must read' for all students of constructions of gender and sexual identity (and how these have been abetted by the churches, especially those of biblical-fundamentalist character) and of the history of social definitions of maleness."

Dr Barry Spurr MLitt Oxf. MA PhD, MACE
Senior Lecturer - Department of English
University of Sydney, Australia

"From internalised hatred of self, perpetuated by homophobia in society and specifically the church, Anthony Venn-Brown climbs millimetre by millimetre from a place he describes as 'a suicide of the soul' to a place of light, true acceptance, love of self, love of others and discovering the true meaning of the love of God. 'A Life of Unlearning' is a story of courage and resiliency, providing powerful insights essential for any professional considering working with people; teachers, health and social workers, psychologists, counsellors and those who minister. This work is also extremely relevant for individuals with similar issues who, unfortunately still in some circles, frequently feel alone in their struggle to overcome the stigma attached to homosexuality and find self-acceptance."

Liz Hammond
Manager Health Promotion, Family Planning NSW, founding member of the NSW Anti Homophobia Interagency.

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