“Progressive Christian” publishers are rolling out a new wave of children’s Bibles and devotionals that replace traditional teachings with messaging focused on far-left ideology, including social justice and Marxism-rooted “diversity, equity, and inclusion” (DEI).
The new books are part of a growing push to reshape how children are introduced to faith.
Publishers behind the rewritten stories argue that the original Bible promotes “Christian white supremacy.”
The movement, which publishers openly describe as an effort to align Scripture with “modern values,” has sparked concern among parents and faith leaders who say it distorts biblical truth under the banner of “inclusion.”
At the forefront of this campaign is “The Just Love Story Bible,” a new title from Beaming Books aimed at children aged 4–10.
Co-authored by Rev. Jacqui Lewis and Rev. Shannon Daley-Harris, the book retells 52 Bible stories with reimagined characters and a stated goal to teach what they call a “theology of love and justice.”
Lewis told Fox News, “Our agenda is to teach young people a theology of love and justice that we don’t have to unlearn.”
The book’s illustrations depict biblical figures in a range of darker skin tones, which Lewis says was intentional:
“The biblical characters mostly look black and brown and caramel… now white children, I imagine, looking in this Bible and seeing brown people and thinking to themselves, ‘Oh, brown people belong to God, too.’”
The authors also reject a literal interpretation of Scripture, including the resurrection of Jesus.
“Did that happen?” Lewis said.
“For me, it matters more that children know that love never dies, so that’s where I landed.”
Daley-Harris echoed that approach, saying parents should be open about which Bible stories are factual and which are fictional.
“It’s OK to actually tell kids from the get-go: Some of these stories are about true people and things that really happened, and some of them are made-up stories, but they’re in there because they can still teach us true things about God,” she said, citing Jonah as an example.
She noted that while traditional Christians will likely reject the approach, many families “evolving beyond rigid traditions” have embraced it.
“There will be a group of sort of literalist or fundamentalist folks for whom this isn’t a welcome resource,” Daley-Harris said.
“But it’s been really interesting to see the reception from not just folks who are raised progressive, but those who are raised in a tradition that no longer fit them.”
Faith Rewritten for Activism
Other progressive titles are following the same pattern.
“Come and See: An Invitation to a Radical Encounter with Jesus,” a devotional for tweens and teens by U.K.-based Hodder Faith, was written by Shannon T.L. Kearns, the first transgender to be ordained in the Old Catholic priesthood.
Publishing director Andy Lyon said the book gives “marginalized voices” a place in faith literature.
“If you want to take children into the Bible and still be respected as an LGBTQ person, there are not a lot of resources for you,” he told Fox News.
“It’s called ‘Come and See,’ because it’s about being seen and knowing you belong.”
Meanwhile, “Growing in God’s Love: A Family Devotional” from Westminster John Knox Press adopts a similar tone.
It offers daily readings that intentionally avoid gendered terms like “mother” or “father” outside of direct quotations, in an effort to “honor diverse family structures.”
Editor Jessica Miller Kelley said the devotional focuses on “justice and inclusivity” for all ages.
A New “Gospel” of Inclusion
Publishers behind these titles describe their efforts as a response to what they call “exclusionary narratives” within Christianity.
Naomi Krueger, senior acquisitions editor at Beaming Books, said her company saw “a gap in the marketplace for people who are looking for a more open-minded Bible for progressive Christians, one that is focused on love and justice.”
She described the project’s message as “countercultural,” adding that it serves as “an antidote to Christian white supremacy.”
Critics Say It’s a Distortion, Not Diversity
Critics argue that these books represent the latest attempt to replace biblical doctrine with ideological messaging, turning faith resources for children into political tools.
By reinterpreting Scripture to fit modern cultural movements, they warn, publishers are creating what amounts to a “woke rewrite” of Christianity aimed at reshaping the beliefs of the next generation.
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